Ezreal replies to the kobolds calmly in draconic, but his voice raises in a commanding tone towards the end.
Draconic:
In common he adds, "Choom oversee this. Make sure they are do as I ask."
One of the kobolds wails...
Choom intervenes.
"Workers, I am Prince Choom, King Choom, come to reclaim the throne of the Sky Dragon from the usurpers, the Triune. These people with me are my followers, here to aid me in this task. You need not fear retribution - before the watch fires are lit anew, the heads of the Triune will be before my throne where I can view them in my victory.
"Aid me now, and you will be richly rewarded. Fail me, and you will be nothing more than the Triune to me, to be struck down in my vengeance. When a true heir of the Sky Dragon sits upon the throne in the Hall of Splendours, the Mantle of Kings upon his shoulders, the Claw of Khyber and the Scales of Eberron in his hands, and the Eye of Siberys upon his brow, the abomination of the worship of the Flayed Dragon shall be nothing but a memory, and the Triune a story told to frighten and instruct hatchlings.
"Aid me now, and live. Fail me, and die. The choice is simple. Close the Great Gate, disarm the traps, and seal the gates except those leading to the Throne Room."
The seeming leader of the control room technicians nods to the others, and they begin to operate the machinery. There is a rumble of stone on stone that runs through the floor, and faint sounds of portcullis gates rising and falling in the tunnels beyond. Various tubes turn from blue to yellow, or yellow to blue.
The chief engineer bows to Choom and addresses him.
"The Triune rarely occupy the Throne Room, except when they have visitors like the ogre lord, and in an emergency like this they will return to the Hall of the - ahem - Flayed Dragon."
Choom is agast.
The engineer looks abashed and continues.
"The Private Royal Chambers have been occupied by a number of prisoners from the above - mostly humans. I understand that they are used to create magic for the Triune, but again I am not privvy to their secrets."
Choom asks, in Draconic:
The engineer replies:
Janosz nods in hopeful, though non-comprehending, satisfaction as Choom and his new subjects squawk and titter, before the engineers pull their levers. "That sounded pretty good, didn't it?", he mutters to Lightbringer. "I like that bowing part the best."
Ezreal follows the conversation with interest, impressed with Choom's transformation. Quietly as they converse he relays relevant bits for the others, "I think I've underestimated Choom. They will help us- locking out reinforcements, shutting down traps. We've already dealt with most of the elite Triune Guard on the way in... but the Triune keep a personal guard of monks dedicated to the Mockery. They'll be in the Hall of the Flayed Dragon.
Choom is upset that it was a holy shrine that they have desecrated for the Mockery. The engineer says it's rumored to be a deathtrap, but it's beyond their control from here. ...Norn isn't the only prisoner. They have "a number" of prisoners forced to make magic for the Triune, mostly human. Prisoners are in the private royal chambers."
"Remember that we work for Choom... Now would not be the time to make a different impression."
"Nice! That's mostly good news. Perhaps Choom should speak to everyone on that... speaking sphere thing, or whatever it is. A good announcement could make the guys outside the Great Gate back down a bit."
"My understanding was that we will only be facing loyalists with the gates locked down between here and the Hall, but it might do a lot towards calming hysteria in the aftermath if Choom made our intentions known. Choom- how do you feel about using the spheres to let your people know about your return so they know we aren't here to kill them? Or does it only communicate with the Triune and loyalist guard posts?"
"Yes, if Choom can speak to his people and have them lay down arms, then there will be fewer things standing between us and the Triune. I do not feel that this will be an easy battle, so let us gain whatever favor we may."
I have. I used the circle, bull's strength, and the other two were replacement heals in the din of battle; to heal from afar, as it were, they have to be MY spells and not a device.
I have. I used the circle, bull's strength, and the other two were replacement heals in the din of battle; to heal from afar, as it were, they have to be MY spells and not a device.
I popped that off at the gitgo.
I popped that off at the gitgo.
"Y'know, I was getting all nervous by all the armoured lizards. 'Tis good to hear that they were some sorta elite guard - and that we've gone through most of 'em. Those were tough, highly motivated little buggers. We've met those flayed monks before. They'll be tough, too." Janosz wanders off to rescue the puking Arek from the bottom of the stairs.
Choom chatters with the engineers. "While warriors close to Triune loyal, many below still worship Sky Dragon. Maybe cause trouble for Triune if we say we come to bring back Sky Dragon, maybe warriors wait to see what happen, people no fight so hard for Triune."
He addresses the sphere (in Draconic):
"There, that do. It probably no work on any guard or monk we meet." He shrugs.
The door beyond goes into a storeroom and then into a corridor above the passage to the Great Gate, where murder holes can be used to drop unpleasant items like boiling oil, alchemists' fire and acid on attackers. It is tricky to see through them (they are deliberately not straight to prevent arrows coming back at defenders) but there is a commotion of kobold voices below. The storeroom contains useful siege items, including three more Stinking Cloud spheres and a set of leather armour for Choom.
"Excellent. Good job, Choom." Janosz pats Choom on the shoulder, before walking down the siege corridor. Listening to the kobolds underneath, he waves Ezreal over. "What are they talking about down there?"
"We should take these spheres. Hmm....wonder if I can carry them?"
I'll volunteer to take them; you'd be more useful chucking arrows. I should be kid molotov cocktail.
maxed you out. Two charges.
Any acid or alchemist's fire lying around?
As far as Ezreal can tell, the discussion is military orders being barked out. They are bringing up seige equipment and miners to batter through the Great Gate, though it will take (at the very least) hours without serious magic given that the great gate is effectively 30' of solid rock blocks lowered to seal off the entrance.
"If they're still at it after we kill them Triunes dead, we'll dump acid and fire on their heads. Damn industrious buggers. Can't they just give up and kick back?"
Lightbringer stands stoically, not understanding the kobolds’ conversations but trusting that Ezreal would raise the alarm if anything seemed wrong.
After a moment he says “Are we ready to move?”
Maybe Choom should say to them, "the Triune is no more. Long live King Choom!!!" over the loudspeaker(?)
"It would be useless Rodergo. Choom isn't the only one who can use the orbs. The would immediately reveal his lie. Choom has handled it perfectly. They know his intentions and that the heads of the Triune will sit on spikes in his throne room by the end of the day. More importantly he has appeal in restoring their old ways and religion. The cult of the Flayed Dragon isn't sitting well with his people- other than the loyalists of course."
"Yes. Perhaps you're rignt."
(oops with the dmheathy....no attempted usurpation is planned.)
"Excellent." Janosz flexes his newly repaired shoulders, nodding in approval. "Let's go get those heads for Choom's pike."
"What do we do about these guys", he says, indicating the kobold engineers. "Can we leave them here? They won't have a sudden change of heart?"
"It would be useless Rodergo. Choom isn't the only one who can use the orbs. The would immediately reveal his lie. Choom has handled it perfectly. They know his intentions and that the heads of the Triune will sit on spikes in his throne room by the end of the day. More importantly he has appeal in restoring their old ways and religion. The cult of the Flayed Dragon isn't sitting well with his people- other than the loyalists of course."
"Excellent." Janosz flexes his newly repaired shoulders, nodding in approval. "Let's go get those heads for Choom's pike."
"What do we do about these guys", he says, indicating the kobold engineers. "Can we leave them here? They won't have a sudden change of heart?"
"It may be prudent for Arek and Bool to stay here as guards for Choom. If anything should get out of control here, they take him and attempt to meet us at the throne room."
Yeah. I think that might work well.
"I agree. The engineers could cause all kinds of problems if they decide to switch sides again. I'd hate to see the Great Gate opening now."
In Orcish: "Make sure the lizards don't make any funny moves. If you want to tie them up or not, that's your call. But if they try to pull a lever or talk into the sphere - just cut the them down."
Arek nods. Bool says, in Orcish,
Janosz looks over at Arek, looking for some sort of hint.
Arek shrugs, nods at Ceshto, who shrugs as well.
"Uh-huh. In that case, Ceshto stays and Bool comes with us to the throne room."
Bool looks mollified, and grunts his assent.
"Triune in Hall of the Sky Dragon," explains Choom, "Not in Throne Room. They hide there, behind traps."
"My bad. Lead the way, your majesty."
"My bad. Lead the way, your majesty."
"To the Hall of the Sky Dragon then," rumbles Lightbringer, eagre to be off.
Choom guides the party back the way they came, to the guardroom. To the south, the way is now blocked by huge blocks of stone which fit snugly with the tunnel walls. To the north, the portcullis is open and the corridor stretches ahead for 25' before entering another guardroom. This one has two large ornate double doors made of bronze and dark wood, one to the north and one to the east. As in the other room, it is lit by everbright lanterns and a speaking globe projects from the wall.
Four kobold soldiers - the ones firing from the north before - stand in this room, halberds to the fore. They do not try to ambush and make no immediate move to attack, but one yells in Draconic:
I'll be at C9. That sounds "middleish."
"Huh. There's gotta be a trap involved here. Make them come to us - if not, I'm perfectly happy to shoot them full of holes from a short distance."
"Wizard," the elf calls over his shoulder to Ezreal. "What are these creatures squaking about now? Do they wish to surrender?"
Ezreal laughs, "No, not quite. They say we can't pass and blather about their sacred duty to the prophets of the Flayed Dragon."
Ezreal laughs, "No, not quite. They say we can't pass and blather about their sacred duty to the prophets of the Flayed Dragon."
"Oh." The elf smiled.
“Tell them they can surrender or die for their false god,” states Lightbringer, hefting his sword and shifting into a combat stance.
Init: 5+1=6
"I doubt they would grant me the time to search the area proper, so I suspect luring them to us is the best bet."
Choom addresses the warriors:
However, it doesn't seem to work. The leader hisses in reply:
They prepare to charge.