Túrante stretches and makes a surreptitious nod in the direction of the ledge. "Sentries indeed," she says.
Fenchurch turns to Nighttail.
"Tell them we are here for whatever remains of the human they killed, and to negotiate terms in order to prevent retaliation against their tribe."
"What she said!
Nighttail nods her understanding, gulps, and steps out into the clearing below the bluff, arms raised, hands empty.
She stumbles somewhat over the translation, but Fenchurch’s sincerity, and Moira’s encouragement, carry through the message.
The kobold sniper steps out from the underbrush,
Nighttail turns to look back at everyone hiding in the brush, an embarrassed smile as she rubs the back of her scaly head. "He’s coming down. I think we’re good."
Rhaalzigid puts crossbow on his back and deftly scales down the rock face. He barks something at Nighttail and she translates, "He says to come out with your hands up."
Liamae complies with the kobold's demands. Hands raised, she speaks to the humanoid in Draconic.
Moira follows suit.
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Fenchurch's expression is steely and alert, but she follows orders and secures her axe to the strap on her back. Raising her hands up high with palms open and facing out, she steps fully into the clear terrain.
Looking to Liamae, she offers a wry grin: "I know I sort of got us started down this path, but since you speak the language maybe you should take point on the negotiations."
"I think that is a splendid idea," Liamae replies with a smile.
When Liamae appears from the brush, Rhaalzigid appears astonished. As everyone else appears behind her, he suddenly takes a step back. He slowly redraws his crossbow from back and points it at Liamae.
He jerks the pointy end of the crossbow to his right, to the narrow, creek bottomed gorge behind him. Liamae takes the lead, and Rhaalzigid falls into the rear with Nighttail.
[spoiler=Liamae or anyone else who also happens to speak Draconic, Perception DC 15]You hear Rhaalzigid whisper toward Nighttail, "It is strange. I have been on sentry for three days and no one has come out of cave."
To get to the cave, you have to cross the creek, making the leap across boulders midstream. As you do, Rhaalzigid calls out,
Two more kobold snipers appear on the rocky ledges above, crossbows trained on the visiting party. Rhaalzigid hops onto the bank last, but moves up to the front and speaks to Liamae,
Just past the mouth, the cave drops suddenly into a narrow tunnel. Rhaalzigid deftly climbs down into the darkness. After a moment of waiting, he shouts up, "Ok!", which, by the way, is a shared word in both Common and Draconic.
The cave entrance is a narrow drop off of 20ft. The rock walls are slick with moisture from the mist of the nearby waterfall, and slimy with moss. It is dark down below.
Moira reaches into her bard's kit and pulls out some rope and looks for something to tie it to.
"Stalactite... stalagmite... stalag-might hold my rope for me?"
No such speleothems can be found here at the fissure-like entrance. If you had a piton to go along with that rope you could secure it in place.
M looks over at others. "Hey, unless one of you elven ladies has a rock climbing hobby I haven't heard about yet, maybe we sturdy human lasses should lower you down? Then the climbing would be up to us. I'm pretty strong, but this armor isn't as light as its categorization would have you believe..."
Fenchurch nods in agreement with Moira. "I think that's our safest bet."
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Liamae translates the kobolds' speech for her companions as they move through the cave complex. When they reach the drop off, the elf steps up to Fenchurch. "I've an idea to help us all get down. I'm going to make you big! It will only last a short time, but that should be long enough for you to lower yourself down and catch the rest of us!"
If Fenchurch agrees, Liamae lays a hand on her shoulder and clicks the heels of her boots together to expend some of the mental focus stored within, causing the cavalier to swell to twice her height!
"I love that plan, Lia!"
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Nighttail tells Hak to stay and guard the entrance. She gives him a deer thigh bone to gnaw on.
Khari speaks up, "Don't worry about me, I'm actually really good at climbing."
Always polite, Iagon, too, offers to climb down himself. He seems to immediately regret it.
So, Fenchurch lowers herself down over the ledge. It's a tight squeeze at first, but she finds the space opens up below. Liamae touches her, and with a sudden rush of blood from the head, Fenchurch finds she is much bigger, and the squeeze much tighter. But, climbing down just a few feet, her toes touch down on the soft, muddy cavern floor. Then, one by one, Liamae, Túrante, and Moira lower themselves safely into Fenchurch's large, awaiting arms.
Nighttail and Iagon slip and fall, but Khari seems almost unnaturally gifted scaling down the cavern wall.
"Owww, I think I broke my tail!"
Iagon winces but puts on a brave face.
It is dark down below, but a shaft of misty light pours down from the entrance above. The cavern floor is muddy and slick, and those that can see in dim light see Rhaalzigid waiting near a large pool of murky water. Liamae, Túrante, and Iagon might immediately be reminded of the pool in which they encountered Midge the bog nixie, or maybe even the cesspools in the grimple lair. But, this time, swimming in the muddy waters they see a large salamander-like creature, with pale, spotted flesh and a spiky frill around its head and neck. It slowly lifts itself out of the water and observes the party as they descend from the cave mouth.
Rhaalzigid barks,
Uzu seems somewhat disappointed. It opens its mouth and lets the muddy water within slowly dribble out before ducking back down beneath the surface of the pool.
From here there is a passage to the north and one to the south. Rhaalzigid motions for you to follow him to the north, although he looks to be alert and on guard.
Moira casts Light on her hat before topping up her companions with a jolt from the wand for Iagaon and Nighttail.
For Iagon:
For Tails:
That'll help with the stinging!
Fenchurch shakes out her arms and legs as Liamae's magic wears off. It had been a strange sensation, but she was impressed with the results. "Not a half-bad bag of tricks you've got there," she remarks appreciatively.
When Nighttail and Iagon both take a tumble, Fenchurch is quick to help them to their feet.
She casts a somewhat suspicious look at Khari's surprising skill at descending the wall.
Retrieving a torch from her pack, she lights it and raises it high to scan the area. She's somewhat on guard about the strange creature in the pool, but continues trusting in both parties' good intentions.
As Moira and Fenchurch illuminate the cavern, you may notice the first chamber is naturally formed rock, unsurprisingly. However, parts of the back wall, behind the muddy pool, seem to be worked stone. Grimy and crumbling, there seems to be some sort of bas relief carving of ancient origin.
"That is but the tip of the iceberg, Fen," Liamae says. On a whim, she reaches out to boop the cavalier's nose, giggling.
"Lead on!" she says to Rhaalzigid in Draconic, gesturing to the passage ahead.
"Nicely done, Liamae," says Túrante encouragingly.
"What is that carving?" she asks, pausing to point at the bas relief.
Moira takes a look at the carving:
...and tries to think if she's heard anything about anything like that before:
She shrugs. "Dunno."
The wall carving looks vague and obscure to Moira, and the party moves on from it.
Just at the north passage, there is a small ledge you have to climb up. The tunnel seems to wind around a bit until up ahead you can see flickering firelight and hear whispered voices coming from a chamber ahead.
Rhaalzigid motions for everyone to stop and be quiet. Then, he whistles out a short bird all. There is silence on the other side, and then a reply whistle. Rhaalzigid murmurs something to Nighttail, and she says "It’s ok."
Slowly Rhaalzigid moves forward, spear still cautiously out. You emerge into another natural cave chamber, light by a campfire. A small handful of kobolds huddle around the fire, while one warrior stands guard over them, rapier out and at the ready. However, seeing Rhaalzigid, he lowers his guard.
Throughout the cave chamber are supplies and gear. Looks like a base camp, but for far more kobolds than are gathered here. The ones present look tired and weary, but on high alert.
Rhaalzigid approaches the kobold warrior and the two exchange words. At one point, the kobold warrior looks over Rhaalzigid’s shoulder to the tunnel, and Rhaalzigid motions everyone to come out.
In broken Common, the warrior greets you.
"I Varkol, of Hangtooth. Hangtooth come here to find great weapon. Ogres from mountains invade Hangtooth lands. Devilspeaker say great weapon buried here. Hangtooth use weapon to drive ogres from our land."
"Killing human was accident. We brought body into caves to hide. No want humans to know Hangtooth here. But…" He pauses, a look of terror in his eyes. "Human come back to life. Kill miners, but miners come back to life. Lots of Hangtooth dead." He looks to Rhaalzigid, "Boss is dead."
Varkol hangs his head, troubled "We no go back without weapon. Devilspeaker no allow it. We stay here. No fight things below."
Nighttail gulps. Khari touches Liamae’s dress, "This is s-s-such fine s-s-silk."
Moira sighs. "Well, lives and deaths are bound to get complicated. Some more than others. Sounds like our boy is out and about. And causing trouble."
"What do you think about a trade? We help you get the weapon, and you help us find the dead-walking human."
She keeps half an eye on Khari, surprised that her bf's undeath isn't making more of an impression on our bereaved youngster.
Well, she's sure quick to go on the rebound...
Fenchurch's mind looses track of her growing suspicion of Khari at the news the subject of their search has become undead.
Her face becoming stern, and her grip tightens audibly on the torch she is holding. "The boy's fate is deeply regrettable, but if he has joined the ranks of the unliving then we must see him destroyed with all possible haste. Such abominations cannot be allowed to roam the Verduran."
"Imported from the distant land of Tian Xia, love," Liamae says to Khari, reaching out to squeeze her hand reassuringly. She nods to Moira, agreeing with the proposed plan.
The kobolds lead you back to Uzu's chamber, where Varkol points you down the tunnel to the west. Nighttail says "Here, take this!" and hands Fenchurch a Potion of Invisibility, "I hope it helps."
The kobolds stay back while the party plus Khari move forward.
The passage curves in darkness, but Moira's glowing hat helps to light the way. It soon opens up ahead. To your immediate left, a crumbling masonry wall juts out from the natural rock of the cavern, obscuring your way into the rest of the chamber. Just ahead of you, near the wall lies a kobold body, unmoving, in a pool of stale blood.
"Liamae is very fashionable and knows how to use it," says Túrante with a wink.
"This doesn't look good," she says as the team comes upon the body. "I have... a strong suspicion about things lurking in that cavern. Or on the ceiling."
Túrante casts mage armor and draws sword and shield.
Fenchurch accepts the potion graciously, thanking Nighttail and patting Hak on the head. "You keep these folks safe, you hear?" She says to the young Allosaurus encouragingly.
Once they reach the slain kobold, Fenchurch extinguishes and stows her torch -leaving lighting duties to Moira's magic- so that she may wield her greataxe at the ready.
Moira follows Túrante's gaze to the ceiling to check that there's nothing obvious up there. If not, she buckles her buckler, squares her shoulders, and approaches the dead kobold with an appropriate level of caution for an adventurer expecting the undead. She gives it a few little shoves with a rock held in a Mage Hand to see if it will react.
If it doesn't (a pleasant surprise), she'll give it a quick scrub with Prestidigitation and drag it back to the cave entrance, requesting and accepting any help her party might offer. She explains:
"Not only is it good policy to keep the dead away from the undead, it's good manners, too."
If it does wake up, well. I guess we'll see.
Nothing stands out about the ceiling. The natural stone is a dark colored diorite. Flecks of pyrite reflect the light of Moira's hat.
The kobold corpse is rigored and stiff, the blood tacky and thick. Moira can drag it herself, but she might have an easier time just carrying it.
However, as she grabs a hold of the kobold, she hears a shuffling and groaning noise coming from the other side of the crumbling masonry wall.
"Knew it," mutters the elvish princess as she moves to the front to take up a guarded position in the cavern.
Iagon moves down the tunnel toward the sound of trouble. He moves around Moira and Túrante and the kobold corpse to a nearby boulder, where he skin hardens to a bark-like consistency.
Túrante positions herself near the end of the wall. She can see the room opens up more beyond, and she can see the end of another crumbling masonry wall just around the corner. Iagon can see this too, and also what appears to be a kobold standing on the other side of the second wall.
Khari too casts a shimmering blue abjuration about herself and excitedly moves to the end of the tunnel.
But then, around the first wall steps another kobold. Unlike the very dead corpse, this one seems reanimated. It's eyes are blackened and its scaly skin is covered in patches of black mold, small black mushrooms erupt from between scales. It slavers and snarls at Túrante.
Perhaps off put by the strange appearance, Túrante's readied strike swings wide, and the fungal kobold swings back with its mining pick.
The pick ricochets off Túrante's glowing blue arcane defense.
Liamae nocks an arrow and fires at the fungal kobold, but her aim is off!
Moira says "Shoot 'em between the eyes, Liamae! Put it in their head! Make 'em into cranberry jam... Zombie zombie zombie... In your heaaaaad in your heaaaad they're fighting!!!"
She begins a bardic performance, going a capella because she's also got to draw her sword while moving up to cover Túrante. She stands over the dead kobold, ready to slash at the zombie next turn, if necessary.
Perhaps Moira said something about the spiders on the naval ship being animated by fungus, or Iagon mentioned witnessing the same with centipedes in the bog cave, but Fenchurch has the hunch that these zombies aren’t of the typical necromantic origin. They are more plant than undead, infected with some sort of intelligent fungus. Given what Varkol said, this fungal infection spread throughout the kobold camp after Arnholde rose from the grave.
The other fungal kobold lurches forward and slowly makes its way toward Iagon, pick in hand. From somewhere further in the cave, another reanimated kobold lurches forward, just stepping out of the darkness and coming into view for Iagon. This one seems to be a former guard and is armed with a longsword.
Fenchuch sizes the reanimated kobolds up. She was no academic, but the Verduran had begun to teach her things about all facets of nature: even the sinister ones. She didn't know what exactly this fungus was, but she had an idea of what it was doing.
Her expression grew solemn. If this was an naturally-occurring fungus then what happened to Arnholde and the tribe, while tragic, was the will of the green. Nature was often brutal.
However, that hardly meant she and her companions had to let it overcome them as well. Part of that brutality was Nature's children being at cross-purposes to each other's survival.
"It's not necromancy!" the woodland knight shouted. "It's some sort of fungus, and I think it's infectious. Be very careful around them!"
Then, in direct opposition to her own advice, she advances quickly past her new allies directly towards the be-fungused kobolds.
Once she's in the kobold's faces, hoping they possess unsophisticated instincts, she bangs her fist as loudly as possible on the chest piece of her armor. "Hey, you dumb mushrooms! I'd like to see you try to eat me!"
The fungal kobold miner can not manage to pick its way through Fenchurch's banded mail as she steps by.
Túrante continues to take practice swings. She's getting warmed up.
Iagon steps back away from the approaching kobolds and unleashes a blast of wooden particles.
There's not much wood to work with in these caves, and the particles scatter about ineffectively.
Khari seems less excited as Fenchurch calls out that these kobolds are actually plants. But with the mention of infection, she reaches behind her and touches Liamae, "This s-s-should keep you s-s-safe."
Antagonized by the bigger and more threatening Fenchurch, the miner changes focus and swings again.
It's gonna be that kind of combat.
"Thanks, love," Liamae says to Khari as she fires at the same target again!
Moira continues her song and slashes at the fungbold:
Liamae aims for the head but strikes the heart. Spore-blackened blood oozes from the kobold's mouth, but it still stands.
Moira finds her blade repelled by the kobold's fungus thickened scaly hide.
The other miner swings at Fenchurch.
This one hits and Fenchurch takes a pickaxe to the knee.
The fungal kobold guard shambles up to the fray. Fungal gills open up on its neck and emit a cloud of black poisonous spores, filling the cavernous air.
Being in the midst of song, Moira gets a lungful of spore cloud.
Túrante manages to cover her mouth, and stumbles out of the spore cloud.