With the death orb finally disposed, Jeji takes a moment to load a new battery into her arc pistol.
As they reached the top of the corridor, Jeji shudder at the unnatural beast. Phasing into the rock was one thing, but three eyes was just something that was off-putting to the little kobold.
The creature leans farther out of the rock revealing the mouth filled with cobble like teeth at the top of its head which is at least as freaky as radial symmetry and three eyes. It speaks in Androffan, "You all have returned. That is good. Did you vanquish all the guards from this delicious metal thing?"
They are all dead.
"EXCELLENT!" A big mud-colored tongue runs over pebbly lips. "I can't wait to dig in! I should probably return you to the surface first though. I trust you'll make better use of their weapons."
"Yes. We will. Thank you."
Once again the kobolds join claws and make the uncomfortable journey through rock with the creature's help. They emerge once again in the mines and with a final farewell, the Xorn sinks back into the stone to begin its gastronomical explorations.
The kobolds are left to ponder if they will wait to ambush the Technic League in the mines should they return or take the battle to them.
"If we want to prepare for the return of our enemies with traps, we will need other ways out of here. We could also prepare traps here and make them think we are inside, then kill them after the traps have weakened them. What do you think?"
"We need an escape route, yes. Remember the explosives? We don't need the cavern collapsing. On us." Drahlneep checks his ammo on all weapons, including the powerful launcher.
"Both good ideas. I wonder if we can set traps and then trap them in the mountain. Let them wander they're way around and do themselves in."
All good ideas, but we should rest first or at the same time. Our spell casting abilities are severely depleted.
Kricker voices his opinion that he'd like to rest and pray before any battle though the others could begin on the traps. A quick check of conditions aboveground finds a faint lightening of the dark sky, signifying that day is approaching and time may be limited.
The kobolds explore the mines more thoroughly. If there was another entrance, it was collapsed during the attempt to stop the Xill attack. There is only one way in or out now.
"I don't like not having an escape route, but we are Kobold's, we will be fine if the entrance collapses," says Drahlneep with confidence. "But we need to find a fall-back location."
"The most defensible area is in the southeast, but that is a dead end. Better to take the narrow passage, so that if anyone comes at us from one side we can retreat out the other."
"We need a place for the barrels then. They have those golem-things, do not forget."
The kobolds carefully roll the three red barrels into position: two are lowered into pits and the last placed in the exit tunnel to be set off behind the retreating kobolds.
The kobolds finish setting their trap and return to the mine entrance to keep watch. They have finished just in time as the sky lightens outside as the surface day begins. Down at the slave camp below, they can see the trio of mechanical men are joined by the Technic League members. After a brief discussion, the leader and the pair of barbarians turn toward the mine. With two of the mechanical men leading they way, they begin approaching. The female elf and one of the guard bots stay behind to watch the camp.
"What do we do with the elf and the BOT after we blow up the others?"
"Shoot them?" Jeji said with a shrug.
Seems likely.
"If they do not run into the mines, they will probably have their own fall-back point they can defend. We can deal with that if it happens. If we're lucky, they come just in time to be trapped or killed by the explosives."
As they approach Kricker casts magic weapon on his new rifle.
As the Technic League slavers approach the adit, the kobolds make final preparations. Weapons are made ready and magicked.
Kricker looks over at Drahlneep, notices how wounded he still is and frantically motions him further into the mine. Whispering Why didn't you mention you were so wounded lets get to a safe spot and heal you up!
He then pulls Drahlneep back into a hidden corner and starts healing.
First:
Then
"I'm fine," Drahlneep claims, though he waits patiently as Kricker uses his magic.
"I can be the bait. The rest of you are more dangerous at range."
Jeji's foot thumped on the ground. "I am always the bait. I'm the best at getting their attention, or avoiding it if need be. You guys are the ones that always have to come save me, remember? Don't try to take my job now!"
Perrik shakes his head. "You have to trigger the BOMBS, Jeji. Drahlneep has his TEK heat gun, and Kricker has his TEK rope gun. I have only a crossbow."
Jeji takes a little convincing, but finally retreats to hide with the others while Perrik stays in sight at the entrance of the tunnel to the trap. After a while, the plodding heavy steps of the metal men echo through the mine as their shadows appear to stretch from the entrance. They are covered in heavy plate armor that looks like aged brass with their helmet-like heads featuring only one round red orb of an eye and a grill for a mouth. They each bear a spear that occasionally pops off a spark. Behind them are the pair of hairy primitive humans. The whip-welding leader hangs back.
Perrik takes a deep breath, then steps out into view of the oncoming BOTS.
Perrik:
Kricker: ;
Drahlneep:
foe:
Perrik draws attention by stepping from the dark tunnel. The heavy robots each turn their single red orb orb on the kobold, but the barbarians act more quickly, leaping past the BOTS with a whoop!
Perrik turns and runs.
Drahlneep watches Perrik hustle past and snaps off a quick shot at the nearest barbarian.
Then he immediately pulls back just enough to keep them interested.
No actions for Kricker as he doesn't want to distract our targets from following the other two.
Jeji quaffs a shield extract while waiting for the fireworks to begin.
Perrik retreats before the hairy humans and passes Drahlneep at the end of the tunnel. Drahlneep fires the laser, burning a hole right through the stomach of the one in the lead. He staggers, but keeps pursuing to nearly catch Drahlneep between the pits. The armored BOTS are slower and are heard farther back clomping through the tunnel with the taskmaster behind them.
The oracle continues to flee.
Kricker is holding action until he sees something round either of the corners and then he will shoot it with the lightning rifle.
Keep following, keep following, Drahlneep thinks to himself as he carefully moves away from the barbarians. They can overtake me, but soon they'll be cut off from support!