"Very well. You may take one more with you."
Fireday nods.
"I will volunteer to accompany Coen if no one else wishes to."
"You two, come with me. Brath and Yadriss will watch the rest of you to be sure you don't try anything funny." Two skulks suddenly step away from the walls on either side of you. You have no idea how long they've been there for.
Leupel leads Coen and Fireday to a short passage between two of the huts. The cramped cave beyond is filled with metal junk covering almost every inch of ground. The precarious pile rises up in a heap-like hut to the northwest. Another female skulk awaits here, numerous daggers strapped to a harness crossing her otherwise naked body.
"I am Sef, leader of this tribe," she says. "I will allow you and your companions safe passage through my caves, and I will even reward you with a strange device I found in the wreckage here, so long as you agree to two things. First, you do no harm to me or my people. Second, you clear out the annoying gremlins who dwell to the north. These are my terms."
Coen glances at Fireday, making a face that clearly indicates his discomfort before gathering himself and addressing Sef.
"I am called Coen and we were sent from the village aboveground to try and find some of our people who went missing after entering these caves. I just want to start by saying that, if possible, we'd like to avoid killing anyone. So genocide seems like a pretty extreme opening offer in this discussion." He sighs before continuing, "So what did those Gremlins do that makes you want us to go "clear" them out anyways?."
"The gremlins are malicious pests," Sef says with a scowl. "They are always sneaking into our caves and tinkering with the items we discover on our foraging trips into the Darklands. Those items usually end up broken or cursed. Sometimes they even go so far as to attack us directly if they catch one of us alone. I've grown tired of their little 'pranks' and wish to see them destroyed or driven away from these caves."
Fireday bows to Sef and his face seems impassive as he listens to Sef's offer.
"The gremlins most likely would be a hazard to us as much as to these people. We would probably end them in self-defense even if we were not aware of her people's presence. We should accept their generous offer," he says to Coen.
A small frown on Coen's face makes it apparent what he thinks about fighting someone else's tribal war being a generous offer. After half a second he shakes that off and tentatively continues.
"Well... all that other stuff aside, how many Gremlins are there?"
"There's a dozen or so that come and go. But right now I only spotted three of them skulking about, plus their leader never leaves the nest. If you take him out, the others won't likely come back any time soon."
"Very well, based on my comrade's council, I will accept. For right now, we'll go back and tell the others about the agreement. You can expect us back, unless the rest of our group has some major reason to object. Even then, we won't be looking to fight with you or your people."
Coen will start to leave unless stopped, only turning back after a few seconds as if suddenly remembering something.
"Oh, one last thing. You didn't happen to see a group come through here before us that you maybe didn't kill, one them go by the name Khonner?"
"There have been several groups that have come through. I didn't catch many names. The first visitors were a purple-haired woman and a band of humans, orcs, and rat people. She met with my predecessor and arranged a significant payment in return for an agreement--my people would attack and kill any and all others who passed through the caves. They went north through the gremlin caves and have not returned since.
"We slaughtered the next group that tried to pass, but the one after that was lead by a wizard who killed our former chieftain and stole the purple-haired woman's payment from us. They went through the door and came back out. We hid from the next group, and then the wizard came back and we let him pass uncontested. But neither of those two groups came back either."
There is a transparently interested and surprised look on Coen's face as the explanation goes on.
"Well, that certainly helps. Thank you."
Coen then turns to the guide and gestures as if intending to leave.
Kaska waits sullenly, composing her death song in her head. To her it is obvious this parlay is simply a way to split them, making it easier for these things to kill them all. She doesn't expect to see the sorcerer and the machine return alive.
Had it been up to her, they would have fought, but she knew there would have been little or no support for that from the others.
As she can, without being obvious, she watches the creatures guarding them. There might be some weakness she can detect that will allow her to kill more or them before she dies when the time comes.
Viv leans against a rock wall as she waits for the other half of the group to return. She tugs at her armor idly, then shifts her boots, then finally becomes almost as still as a statue.
"There have been several groups that have come through. I didn't catch many names. The first visitors were a purple-haired woman and a band of humans, orcs, and rat people. She met with my predecessor and arranged a significant payment in return for an agreement--my people would attack and kill any and all others who passed through the caves. They went north through the gremlin caves and have not returned since.
"We slaughtered the next group that tried to pass, but the one after that was lead by a wizard who killed our former chieftain and stole the purple-haired woman's payment from us. They went through the door and came back out. We hid from the next group, and then the wizard came back and we let him pass uncontested. But neither of those two groups came back either."
Fireday turns to Coen, his eyes widening.
"The councilwoman did not mention a purple-haired woman or a group traveling with such. Do you think she could be the reason for the flame going dark?"
He turns back to Sef, bowing again.
"We thank you again, Chieftaness. Is there any further information you may tell us about the wizard? We seek to return him to his daughter alive."
"He flung fire and acid around and killed many of my people," Sef says darkly. "We decided it was not worth it to pursue further violence against his party. But we have not ventured far past the door in this cave, and there are worse monsters than skulks lurking there. It is very likely he came across something whose powers outstripped his own. I would not hold out much hope of finding him alive."
Leupel escorts Coen and Fireday back to the others. She points to a nearby tunnel leading north, indicating where the gremlin caves lie. Brath and Yadriss move to the far end of the cave near the strange metal wall, restricting your access until you fulfill your end of the bargain.
Fireday waves at the others as they reunite with the rest of the party
"We have reached an accord with this tribe. We enter the caves to the north and slay the gremlins within, and do not harm the members of the tribe, and we will be rewarded. And they gave us information about what happened here."
Coen will start talking as soon as he's reasonably sure that they have some privacy, though inwardly he knows that if the skulks didn't want him to detect them he wouldn't have a chance.
"Yeah, there was some... unexpected news.
Their suggestion was to go fight and kill the gremlin leader. There might be anywhere from a four to twelve there right now. We did agree, but if the rest of us don't agree as a group I suggest we find a different way around. I'm not about to suggest we go fight and kill another tribe on someone else's say so, especially when you hear the next bit."
He pauses for a second and looks at everyone's faces before continuing. From the tone of his voice it's obvious that he's excited and a bit bitter about the news.
"They told us a bit about the groups that travelled here before us. They've been trying to fight and kill the adventurers who came before us because they were paid to do that by the first group that came through."
"Does anyone from Torch know a purple haired woman or adventurer who would have traveled with rat people and orcs? I imagine she would stand out, and I don't remember her. She was here first, paid to kill anyone who followed her, and never left.These are not nice people, and I'm willing to bet that group did something that turned off the Torch."
Viv lurches off the wall and says, "I don't know anyone like that, but I'm told that hair colors like mine are not 'normal' for people who aren't androids. If nobody saw this woman go in, she must've taken steps to conceal her arrival, which hints at nefarious motives."
Coen holds up some fingers as he counts off the order that people traveled through the caves.
"The first group through was the orcs, rat people and purple haired woman. Baine actually came third, after the skulks killed the second group, he fought and killed their chief in a spectacular display of magic. He then went back, reported to the town and came back through them again. After him, another group traveled through and the skulks avoided them. That makes us the fifth to approach the skulks."
"Baine, the purple haired woman's group, and another group are all on the other side of the skulks somewhere, alive or dead."
"My guess about the purple haired woman being behind the torch is that she was the first person from outside these caves to come here and she obviously came knowing people would be down here after her, which actually suggests that she knew what she was doing along with a host of other things."
"Through the gremlins' lair. Where we are going," Fireday replies matter-of-factly.
The indicated tunnel has little headroom, the ceiling reaching a height of five feet, so you'll have to stoop slightly to navigate it. After a few feet, it splits in two. You can proceed either down the left or right passage.
Kaska is surprised to see the machine and the sorcerer again, until she hears about the deal they've struck. Then it all makes sense.
They prefer to have others do their killing for them. No doubt there' something other than gremlins waiting for us that way she think a she takes point. and the group moves into the small passage.
We'll just just to survive and surprise them, see what they think about that!
Fireday follows after Kaska, keeping his eyes open for signs of gremlins...before he realizes he doesn't know what those might be.
"Kaska...you are a skilled scout...do you know what a gremlin looks like?" he says quietly.
"Nope, never heard of them" Kaska replies.
The tunnel opens up a bit into a small cave, with another tunnel at the far end. Kaska leads the way, with Gylwinth behind her, followed by Fireday, Coen, and Viv.
Kaska makes it past the next tunnel's entrance without incident, but Gylwinth walks into the tripwire that Kaska inadvertantly stepped over. A spike of jagged metal swings down from above, stabbing into the shaman's side!
A few moments later, three tiny creatures leap out from hiding! Grimacing like maniacs, these lean little bat-eared horror display mouths full of needle-like teeth and glowing, orange eyes. Two of them are ahead of Kaska, and they stab at the ranger with tiny blades. The third one comes from behind, stabbing at Viv!
Before you can react, the gremlins attack yet again!
"Ugh, apparently they look like tiny evil things with knives."
As he talks, Coen quickly invokes meteors on the two to the front.
Kaska does her best to strike back at the little monsters, but the confines of the passage thwart her.
Wobbling slightly from all of the hits she's taken, Viv takes a single step back and launches another lead bead at the gremlin attacking her.
Fireday blinks in surprise at the ambush, and draws his blade, a surge of bright green fire sliding up the fuller and suffusing it.
"Hold the line, I'll guard our flank!"
He squeezes in next to Coen and takes a swing at the gremlin next to him. The little wretch gives an annoying giggle as the sword whiffs over its head.
;
Fireday moves in on the rear gremlin as Viv steps back. It easily dodges both of their attacks. Likewise, the gremlins attacking Kaska duck under her blade and cackle as they jump away from Gylwinth's spearpoint.
Coen tries to incinerate the pair with meteors, but they scatter and avoid the fiery missiles too!
Emboldened by their apparent impunity, the gremlins attack again. Two against Kaska, and one against Fireday. Each one tries to bite with their razor-sharp teeth as well! Kaska takes two hits from the lead gremlin, but the others miss.
Kaska works her blade frantically at the biting gremlin, trying to catch it somehow.
Viv fires off another sling bullet.
Coen considers switching to his crossbow before rejecting the idea and invoking power at the fey. He starts to sweat as he pushes his minor magical power to the limit.
Fireday takes another swing at the gremlin.
;
Fireday's sword flashes as he deftly slices across the gremlin's neck. Blood sprays from its throat as it falls!
Kaska and Gylwinth both land solid hits, cutting and stabbing deep into the remaining gremlins. As they stagger back, Coen conjures another rain of fiery meteors. This time, the wounded gremlins are too slow to avoid the projectiles, and the flaming rain lays them low!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
After taking a moment to catch your breath after the fight with the gremlins, you continue on through the tunnels. Several different passageways converge on a narrow ledge overlooking a rubble-filled cavern. The far wall is made of a smooth, dark gray metal. A single circular door, tightly closed, sits on the metal wall just above the upper level of the rubble.
Another gremlin stands amid the rubble, this one much larger than the others. He stands over three feet tall and is diligently sharpening a long shard of metal like the one that impaled Gylwinth. His grin widens when he sees you, and he crouches down as he prepares to leap forward to attack!
As Gylwin readies his spear, the big gremlin scampers forward. The shaman thrusts, but the wily fey ducks under the attack and comes up to stab at Kaska with the sharpened piece of metal! It scrapes a rent in her armor, but fortunately doesn't pierce her flesh.
Viv does her best to blast the latest hindrance, though with all the chaos of the battle it seems unlikely.
Kaska lurches to avoid the worst of the gremlin's strike, then returns one of her own. As she does, she steps around the creature, opening the passage to the others behind her.
Coen thinks back to all of the reservations he had about taking on a job to kill all the gremlins, and how all of that was before tiny men with knives ambushed him in the dark. Part of him wants his wasted feelings back.
"No wonder the skulks said they were annoying."
"I told you it was a good bargain," Fireday replies as he advances and takes a swing at the gremlin Kaska is attacking.
;