Stanton recalls the very tree, it's quite a ways to the east of the group, but he's confident he can find it again.
Lynore nods.
"No time like the present, lets go."
After a few hours hard ride, you crest a hill and see a gigantic tree. The old Sycamore just like Stanton described. Stanton looks around at the group with a self satisfied grin, explaining how he knew he could find it.
"Ok group, lets approach cautiously. The bandit said there were things called mites here. Stanton, do you want to go ahead and check it our or all go together?
"I can give it a look, but it will be dark in a few hours, if I go alone, we will either have to go in at night or wait until tomorrow. Want me to check it out today, help set up camp, or wait until tomorrow?" Stanton reminds the group the left Oleg's this morning and have had some hard riding.
"Good point. Lets pull back a little and make camp, since we know there are hostiles in the area lets set up a guard rotation. I will be up in the middle of the night, I have the best eyes. So I suggest, Cotton, Me, Dram, Stanton in that order. Stanton has done the most roaming and should have the opportunity for the most uninterrupted sleep followed by Cotton so he can make sure his spells are ready."
The night passes fairly uneventfully in the immediate camp. You do occasionally hear some weird noises at night from towards the old tree.
As the group gets up Stanton is making breakfast and shares what he saw.
"Down around the tree I saw some activity just as the sun was coming up. Some blue guys with big heads were returning to the tree."
"I did not see or hear anything. I will trust your word for it. Let us eat and get under way."
The group packs up the camp and heads down to the giant tree. There is evidence of disturbance all around the tree, even untrained trackers can see that there is alot of foot traffic.
Perception 23
"Hmm look what I've found, it's going to be a tight fit.."
"Hmm, should we try and squeeze in or set an ambush?"
Cotton steps forward. "I am trusting you with this, despite only knowing you for a few days... This pet of mine" With that he extracts a scorpion from his pocket. "Is no mere pet, he and I have a special bond, let him look ahead. While he cannot speak to me, yet, he will give me an idea if the area is big or not. He is uncomfortable in spaces bigger than a halfing would like you see."
Cotton's scorpion scuttles into the cave before coming back moments later. Cotton does not get the feeling that his companion was unduly excited. It leads you to believe the tunnels are built for small size creatures or smaller. Dipping your head in will confirm the tunnel is only about 4' tall. You can walk in it but hunched over.
"I do not feel good about squeezing in to fight close quarters, I saw we set a trap to ambush anything that comes out and that is hostile, and then go in after we have cleaned it out a bit."
"Don't look at this ranger, I use a bow instead of traps. Ambush I can do..."
"Lets break some of our arrows off and place them a couple of inches into the ground sharp side up in a patch in front of the hole. It should at least slow anything coming out of it down. Lets do 10 so we know how many we have to dig out if we need to get into the hole."
Stanton cringes at the lose of some arrows before agreeing to do so
The group quickly buries the arrows, if you look closely you can see the points sticking out.
The group retreats back to last nights camp site leaving the horses and setting up camp as before. They quietly sneak back down and set up in the tall grass about 60 feet away from the tree and wait. A little before dusk they see a little blue head pop out from the tree root which hastily looks around and goes back in.
A moment later a blue goblin shaped creature, with an oversized ugly bulbous head pops out and begins to walk towards the grass. It stops for a moment as it walks over the arrow litered ground. It glances down at it's feet before picking up an arrow head. It reaches down to it's foot and pulls it out. It greedly pops it into it's mouth and swallows. It pulls up another from the ground and begins to go back under the tree.
"Those kobolds think they so sneaky, they not remember steel no good. hahah."
The creature addresses the tall grass
"Youze have to do better dan dat!"
Cotton blinks before whispering to the group. "They think it was a trap set by Kobolds."
"Well that is another set of enemies we have to worry about around here. What are those things? I am not sure I want to fight anything in its burrow that ignores an arrow to the foot."
Stanton rethinks about these creatures, after having seen them and the name given as Mites but continues to come up blank.
@ Cotton
Descended from even smaller fey, the mites are among the most pitiful and craven dwellers of the dark. Hideously ugly, even goblins have been known to mock mites for their homely appearances, mockery most mites take to heart and nurture for weeks, months, or even years in their tiny homes, until their distress and anger finally overcome their natural cowardice and impel them forth on short-lived bouts of bloody vengeance from the doubtful safety of a spider's back.
One of the noticeably weaker fey, so much so even goblins scorn them
"Now that I see them I recognize these mites, they are a little troublesome but relatively weak. I believe what you are seeing is their natural resilience to anything but cold iron."
"Do you know if they will parlay with us, or if they are inherently evil?"
"As evil as any that associate with kobolds and goblins. Know for anger and taking vengeance on those that anger them from the back of riding spiders. "
"Ok, then the world can do with less of them. Lets set an ambush."
The group waits for an hour or so before they see another Blue head poke out from under the tree. He goes back into the tree just like before, before climbing out. Quickly thereafter another one pops out, they begin to gather the buried arrows. After a few moments no others appear to be forthcoming.
Cotton moves out into the open to get close enough to the Mites, before commanding one to sleep.
In Undercommon
"Sleep ugly blue thing"
Will save
The mite slumps to the ground asleep. The other Mite stares at Cotton in disbelief.
Stanton looses an arrow at the remaining Mite.
Despite the natural resistance to steel, Stanton's arrow has no problem ending this Mite's night.
"Lets search these guys, and then I guess we all head in, looks like no other way. At least there is 2 less. Let us try and keep one alive later for questioning."
You find 2 daggers, 12 darts, and a low quality agate worth 10 gp
You gain 50 xp
The group gathers and begins to move into the tunnel, hunching down as they go. After 40 ft of climbing over dips and roots you come to a fork in the tunnel to your left and right.
Perception 15
Perception 20
Perception 25
"I hear some mites to our right, not sure what they are doing."
Lynore listens. "I do not hear anything. Let us head that direction."
As you walk in you notice three crude, wooden workbenches that occupy the center of the room, their tops strewn with various tiny tools, metal and wooden hardware, and blocks of wood.
You immediately notice two mites engaged in a strange competition. They are so enthralled they don't immediately notice you. One of the mites has what appears to be a tiny catapult he fires at the other mite. As you watch a caltrip flies from the tiny catapult right into the mouth of the other mite. The one firing the catapult stops to reload when he notices you.
The mite closest to you charges into combat as the other readies his catapult and takes aim at the group.
init
init
Init
Cotton 25
Mites 21
Dram 10
Lynore 8
Stanton 7
Cotton looks at the charging mite and commands it to sleep.
"Sleep"
will save
This mite just like the one outside quickly sucumbs to Cotton's command.
The other mite seeing his friend go down sites on Cotton before yanking the catapult string.
As if in slow motion the caltrip floats towards Cotton who side steps with no issue.
1 dmg
Dram sets his sights on the standing mite and lets fly an arrow.
,