Lev moves closer to his sister. "Have you any thought for how you want to handle this? I'd initially been thinking that we'd be purging the land of the kobolds the way one purges their cellar of rats. But it occurs to me that you might prefer another way."
He looses his greatsword in its baldric and nocks an arrow into his bow. If the kobolds intended to attack them straightaway, that'd remove any concern for diplomacy and he intended to be ready for just such a contingency.
"Rats is actually a very fitting description. Kill a bunch of rats and you'll have peace for a season - after you will have new ones fresh out to ruin you. These particular ones are smart, to boot." Anya replied, just as her brother had predicted.
"We go in there, expecting a trap. If they can be reasoned with, good. If not, well..." She added, pulling her swords free from their sheets. Privately, she doubted the kobolds could be reasoned with - or even trusted to keep any bargain they would make. Trying was little more than a formality she had to do to satisfy herself.
Having readied themselves as best they could, the group tied their mounts off and headed further into Kobold territory.
Stealthy movement wasn't too difficult, as many areas had been cleared of underbrush and leafmatter. Many of these small areas had crops of mushrooms and other plants growing, with definite signs of care and cultivation from the little dragon men. Twice Lev found warren runs through the thronbrush of the region, built for the small size of the kobolds. These in particular had the big hunter concerned as it would allow the little creatures easy flanking opportunities while he and his companions would be nearly helpless to move through the region. If things went bad in here, fleeing would prove nearly as dangerous as a frontal assault.
Eventually they came to an area where the water pooled into a wide billabong. A large group of boulders and natural rock protrusions emerged from the forest near the water, and a small cleft showed the entrance to the kobold lair.
A battered sign lay tilted to one side, the words unable to be read from this distance. Beside it stood a cage made of branches and sticks. The cage had been placed in such a way that beams of sunlight fell across it, where they they had manaaged to penetrate the foliage above. Within the cage, a tiny creature sat in a miserable huddle, its large eyes swolen shut in the bright light.
Knowledge nature DC 11 (anyone with traits for Fey get a + 2 bonus)
Anya warily approached the miserable thing, very much on her guard. This whole area might easily be a trap or a guardian, or even an alarm of sorts. Whatever it was, getting caught unawares wasn' going to be pleasant or healthy.
She was concerned - Kobold almost never fought unless at their terms, and till they considered the fight done. Hopefully, some kind of other solution would materialize.-
Lev glanced at the pitiful creature with an expressionless face. He might have some things in common with the Kobolds if they considered the Fey their enemies as well but even he would not stoop to such cruelty.
Instead he made his way cautiously over the the sign so that he could examine it more closely.
The brother and sister combination move cautiously towards the entrance, studying the bizarre looking creature. It had large ears, sticking from the side of its head like a goblins would, only they seemed to sag and hang havily to side of the head. Large eyes bulged from its face, but the lids were thick and squinted against the bright light. Most startling of all, however, was its greyish blue skin. This was a clear indication of its fey nature. Lev felt he should know something about these things, though what they were escaped him for the moment.
What didn't escape his notice however, was the furtive movement just inside the cavern entrance. With startling speed for something moving so stealthily, one of the Kobolds from the lair was darting back into the cave from its hiding place in the shadows of the rock oucropping.
Lev
Lev, sensing danger and noting the way the ground shifted under the kobold's feet, reacted without thinking. He lifted his readied bow ( and fired.
Only after did he realize his error.
"I may have acted too hastily." He mutters, apologetically, to Anya. "Ware the ground there!" he says more loudly.
Lev's arrow streaked through the air, thudding into the kobold just as it was disappearing into the cavern. With not so much as a scream it tumbled sidwards, the force of the arrow shoving it from its intended path. The creature fell lifeless to the ground, the spear in its hand clattering to floor as it did so. The kobolds tail twitched for a moment or two before lying still.
The little blue creature in front of them groaned and shuffled about in cage, cracking its eyes open slightly to stare at the dead kobold. A racking cough seemed to come from the thing, before both Anya and Lev realised it was laughing at the kobolds fate. It spoke then, the words barely audible and in the language of the fey
Only able to be understood if you speak Sylvan (or the fey language at least, if it isn't sylvan in golarian)
"Kill them all. Great sport in hunting the dragonlings there is. Twist their tails to necklaces and give to your younglings. But kill them, oh yes, kill them all"
It cackles again, before whincing at the bright light and squeezing its eyes shut in pain.
"What is that thing in the cage? and what do you have to do to get beaten by a kobold?"
"Look at it, does it look like it could beat a kobald? It's even smaller than them, and uglier. What'd it say?"
"I have no idea, but the way it laughed indicates no love for kobolds. That and a pretty vindictive streak."
Lev glances with distaste at the creature in the cage. "I considered trying to learn their tongue, once, but couldn't bring myself to do so. It was likely taunting the beasts. Or taunting us. Either way, it is not of importance."
He looks back toward the cavern. "I believe the ground just this side of the opening is trapped in some way. We should be wary."
As the party regathered near the entrance to the cavern, they could all hear sounds of movement and high pitched yipping coming from within. The smell of woodsmoke and cooking meat also drifts out of the cave, though only faintly. It would seem that at least for now, Lev had acted quickly enough to prevent any alarm from being raised.
After the hunter points out the trapped ground, Everyone is able to avoid it. A large pit, dug just behind the rocks at the entrance, has been placed to deter intruders or capture creatures bold enough to try the cavern. It is easily avoided by gripping the rocks and sliding past.
The cavern within seems to quickly lose light, and for those without the vision of the night dwellers would need some form of light source to see by.
"We're going to need light," Alannah says in a terse whisper,"I have alchemist fire if nothing else, but I can't shoot in the dark"
Lev nods to Alannah and removes a sunrod from his pack. "We have little chance of stealth if we have light but I see no other option. We could also use a bullseye lantern I have but I'm not sure all of us can be quiet."
Lev returns his bow to its place at his back and draws his greatsword. "I'll take the lead. Someone else should carry the sunrod; I won't need as much light as the rest of you."
Anya nodded at Lev's words. She was glad he was taking charge after she had been momentarily too surprised to really get a plan beyond the "This is bad - stop it" Impulse level.
"We use the lantern. If they hear or see us, bad but no worse than splitting up. I need both my hands, best to leave it with Elsbeth or Alandra." Now that she was past the initial shock, her battle instincts were finally kicking in, and she was rapidly scrambling to come up with a plan that didn't see them running head first into a heavily trapped kobold den. "Let's try and take prisoners. Without a bargaining chip, they have no reason to talk to us."
Arianna, with her swords at the ready, will follow behind Elsbeth, trying to stay in the shadows cast by the sunrod.
Stealth:
The lantern is passed back down the line until Elsbeth has it firmly in hand. The tall noblewoman holds it aloft, looking more like she's holding some form rotten slug than a lantern. Arianna isn't sure but she thinks she hears the words "menial labour" muttered from teh sorcoress.
Lev leads the exploration team deeper into the caverm. Almost immediately he found another set of traps, a series of pits again and right in the path way. The little buggers certainly had secured the entrance. Moving past this one was going to be difficult as they took up most of the corridor. Unless someone could jerry rig a way across it, they would need to balance on the edges of the thing in order not to slip in.
Alannah moves carefully attepting to navigate past the indicated trap.
Acrobatics
As does Alandra:
Lev looks uncertainly at the traps. "Is there any way you can disarm these things, Arianna? I'm not sure I'm as light on my feet as some of the others."
Arianna will look at the big woodsman and shrug "I'll see what I can do." Pulling out a leather case Arianna unrolls it and removes a set of fine tools from within. Examining each trap the young rogue begins to go to work.
Disable Device:
Looking back at Lev, Arianna smiles. "I wasn't able to completely bypass them, but they should be able to hold more weight now." So saying she attempts to move past the pits herself.
Acrobatics:
Lev takes a deep breath and tries to move carefully past the traps.
Anya cursed inwardly as she hadn't taken any appreciable length of rope with her. The damnable thing would have been a good deal here - it would limit how far any one of them could fall. Unfortunately, that wasn't much of an option. Similarly, collapsing the traps was usually something she would consider - but now, it would as sure as anything trigger some kind of alarm, and send the whole warren into a panic - or even a full-scale organized defense. That was something she was a bit afraid off.
She took a few steps to gather speed, flexed her muscles, and made a single huge step to cross the first trap Alandra had identified.
Acrobatics
Arianna moved silently forward and studied the pit traps carefully. After some time she jiggled the carefully camoflaged pit covering then looked at the others, letting them know she thought she'd made them more stable. The young rogue didn't sound overly convincing.
With deep breaths, the group begins edging their way past the series of traps. The legdes around the edge were just wide enough to walk past, but the cavern wall itself made the task more difficult by its jutting walls and slight dampness. Everything was going quite well though, until Elsbeth tried to cross.
The beautiful sorceress had fallen to the back of the back of the group, after Arriannah had moved forward to try disabling the pit traps. With a shriek, she slipped into the first pit, crashing through the covering and smashing into the ground below. The lantern she held crashed loudly into the ground, its light flikering momentarily but not going out.
Everything went quiet for a moment as the others cringed, then the sound of loud yipping ould be heard from the deeper caverns.
(whispering)"A little help would be appreciated here"
Alannah drops to one knee, her bow propped up against the stone wall. Quickly she draw a tightly wound silk rope from her pack, wrapping it around her arm a few times before casting the end into the pit to the sorceress below.
Hearing the kobolds barks, Lev cursed under his breath and reached into his pack, pulling out one of the sun rods. He quickly lights it tossed it to the ground to provide light for everyone.
"They're coming!"
He draws his greatsword and prepares himself for the rush.
Alannah's rope slithered down into the pit, where Elsbeth grabbed onto it desperately. With a heave, the archer hauled the sorceress out of the pit and dragged her panting onto the realtive safety of the ledge.
Behind them, they heard Lev draw his big two handed sword and warn of the coming kobolds. Almost at his words, two of the creatures appeared from the shadows further down the passage. They had spears and shields readied, but at the sight of the big man and his two handed weapon, they remained at a distance, barking commands to each other in querulous voices. The passages are narrow here, and Lev found his weapon to be hindered somewhat in the tight confines.
Holding his sword in both hands, Lev shifts into a readied stance and calls out to the kobolds.
"This need not come to bloodshed. We have come to talk, not fight. Bring your leader and we will explain why we're here. Use any of your weapons against me or my companions and you will die."
Giving the sorceress's shoulder a supportive squeeze Alannah comes up onto one shoulder taking up her bow and nocking an arrow as her sharp eyes seek a line on the kobolds.
Anya, squeezed as she was behind her half-brother, could only wait relatively impotently as to what would come next. She might have managed to squeeze past him - somehow - but doing so would not only leave both of them deliciously exposed to any ill-intentioned kobold, but also leave a decidedly hostile impression on the humaniods. That was something she did not want to see happen if avoidable at all.
"Can they understand him?" Alandra whispers to Anya, also waiting to see what happens next.
Elsbeth,panting, massages her hurting left leg while stumbling on the pit's edge.
"Thank you Alannah. Lev, if you want to talk our way out i think i can help"
Without looking away from the kobolds, Lev whispers back to Elsbeth, "I'm not even sure they speak our language. Since the last one did, I thought it'd be worth a shot. Do you speak...whatever kobolds speak? If so, do whatever you can."
The two kobolds stop yammering at Lev's words, and face teh big human. "You warmlings must go-go. Great Muck em comin'. He be makin youem all dead. Arcunum, he em comin' too soon. Go-go"
It's hard to tell if the creatres are scared or angry, given their foreign nature, but certinly they seemed happy enough to delay rather than attack first.
Beyond them, deeper in the complex, the sounds of other kobolds shouting and gathring gear could clearly be heard.
Elsbeth tries to shake off the pain, that fell hurt her.
She wispers : "I'll try something, but if we have to fight it should wise not to do it being hurt from the start, and i'm the most fragile here. I could require some healing"
Then to the kobolds :"I hope you'll understand my speech, from what i heard you know this language. I appreciate you look like you don't want to start ostilities, we won't harm you either."
After a brief pause ."I take these Greta Muck and Arcunum are leaders of yours, am i right ? Can we talk with them?"
Anya moved aside and tried to help Elsbeth through. Secretly she was glad at not having tried her horribly-butchered foreign languages at the kobolds - they probably would have laughed.
The warning set her to think. Why were they warning them off their own leaders. Intimidation was a possiblility - a plausible one, but not too likely. The pests rarely wasted a strong position. So they either had internicide quarrels against their own leaders, or else were somehow convinced not to risk a fight even in their own favorable circumstances. She whispered these thoughts towards her half-brother.
"Amongst such crude folk as these, the leaders probably rule with fear and intimidation," Lev whispers back. "Perhaps one is a war leader and the other a religious leader. If they're coming this way, then we'll at least have the chance to come to a peaceful arrangement rather than end this with blood."
He glances at Elsbeth as she moves closer. "I'm not sure what the best tact is, but we're looking for a peaceful accommodation with these creatures. They should know that it's in their best efforts to work with us for there are many more where we come from." He says softly to her.
Elsbeth looks back to Lev a bit worried.
"We better agree on what we want to talk them into, as for now i have no idea.And maybe they won't care how many there are where we come from, since if we don't make it back we won't sound any alarm"
"You should suggest that if anything were to happen to us, the far greater numbers will seek us out and find our killers and pay them back tenfold for our deaths." Lev whispers back. "Whatever you do, don't show the slightest bit of concern about ourselves. They need to believe that they have more to fear from our deaths than we do."
He glances over to Anya. "As to what we want...Anya may have a better idea of that than I. How can we put their existence to our use? We need to make it seem as though we're allowing them to live as a favor and only because we have something to gain by it."
At Elsbeths words, the creatures paused and looked to each other. One of them slipped backed into the darkness while other held his spear at the ready.
Moments later another voice piped up from the darkness of the tunnel, just at the edges of Lev's vision. This one spoke with far more confidence and authority, though its voice still held a piping nasasl tone that grated on the nerves.
"You em have come to Sootscale land to em be speakin'? Well you em speakin' to big Muck Sootscale now. You em speakin' fast if you em want to be leavin' Sootscale cave. What you got for offerin for you em lives?"
Elsbeth had slipped further forwards into the tunnel, close behind Lev now, leaving Alanah at the rear of the group. The young archer stood with her bow ready, trying catch a glimpse of something to target down the darkened tunnel. Movement at the corner of her eye made her turn to the lightened entrance and her blood chilled a little. She caught the last movements of a kobold slipping across the tunnel, taking up position behind the rocks there. It would seem the creatures had used the delay for paley to get more troops behind the party.
Sense motive DC 17 (Already includes the negatives for a non human)
"We were just exploring on behalf of many soldiers who are waiting for our report, and they will come looking for us. We are of course sorry to have invaded your lands, we didn't know you lived here, we thought there was no one"
Anya replied to her brother "Chiefly we want them to respect our claim to the land, and not interfere with us. We'll leave them to their warren, but not allow them to expand above ground. Some kind of hostage - preferably not an actual Kobold - would be a huge success, but I doubt we can make that many demands in our... sticky..." she stopped when the chieftain announced itself.
Sense Motive
She could not make any sense off the draconic's behaviour, but decided that presentations of power never hurt. If these pests accepted anything, it was strength. Or was it guile?
Lev isn't able to read any meaning in the creatures words and decides it doesn't matter. He's more concerned by the fear he can hear in Elsbeth's voice.
"We represent a great force that is moving into these lands," he says calmly, his sword still held tightly in his hands. "Our people live some miles away and are no threat to you...unless you give us reason to be. We can make peace right now, and agree not to cause trouble for each other. Or a war will begin. I promise you; those you see may die here today but the men who will come after us will kill you all."
He lifts his blade. "So do we fight? Or do we talk?"