"Well, as...humiliating as crawling across this span was like a baby, still I did talk Choom out of the tent."
Those traversing via the tent enter and are carried gingerly across by Gnarly, who ties a rope around himself and then throws it to the party members on the other side for safety. The bats chitter uneasily, but do not swarm. Once across, Gnarly open it up again so everyone can exit and continue on their way.
The passage continues downwards. After a while, a distinctly warm draft begins to blow up the passage, and then a muted red glow. On being asked, Choom explains, "Forges. Air and smoke come up shaft from fire below, where workers make iron, steel. Path go round shaft."
The tunnel indeed opens into a small chamber. It is warm, though not overly so, and the air carries an acrid stink that makes the eyes water. In the centre of the chamber is a shaft, heading down into the floor and continuing up into the ceiling. A reddish glow and low rumbling emanates from the pit, along with a blast of hot air. There is a path about 10' wide which runs round the hole and continues out on the other side into another tunnel.
fort save r 15+4=19
"Lead the way, Choom."
"We go straight," says Choom, indicating the tunnel beyond.
sense motive r6+6=12....
"Let's....do it."
"Yes, let us continue."
The tunnels leaves the vent behind and continues its downward track. The party descends deeper, and the trek continues for several hours through empty vaults, mushroom caverns where nameless invertebrates crawl, and forests of stalagmites. It is clear that this path has been, at the very least, improved artificially - steps carved into cliffs, the bridge across the chasm, paths cleared through boulders. Fortunately, the denizens of Khyber do not seem to inhabit this particular part of the caves, and no animate dangers present themselves.
Eventually, the tunnel comes to a junction. Choom hesitates, and then chooses the left pasage. After a while, another junction appears, and Choom chooses again. And then comes another, and then another. After a while, it is clear the party has wandered into a maze, with passages twisting and turning. Choom finally arrives at a fork in the path and halts, admitting sheepishly, "Choom lost."
"Is this new?" (to Choom)
"Can our trackers backtrack our path?"
"Need to go through. Choom forget way." The kobold gives his usual shrug.
“Think very hard Choom,” says Lightbringer. “Try to become unlost.”
He turns towards Rodergo and Ezreal. “Is there any magical means within our capability to find the path? If not, and Choom cannot remember, I suggest that Janosz and Gnarly try to follow our tracks back to the bridge, or the last point that Choom was certain of the way.
“From there, there is perhaps a way to find the correct path, although it may be slow. We have seen many signs that the passageways have been worked. If there is no other way, we can search for further signs of these workings and follow such passageways. It will be slow, and we will need to mark our way and make a map as we go.”
"Choom wander here, long time, hungry, thirsty. Forget way." Choom folds his arms and kicks a stone sulkily.
In response to Lightbringer's question, Ezreal says "Sadly, no. I haven't done nearly enough research into divination to manage path finding. I can do this though..." While Janosz orients himself and begins retracing Choom's steps, Ezreal snaps his fingers and casts a quick little cantrip. "I prepared something to clean and flavor the venison, but right now I'd much prefer to be free of bat shit." Smears of guano begin peeling away from the mage's loose black trousers and gloves and the tiny invisible whirlwind moves on to the rest of his gear fairly quickly restoring them to a level of cleanliness unknown in days. "Anyone else? Rodergo?" With a nod Ezreal gives the cleric the same treatment and continues on with anyone else who wants it.
"Aaah, thankyou. Guano is so out of style."
Runzyl stands around, having little to offer in the field of maze navigation. Truth be told, he was lost after the first couple of turns, but he continues to stand ready, his wicked blades never leaving his hands.
"Choom wander here, long time, hungry, thirsty. Forget way." Choom folds his arms and kicks a stone sulkily.
"Don't worry 'bout it, Choom. People get confused when they are tired and hungry, and it was some time ago as well. The important thing is that we're here. I'll retrace our steps, and then we'll try a different passage. Let me know if you see something that you recognise."
The tiny whirlwind continues to peel away any remaining guano from the party rounding it into a lump spinning in midair. Once it has gathered every last bit the lump floats gently into an open pouch of Ezreal's spell component pouch and he pats it closed while the cantrip continues to cleanse and freshen everyone's clothing and gear.
Those traversing via the tent enter and are carried gingerly across by Gnarly, who ties a rope around himself and then throws it to the party members on the other side for safety. The bats chitter uneasily, but do not swarm. Once across, Gnarly open it up again so everyone can exit and continue on their way.
The passage continues downwards. After a while, a distinctly warm draft begins to blow up the passage, and then a muted red glow. On being asked, Choom explains, "Forges. Air and smoke come up shaft from fire below, where workers make iron, steel. Path go round shaft."
The tunnel indeed opens into a small chamber. It is warm, though not overly so, and the air carries an acrid stink that makes the eyes water. In the centre of the chamber is a shaft, heading down into the floor and continuing up into the ceiling. A reddish glow and low rumbling emanates from the pit, along with a blast of hot air. There is a path about 10' wide which runs round the hole and continues out on the other side into another tunnel.
(Ok, you are back at the start. In order to get through the maze, you need to make three DC 20 Track rolls in a row. If you fail, you lose half a day wandering about (and you have been down here half a day or so already). You can start again from a failed check, but each restart effectively costs half a day (plus associated rations). You get +2 for Gnarly's assistance and +2 for LB's mapping and marking suggestion. So no problem - get Tracking.)
The party wanders for a while through similar looking corridors. Janosz gets lost once, but soon finds the right track again. Even so, it is several hours before the maze is left behind, and by then everyone is tired after many hours of walking.
Janosz notices the tracks of some creature, maybe a large rodent or two. Very large rodents, maybe the size of a man.
"What do you see?"
"Rat tracks. Really big rat tracks." He turns to Choom. "Know anything about giant giant rats down here? Heck, these look like they weigh as much as a fully grown man!"
"Rat rider patrol. Check out tunnels for bad things, kill or lead away from main living tunnels."
"Something that would have been good to know earlier," comments Lightbringer, looking around. "If these patrollers spot us, they may try to get word to the rest. We should be alert."
The tunnel continues down into the depths.
Throughout the tracking process, Runzyl remains by Janosz and Gnarly, carefully studying the way they perform their art and occasionally questions their findings.
When the rat tracks are encountered, the elf leads near to the tracks to study them more carefully and then shakes his head, clearly at a loss for any insight.
"Perhaps a few of us should scout ahead, in case we encounter these creatures."
14+11+2=27
"Hold there. They have a hurting to fall down upon your head."
"Aye?"
Trose manages to pull back the two leads at the head of the party before they trigger the trap. A big boulder hangs suspended by concealed (but fortunately, not concealed well-enough) chains, ready to crush anyone passing underneath.
Um, I think i shoulda let you roll, but 4+9+2=15
There is an ominous creaking as Trose fiddles with the chains while perched on Gnarly's shoulders, the scout giving advice. The dwarf yells in sudden fear, "Not like that, you dozy bugger!" and, stepping back involuntarily, causes Trose to fall. There is a heart-stopping moment where the boulder shifts and it seems may slip and crush them, but it stays in place.
"Right," says Gnarly shakily, "Let's try that again."
Janosz swallows nervously as he watches his friends struggle with the trap. "That was close. Good spot, Trose."
"Yes, traps, many," says Choom sagely, if somewhat belatedly.
This time is better: 17+9+2+2=30
“Choom, do you know anything else of how this place is defended?” Lightbringer rounds on the kobold. “Now would be a good time to inform us.”
With sighs of relief all round, Trose and Gnarly disable the trap and the rest of the party can travel on underneath the hanging blocks. Choom answers Lightbringer's question.
"Many traps through tunnels where unwary tread - it is kobold way. But where traps are? Long time, and traps changed, moved, so cannot be easy learned by enemies of kobolds," says Choom, curling his reptilian lip at Lightbringer somewhat.
"Tunnel beyond end in big room with boxes, full of food. Many kobold warriors live in rooms near, in rooms to keep safe King.... or Triune. But room inside Big Gate. Only one way into King's tunnels from rest of kobold tunnels, to keep safe, and warriors there to watch Big Gate. Big Gate very hard to break - big stone. If outside and gate shut, cannot get in. So Choom show you good tunnel, get you inside.
"King's tunnels - rooms for King's females, guards, treasure, priests, and hall where King shout at kobolds. And some traps - switch on and off from room with guards."
"Soooo.... If we are inside the big gate and then shut it, then the main guard force cannot enter? That should tilt the odds a bit in our favour, I'd say."
"Someone's coming", Janosz hisses. "Could be some of that rat cavalry."
Lightbringer is on the verge of saying something further, when he suddenly stops and looks around carefully. “I heard something,” he says in a low voice, “the rat riders perhaps. Be alert.”
Lightbringer gestures for everyone to move back. “We fall back to the last junction . A few hide in the side passage. I am not good at hiding, so I will remain seen – when they move to attack me and any who remain by my side, those hiding close in behind them to stop any from escaping and alerting the Triune.”