Dragon's Demand (Inactive)

Game Master R D

"What is this?" Ethendril says. "This debris isn't natural here...was it deposited? It doesn't appear to be part of the cave-in. Strange..."

He moves to take a better look at the corpse, including its race.

Thanks! :)

"Mayhap this is the missing wizard from his garb. A poor end for any soul." Says Harlis moving forward to see if something can be determined.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Heal: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

He does look wizardly. Knowledge local to identify him. Or you can bring the body back to the surface and ask someone.

Harlis waves a hand over the body and utters a prayer for the lost soul.

Any sign of undeath due to possibly being ghoul gnawed?
Knowledge(Religion): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Nope. This dude ain't gettin' up.

"Should we carry his remains with us?"

Ethendril considers the situation.

"We definitely need to properly bury this man, and I am sure identifying him will help our cause. My only concern is that there may be immediate danger we should address. We might leave him here a bit longer with Iomedae's blessing, then retrieve him once we have determined what is going on here."

Nobody else has attempted any knowledge checks, so... The party continues on and comes to a fork in the tunnel. To the right is a tunnel that goes down. The left continues on for a bit.

Ethendril looks around briefly before they leave, then moves to the fork in the tunnel.

"We should try to the left, first," he suggests.

knowledge religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
knowledge other untrained (max DC 10): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16

10 is my max for know checks as well at this level. If we need t, though, I can give it a shot.

Hotspur follows the paladin.

Im only trained in Relgion also. I think Agnes is our (potential) knowledge person.

Follows closely behind to shed light and protection. "If the ceiling gets too low for your greatblade Ethendril, I should take point. Harlis murmurs quietly.

Knowledge ain't my forte...

"Left sounds as good a direction as any."

Ethendril can act in the surprise round. He notices some motion behind a rock formation in the cavern to the left.

SURPRISE ROUND

One arrow and two sling bullets fly out towards the paladin. (Sorry, favored enemy.)

Shortbow: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 8 + 2 = 28, Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Sling: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5, Miss!
Sling: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20, Damage: 1d3 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

Ethendril takes 7 HP of damage, but it's his turn now. (Surprise round, so standard action only.)

It looks like I have a clean shot at blue for a partial charge? If so, I'll use the partial charge action.

Ethendril recoils as the arrows and bullets strike him, but then quickly charges into the fray.

His greatsword powerfully descends upon the enemy.

Greatsword Power Attack: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 7 + 2 = 23 for damage: 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (4, 4) + 9 = 17

Ethendril obliterates a kobold.

Wayreth is up!

So Wayreth is being GM run?

I thought he was gone next week.

Wayreth curses at the sudden assault. He raises his crossbow and fires.

attack roll: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
damage: 1d8 ⇒ 6

Yeah I'm here for 1.5 more days.

Wayreth wipes out another kobold. The third curses in draconic.

1d20 ⇒ 2

It drops its bow, draws a weapon, swings at Ethendril and misses! It curses again.

The rest of the party is up!

Ethendril steps forward and finishes off the last kobold, still grimacing from the arrow lodged in his leg.

greatsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 202d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 5) + 6 = 14

Ethendril is surprised to see that, despite the grievous injury, this kobold yet stands! Her morale condition reached, however, the kobold lays down her spear and surrenders to the paladin: "I yield to you. Parlay, I beg you."

Combat over.

Hotspur attaches her bayonet, and moves 30' closer to the remaining kobold.

"I have yielded!" The kobold repeats to the paladin. "Parlay! Parlay!"

Ethendril lowers his blade, but remains prepared for any tricks.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in here? Do you know why this tower has collapsed?" The paladin looks narrowly upon the foul creature, but not without kindness.

"Speak, and we will spare your life. We have had many dealings with your kind in the past...we can work things out without the need for violence."

diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Harlis approaches cautiously. Watching the exchange with the surrendered creature, but not interrupting.

"Um. Yeah. That was our bad. We didn't mean to collapse the tower. We only wanted to kill the wizard, Hunclay."

Ethendril frowns at the kobold.

"And why, pray tell, did you want to do that?"

The kobold looks torn. She decides to answer, "Our chief said we had to. He said that our dragon god demanded it."

She's telling the truth. She also doesn't know why their dragon god would want Hunclay dead. Though, you could ask her about other things. Not trying to railroad you guys here; just trying to avoid going down a potentially frustrating and fruitless path of questioning.

Ethendril strokes his beard as he considers where to go from here.

"This is not the first time I have dealt with kobolds and a their deities before, believe it or not. Where is your chief? Perhaps we could speak to your chief and resolve this peacefully. Is that the wizard in the last chamber?"

As he prepares to release the kobold, the paladin first takes any weapons, and also checks the belongings of the kobolds, especially for any curative magic.

"Yep, we killed Hunclay good. Um. But we didn't mean to collapse the tower. That will bring unwanted attention to our tribe. Look what happened; you guys arrived already. I don't think you can resolve this peacefully with chief Roaghaz. He's very devout to our god."

The regular kobolds don't have anything of interest. This kobold (you haven't even asked her name) has:

three potions of cure moderate wounds
mwk studded leather
mwk shortbow with 20 arrows
spear
5 gems worth 25 gp each
10 pp

I did ask 'who are you?' :)

"What is your name?" Ethendril asks as he pulls the arrow from his thigh with a grimace.

He gathers the gear from the kobold. "We will let live, but we will be keeping this gear."

Whoops! Apparantly, I cannot read! :-(

"Sesserak. I led the team to kill Hunclay."

After pondering for a moment Harlis asks. "Sesserak, what were you told of Hunclay beyond that your dragon told your tribe to kill him? Where you asked to recover an item or such?"

"No. Just kill him. Because dragon god say so!"

"If you have killed him why haven't you returned? The collapse has blocked your way back?" Waits for an expected afirmation before continuing with a couple of assumptions we wants verified. "You arrived here by tunnels, they go all under town or just here? Are they part of a larger structure?"

"We weren't supposed to be this obvious. The tower collapse will bring unwanted attention to our tribe. The chief will be pissed. We thought if we could defeat you and get more loot, it would soothe the chief's ire. Yes, there are tunnels; but there's a quarter of a mile of traps between here and our place. And only a couple of you would fit through most of it."

Pondering again before continuing. "If there are traps in the tunnels, then they are not newly made. It sounds like you do have an extensive realm. Where else do the tunnels lead and how big a realm? Harlis asks looking worriedly to the other party members, asking with expression on how big a secret has been overturned.

"Not extensive. It's only a quarter mile between here and there. We protect our borders."

You get the sense that Sesserak resents being here. Not because she was defeated or because she's being questioned. There's something else bothering her.

Ethendril looks intently at the kobold.

"Do you agree with this 'Dragon God' of yours? Do you think it is telling you the right things to do?"

sense motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

"Don't know. Don't care. The dragon god hasn't been in direct contact with us in a very long time. Some of the tribe wonder why we're still loyal. I mean, what has it done for us lately?" she says waggling her neck back and forth.

She's telling the truth.

Ethendril's brow furrows as he considers this new information.

"So if the dragon god has not been in contact with you for a long time, when did it tell you to kill the wizard? Or did someone else say the dragon god wanted that? What kinds of things has the dragon god done for your tribe in the past that it no longer does?"

Sesserak shrugs. You feel like you've reached the limit of her information.

"Don't know. Chief said to do it, so we did it. Some question why, but we still follow the chief. For now."

"I think we've stepped into kobold politics."

Ethendril nods, then takes the kobold's weapons and gear.

"If we let you go, do you promise for yourself not to attack us again?"

"Yep!"

If no one else has anything else to say to the kobold, Ethendril motions for it to leave.

After it is gone, he says "I am not sure I trust it to keep its word, but at least then its death will not be upon us."

The paladin uncorks one of the potions and drinks it.

"I've suffered a few wounds." CMW: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (3, 1) + 2 = 6

Once he has healed, he says "I am not sure what to make of all this. The wizard obviously was engaging in some questionable activities. The kobolds were sent to kill him upon orders from their dragon god. They went to great effort to tunnel in here and kill him. I think only the tunnels, and the traps therein, will lead to answers."

Anything else anyone wants to do? I think we probably just need to go in, unless we want to go back and report and resupply first (in which case I would also save that potion and try to heal up in town).

You probably should not go into the tunnels. They're sized for small creatures AND they're trapped. Wayreth, as good as he is, will eventually miss a trap along a quarter-mile stretch. Given the penalties for squeezing, you don't want to be caught down here when that happens. I mean, a tower already collapsed...

Okay...let's take the wizard's body up top and report then.

Harlis looks after the kobold and says "We should perhaps block up the way to the tunnels. Or maybe send in people when we do get out. Having such an access into town could be dangerous." Looking to the parties injuries he continues. "I do have one more channeling to call upon today, I will do before we retire which should aid us for a good nights sleep. When we return we also drag back the towns lost treasury?"

That makes sense. Back in town you should be able to find someone with the engineering skill to safely collapse the tunnel without damaging any property in the town above.

As the party exits to collapsed structure, Lady Origena Devy awaits you along with her (adult) son Arnholde. Upon hearing the report of your findings, the baroness looks thoughtful. She gives you her sincere thanks and pays you 500 GP (to the party as a whole, not each) as compensation for doing such obviously dangerous work!

Then she asks: "Would you be interested in the opportunity for more adventuring work? I've long been suspicious of the local kobold tribe living near the flooded quarry to the east. But they have never caused any problems--till now--so we left them alone. Clearly, those times have changed. Please help us ensure the safety of our town by driving out these kobolds. How you wish to do so is up to you. I can offer you a dozen amethysts. What say you?"

(The amethysts are worth 100 gp each. Again, this compensation is for the party as a whole.)