Vibenia smiles as Bel waxes philosophical. "You sound just fine."
Enjoying the meal thoroughly, she spends the evening relaxing, a rarity, before heading home for the night.
"Bernard, it's been an honor to fight beside you, and a pleasure to have met you. I think we have many days of good times ahead of us," says Khardir, a smile creasing his lined face. "As for me, I'm really looking forward to that homemade bread! Biscuits with jam and clotted cream! We're well on our way toward a feast!"
The dwarf lets out a jolly chuckle and says, "Why, we may be an unlikely group, but we've done quite more than our share of good deeds for this town. I wonder a bit how it might all play out if we're able to get things sorted and right prosperous again."
When morning light comes, Bel wakes early with lingering dreams of kobolds and combat, the covers of her bed flung all over the place presumably due to combat motions making their way into her body's limbs during the night.
She rises, rinses her face with water, then dresses quickly. She collects the coins of her hoard, still faintly pulsing with power from her dreams the night before, and she places the coins in the sewn pouches of her backpack. Moving downstairs and outside, she takes in the fresh morning air. She walks to the apothecary and greets the proprietor there.
"Hello," she says to the Shelynite. "I need a potion of healing in order to combat the kobolds. Can you sell me this?"
Once she has what she wants, she heads back to meet up with the others, and to make the journey back to the warrens.
Smiling up at Bel, "Never been one before so maybe." Hmmm, I think she might be threatening me. I guess that is a no to the Dragon Lady thing.
----
With a full belly and some food tucked into her backpack Nisany spends a little while wandering the village. Quietly watching the locals move about while trying to be become a little more familiar with the area.
Eventually her feet find their way back to the inn. Wandering inside and up to her room. Crawling into bed and pulling the bug net around the bed. Curling up in the center of the bed and falling into a restless sleep. Haunted by the sounds of screams and blood.
Jolting awake and falling back on to the bed, "I need to retire."
Rolling over and pulling out a small battered book along with a pin and ink. Quietly reading and writing. A small smile grows, "I hope that works."
Pleased with her work and running down to find the others.
She walks to the apothecary and greets the proprietor there.
"Hello," she says to the Shelynite. "I need a potion of healing in order to combat the kobolds. Can you sell me this?"
Xemne's Tonics is a small single-story building with a store in the front, and a combined laboratory and living space in the back. A sign depicting a mortar and pestle hangs over the entrance, with stylised rays of light emerging from the bowl. The storefront itself is cluttered with shelves full of bottles and vials of all shapes and sizes, seemingly organised by aesthetic criteria, rather than according to any discernable logic. A curtain of colourful wooden beads separates the shop from the rest of the building. The fragrant smell of flowers is strong in the air.
Opening the door sets off a little bell, soon followed by the clattering of beads as Xemne enters the room from the back. The apothecary is a short and wiry woman of Keleshite descent, with frizzy black hair held back by a Qadiran headscarf, and large hazel eyes. Other than the scarf, all her clothes are of local make, with a stained apron worn over rough linen shirt and loose trousers. She greets you with a small bow.
"Oh, new customers!" she says in distinctly Kelish accent. "Welcome to Xemne's Tonics. I am Xemne of Demgazi, and I am at your service. Kobolds, you say? Yes, I heard about the tower. How dreadful! Yes, step this way. I have a variety of healing tonics for your perusal..."
The apothecary thumbs through several vials, letting you look at and sample various tinctures before finding what you are asking for. She seems to take great pride in producing potions that not only work in the practical sense, but are also aromatically and visually appealing.
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Bernard returns home after the feast, and sits on his battered front porch, a cup of whisky in hand, but he doesn't touch it. Instead, he simply listens to the night, memories washing over him. Old memories, of his youth and being a newly minted officer of the guard, when the world was bright and filled with promise; more recent memories, of holding his daughter, of the disastrous afternoon he'd spent butchering a treehouse in the woods for her, and how she'd laughed and told him they could pretend it was a wyvern's nest instead; more recent memories, of days and nights given to bitterness and drink.
The past few days however dominate his thoughts as the night progresses, and he thinks again on the kobolds he'd killed, the ruins he'd explored, the new friends he had made. The gold that was spilling so freely from his hand, and how good it felt to give it to others.
The knowledge that each coin he gave away was another coin he'd not spend on drink.
The sky turns gray, gradually lightens, and with a start he realizes he's not touched his drink. Carefully, as if spilling it might spoil his fortune, he sets it aside and rises. He bathes, dons clean clothing, and then just as dawn breaks head's over to the inn.
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Morning brings with it the summer sun, and what seems to be shaping up into yet another sweltering day. The night is barely enough to drive back the heat, which makes sleeping an ordeal in and of itself. Nevertheless, exhaustion eventually proved victorious, and everyone wakes up feeling renewed—if a bit sweaty. After being treated to a breakfast consisting mainly of yesterday's leftovers, the group heads back on the Old Quarry Road.
This time, there is nothing to greet you at the quarry save for the stench of death. Strewn all across the stones are little green corpses, lying right where you left them, some of which are currently being pecked at by a murder of crows. They momentarily cease their feasting as you cross the shore, staring up at you with only mild curiosity. Inside, you find that the warrens are as quiet as you left them, though it is obvious that not even the caves have been safe from scavengers: many the kobold bodies have been tampered with, and everything that you might have thought too worthless to take with you has been stripped and carried away.
With the rest of the complex explored, you head towards the southeast...
On your way , the tunnel is suddenly intersected by an alcove to the south, strewn with small limestone boulders and other debris—possibly the remnants of a cave-in. The hallway itself seems to have been mostly cleared of rubble, but before anyone has a chance to advance, Vibenia—ever watchful for kobold trickery—alerts everyone to a cunningly hidden pit trap. Dug into the floor north of the alcove, it has been covered with a clay-smeared leaves, and sprinkled with pebbles to make it further blend into its surroundings. After a closer inspection, you determine that trudging over the boulders in the alcove safely circumvents the pit.
Beyond lies a wide chamber , which appears to have been used as a compost or a garbage dump: there is a mound of rotten vegetables, fruit, and excrement sitting heaped in the back of the room. More interestingly, a bulging leather sack rests atop the mound of otherwise unexceptional rubbish. To the south, there are two hallways leading southwest and southeast, respectively. The former is blocked by a stout wooden gate, which has been securely latched from your side, while the latter is unobstructed.
Perhaps more interestingly, there are two alcoves in the northern part of the cave, which are seemingly used for holding livestock or prisoners. Currently, only one of them is occupied: a single forlorn kobold sits on the floor, its arms, legs, and snout tightly bound with rope and its body lashed to iron spikes driven into the cave wall. The kobold squirms and wriggles as it notices you enter, making muffled noises through its gag.
Beldraim moves up to the creature and removes its gag. She summons up the primal, guttural utterances of the draconic language as she begins to speak with it.
"Sjek wux tuor ekess waph, visp udoka svaklar dout brethren tepoha gethrisja."
"If you want to live, tell us where your brethren have gone."
She readies her hex trick for sleep just in case it tries anything.
Bernard moves up to guard Bel's back, his blade drawn.
"Careful with that bag up on the trash heap," he whispers to the others. "Looks just like some kind of kobold trap."
Khardir is up early simply because it's quickly too hot to sleep further. His beard is neatly washed and he seems chipper in spite of the blazing summer heat overhead. The ancient dwarven helm that he wears is polished to a dull luster that reflects the sun and seems to bear weighty power.
Refreshed by the cool air of the cave, Khardir eyes the kobold suspiciously.
"I bet you're right, Bernard," he says as he eyes the bag on the trash head. "Rot grubs, oozes, something nasty, no doubt."
Training her crossbow on the bag, Vibenia watches as Bel intimidates the kobold.
The kobold stares wide-eyed at Beldraim for a couple of seconds before it—or she, as far you can tell with kobolds—starts babbling. "Friends! Friends, don't kill Nighttail! Nighttail tells you everything! Yes, Nighttail can help! No need to cut or stab or burn or..."
Nighttail, as she seemingly calls herself, speaks Taldane in a comparatively fluent manner, with far fewer mistakes and slurred words than Sesserak, or even Nyzaj—and she talks fast, barely stopping for air as she carries on with her spiel.
As she spots Nisany, however, her demeanour changes from grovelling to anger.
"You keeps the fey-child away!" she hisses at the gnome. "Mine, bag is all mine! Nighttail is no thief!"
From what Bernard can see, the pile of refuse seems entirely inanimate, save for some insects crawling around in the muck. The bag itself appears to be made for a kobold-sized creature. There seems to be some writing pressed onto its shoulder strap, but it certainly is not Draconic.
"Then where did you get it?" Vibenia asks bluntly, her crossbow instinctively shifting to target the kobold.
Closing her eyes against the morbid scene near the mouth of the cave. "Are we supposed to just leave the bodies?"
Glancing up at the bag that terrifies her larger companions before looking back at the kobold.
Holding up both her hands and taking a step back, "Could have been a gift. I don't really care about the bag at the moment."
Bel eyes the bag. "What's in it, if I might ask? I too have little reason to care about this bag, so you can have it. I just want to know what it contains."
After it's answered her question, she says, "And now, tell me how you got to be tied up by your brethren here. Also, what help can you give? Are there more traps further on? Secret passages?"
"Then where did you get it?" Vibenia asks bluntly, her crossbow instinctively shifting to target the kobold.
The kobold hisses, glancing warily between Nisany and Vibenia's crossbow. "T'was all a... a misunderstanding! They thinks we's doing a raid, but really, we just looks for a place to camp. And maybe some snacks, and other stuffs around the area, but we don't knows it's theirs... we takes some things, and then fey-childs—heartless, murdering fey-childs—kills everyone, whole tribe, except poor Nighttail. So, Nighttail flees, and takes bag from one of thems, as..."
She pauses for a moment, stopping to stare accusatorially at Nisany while she searches for the right word. "...reparations."
Bel eyes the bag. "What's in it, if I might ask? I too have little reason to care about this bag, so you can have it. I just want to know what it contains."
Nighttail narrows her eyes with suspicion. She does seem to understand the precariousness of the situation, however, and complies. "That's where Nighttail keeps her stuffs. Armour, weapons... shinies. Coloured waters, for healing cuts and bruises. Magic sticks. All very useful things... when used by Nighttail."
After it's answered her question, she says, "And now, tell me how you got to be tied up by your brethren here. Also, what help can you give? Are there more traps further on? Secret passages?"
The kobold eagerly nods along, launching into an impassioned speech as soon as Beldraim is done with her questions. "Nighttail comes here, settles in after fey-childs kill old tribe. She fishes, and hunts, and scouts. Nighttail is very good at all those things, and helps new tribe lots. But new tribe suffers at Chief Roaghaz's stupid whims! And rest of Blood Vows are spineless cowards who just do whatever that idiot says. But not Nighttail! Nighttail always speaks against Roaghaz, like when he says we helps the book-wizard with the tower. Stupid, stupid to get attention from soft-skins—that's how old tribe died. Nighttail thinks she'd be a much better chief than Roaghaz! Roaghaz thinks... not. So here's Nighttail: mocked and pelted with dung 'til Roaghaz gets bored of her suffering..."
Nighttail mopes for a moment, but then reveals her teeth in something vaguely reminiscent of a smile—a distinctly un-kobold-like gesture. "Here's the deal: you looks like you's changing things around here, so Nighttail figures that she guides you, gives you information about traps, and even fights the others if needs be. We kills Roaghaz, together, and then you helps Nighttail become the chief of Blood Vow! After, Nighttail swears they'll never bother the humans again. Live and let live, as humans says. Good deal, yes?"
She looks hopefully at each of you, trying to simultaneously appear as competent and pitiable as she can, while still being lashed to a wall.
Bel eyes the creature then glances sidelong at the others.
"Unless anyone has an objection, I can agree to these terms."
She holds her dagger out, ready to cut the creature's bonds, and will do so after a long pause if no one raises concerns or discussion.
Might be a good ally when I rule this land some day.
"Hrrmmmm... I suppose," says Khardir warily. "Anyway I don't have the stomach for just beating up helpless prisoners."
Vibenia takes a deep breath, trying to push down the anger and inherent mistrust that arose any time she dealt with kobolds. Walking a bit away she stares off into the distance.
Looking heartbroken at the Nighttail's story. I'm sure there is more to it but kobolds lose out cause they are kobolds. Nodding at Bel, "Sounds reasonable to me."
As soon as she is freed, Nighttail hops up from the floor, swinging her tail triumphantly. She does some stretches, clearly stiff from days of being bound to the wall. Once she feels limber enough to walk, she makes her way over to her bag, snatching it up from amongst the garbage. She seems to care little for the smudges of filth it leaves on her scales. From the haversack, the kobold produces a set of dark leather armour, which she dons on the spot, as well as a small spear.
As she prepares, her enthusiasm seems to dim somewhat. Now equipped, she turns back to the group bearing a much more reticent demeanour.
"Um... Nighttail understands that kobolds start this," she says quietly. "But they's just doing what Roaghaz tells them to. Not all of them are bad, just scared. Of humans, yes, but also Roaghaz. That big bully! No one wants to speak back to a 'True Dragonheir,' except for Nighttail..."
She lets out low hiss, perhaps approximating a sigh. "Just... try not to kill all of them. Please? Some of them's Nighttail's friends... or as close as Nighttail has to any, except for Hak..."
Seemingly realising that she has forgotten something, Nighttail snaps out of her melancholy state and hurriedly scurries over to the blocked entrance. "Oh, right! Nighttail has to free Hak. You just waits here a moment, he's gonna be real grumpy..."
After said moment, she re-emerges riding on the back of a human-sized, bipedal reptile. The creature has a mouth filled with sharp teeth and short, powerful arms that end in vicious claws. It tilts its head at the group and swings its tail slowly to and fro, letting out a low creaking sound, but quickly ceases as Nighttail touches its head and mutters something soothing into its ear.
"So, where to?" she asks, clearly proud of her steed. "The rest have gone down thattaway. There's a trap at the end of the tunnel, but we just needs to step over the string."
Bernard watches all this with a bemused expression, arms crossed over his broad chest and eyebrows raised. When Hak emerges he tenses, but just as quickly relaxes once more once Nighttail exerts her influence.
"Well, I'm glad we ran into you, Nighttail. It seems ol' Roaghaz made a big mistake when he left you behind. So am I correct in understanding that the rest of the kobolds plus this true dragon heir are still within the caverns, down thataways? How many would you hazard are left?"
That said, he moves on down the hallway, paying careful attention for the tripwire the kobold mentioned, blade once more in his hand.
Beldraim nods. As the group walks along the warrens' corridors, she says, "A strange creature to have as your companion Nighttail, a dinosaur? How did you come by such a thing?"
She casts light on the tip of a crossbow bolt and scans the areas for danger, traversing the long corridor at the back of the warren.
"Well, I'm glad we ran into you, Nighttail. It seems ol' Roaghaz made a big mistake when he left you behind. So am I correct in understanding that the rest of the kobolds plus this true dragon heir are still within the caverns, down thataways? How many would you hazard are left?"
Nighttail nods, moving her mount towards the mouth of the corridor. "Yes, this way! There's two tiers under this one. Roaghaz is all the way down, with the most 'loyal' warriors—stupid toadies, is what they really are. Bah!"
When asked about her remaining tribemates, she counts on her fingers. "Three ran past Nighttail after you came, so there's, uh... two dozen. Slightly less, maybe. Those that can fight, not hatchlings or old pale-scales. Also, there's animals for eating and hunting in the below-tier. Below even that, there's Churgri—the new priest with his walking man-corpses. He's all the way down with Roaghaz, in the shrine."
Judging from her tone, Nighttail is about as fond of Churgri as she is of Roaghaz.
Beldraim nods. As the group walks along the warrens' corridors, she says, "A strange creature to have as your companion Nighttail, a dinosaur? How did you come by such a thing?"
Nighttail puffs up with pride, stroking the dinosaur's neck with obvious fondness. For its part, Hak seems largely indifferent to her affections, studying the party—especially the bite-sized Nisany—with hunger in its eyes. It seems to make no movements unless directed by its rider, however.
"Nighttail rescues Hak," she declares proudly. "Hak is just a hatchling back then, kept by some humans in a bunch of cages with lots of different animals, with other humans paying gold to look and point and laugh. Nighttail thinks this is cruel, so she lets out all the animals when no-one's looking, and sneaks out with Hak when the humans are running from all the bigger beasts."
The kobold grins widely, revelling in the memory of her own cleverness. "That was near the human city called Maheto. Nighttail goes there after tribe is killed, trying to find a new tribe. But mountain tribes are as stupid as Roaghaz! That's where Churgri is from, and he's... creepy."
After following the tunnel for a moment, the group arrives in another chamber . There is a thick layer of straw covering the floor, which smells strongly of mildew. The cave's northern end hooks around a corner to the east, and is out of sight from the south. This narrow passageway between north and south is where Beldraim's light illuminates the old fishing line, set up at around human shin-level. Nighttail points out the spring-loaded dart traps, hidden from view by piled straw. Beyond the trapped passageway, in the northeastern corner of the cave there is a five-foot diameter hole. A thick, knotted rope hangs down into the darkness.
Nighttail points with her spear at the hole, and lowers her voice to a whisper. "That's the way down. You has to help Nighttail lower Hak with the rope, or he gets left behind. There's always someone guarding the below-area, with the feed-frogs. They's gonna hear us coming, unless you send in someone sneaky to take care of them first. Beyond that, there's the snapper pool. Good place for an ambush, but they needs to be alerted by the watcher to set up before we get there."
Vibenia’s jaw drops for a moment at the sight of Nighttail’s companion. This wasn’t just a dinosaur, this was an apex predator, albeit a juvenile one, and the way it looked at Nisany made her hand twitch near the trigger of her crossbow.
”An allosaur.” she mutters, shaking her head. Looking toward the hole she considers, ”I should be able to take down any sentry, silently.”
Moving stealthily toward the hole, Vibenia skillfully makes her way down the rope, wrapping her legs around it as she descends to allow her to use her crossbow the moment she spots the sentry.
Vibenia moves down the rope, silent as a shadow. Below, she finds herself in an ovoid cavern. Faintly bioluminescent moss paints the chamber in shades of greenish blue, giving her just enough visibility to see around her. Two shallow, murky pools sit in the north and south. Each of the pools is filled with hundreds of sickly-pale tadpoles. There are some fully grown frogs as well, either hopping around on the floor or croaking at the edges of the pools.
A single kobold sits near the southern pool, lounging on a rock, seemingly half-asleep and surrounded by gnawed frog bones. Vibenia can just make out kobold voices from the tunnel leading east, but she is confident that she can take out the sentry without alerting the others.
Meanwhile, Nighttail has busied herself with fashioning a makeshift harness for Hak out of some spare rope, in hopes of lowering her companion down after Vibenia. Once she is done, she offers the other end of the rope to Bernard.
"You looks strong," she whispers. "Lends a hand, yes?"
Spotting the kobold lookout, Vibenia considers Nighttail's request, trying to put aside her lifelong disdain for most of kobold kind. After a few moments of consideration though, she decides that the risk of discovery is too great, letting out a silent breath as she lines up her crossbow, effortlessly putting a bolt through the no-so-watchful lookout's neck.
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Smiling at the dinosaur and not really being bothered by it. If this goes well maybe I will get to ride him! Doing her best to keep quiet as the group move along.
Bernard grunts, wrapping the rope around his forearm then tucking it around his back to grip with the other hand. Leaning into Hak's weight, he gives a nod to the kobold.
"I'll do my best. That's a large pet you've got going there, though. Let's see what happens. Khardir? Lend a hand?"
"Of course, Bernard," says the dwarf with a sweeping bow, after which he adjusts the old helm that threatens to slide off his bald head.
As Bernard and Khardir set to work, they quickly come to the realisation that allosaurs are much heavier than they look. The rope slips through their hands several times, causing distress for Hak, who starts wriggling, in turn complicating the process further.
Finally, after lowering the beast halfway through the shaft, the two lose their handle on the rope altogether, causing Hak to fall some ten feet onto the cave floor. Nighttail quickly clambers down the rope, doing her best to calm and quiet her hissing and thrashing companion. Though she is mostly successful, Vibenia can hear some chatter through the tunnel. While there is no immediate alarm, someone definitely heard something...
Vibenia waits in silence, her crossbow trained on the tunnel opening, ready to target anyone investigating the noise.
Bel shakes herself out of her deep thoughts, her hoard's power humming in her head. She decides she has to keep herself busy to avoid focusing on it, and digs through her pack and produces her grappling hook and rope. She sticks the hook into the rock at the lip of the hole and unfurls the rope down. She takes her time, bracing against the wall and makes her way down.
She looks at the others and whispers, "Let's set up an ambush."
Then she readies a slumber hex on the first kobold that comes to investigate.
Bernard winces in frustration and pain as the rope tears free of his hands, then winces again at the sounds below.
"Sorry," he whispers to Nighttail as she quickly descends.
A moment later he nods to Beldraim, and slips down the rope as quietly as he's able, moving into position.
"I'm not very quiet. Explosions and all." Slowly climbing down the rope before pulling out her dagger.
"Oof. Sorry. Well, they know we're coming, now," says Khardir.
There is a brief moment of silence, allowing all of you to slip down the rope into the lower cavern. After a while you can hear the sounds of clattering pebbles, as well as the mutterings of an annoyed kobold. "મૂર્ખ નાસમજ! ફરી સૂવું જ જોઈએ..."
Around the corner comes one of the common kobolds, armed with a spear, being shoved forward by a familiar face—the hunter that escaped you yesterday. From the look on its face, it seems to remember you as well. It opens its mouth, as if to call out...
As combat seems imminent, Nighttail helps Hak up from the floor and swiftly mounts the allosaur, simultaneously digging a wand out of her bag.
Vibenia exhales calmly as her crossbow bolt flies across the distance, to catch the hunter directly in the back of the throat as she fires into its mouth.
Bernard lurches forward, having barely caught his balance on the cavern floor, drawing his greatsword in a desperate heave as he tries to lop off the kobold's head before it can scream.
Bel watches the others enter combat and she stays back, watching to see what will happen.
I wonder how many are left?
She moves up a bit and readies her little trick to make them sleep if they don't go down to the bolts and swords.
Bernard and Vibenia quickly take out the two kobolds, though not without causing some noise—the sounds of a blade cleaving through bone, and a choked gurgle as a crossbow bolt cuts out a scream. Nighttail looks on with a forlorn expression, glancing at her wand and tucking it back into her pack.
From behind the corner, you can hear the sounds of kobolds scrambling to get into position. A voice calls out, "એલાર્મ, એલાર્મ! સ્નેપર્સ તૈયાર કરો!"
"Here we go," says Bernard, shaking out his hand before gripping his blade again and stepping over the bodies. "I'll see what's around the corner. Might as well take this slow as they know we're coming."
Hunkering down, Bernard moves around the corner, giving the others time to form up behind him. Blade held at the ready, he moves slowly, feet gliding over rock to reduce his chances of tripping, body presented in a sideways profile to make of himself a slender target.
"Be careful, whoever that was called for 'the snappers'. Whatever that is they've got something nasty prepared." Vibenia says loading another bolt and striking a sunrod which she slips into a notch in her crossbow hollowed out for that purpose.
"Traps or pets I bet!" says Khardir as he rights his dwarven helm, which slid perilously to one side during his prior exploit. "Let's get 'em!"
Palming a small explosive bottle and trailing behind Bernard.
Bel whispers an arcane word and light blooms across the tip of a crossbow bolt. She uses it as a torch to light near the front of the column. She then curls her fingers in a tight semi-circular formation, switching the grips of her palms, whispering another incantation.
A translucent field of armor envelopes her, reassuring her by the magical hum in the back of her mind that she is protected.
"Let's move," she whispers. "We can't let them entrench too much."
Trudging through the rubble-strewn tunnel, Bernard soon enters a large but low-ceilinged cavern. A large pool of dark water sits in its middle, barely visible in the light emanating from the tunnel behind him. For a moment, both sides are obscured by darkness, leaving him partially blinded. There are three agitated turtles swimming around in the murk ahead of him, each the size of a heavy shield with powerful jaws and distinct scale-like ridges on their shells.
Bernard barely has the time to take this all in before he is attacked. A stone flies in from the darkness, ricocheting harmlessly off his armour. From both sides appear hooked spears, pulling on his legs as unseen opponents attempt to trip him into the pool. Unfortunately for them, the former guardsman is far too heavy, and expecting trouble. He easily resists their feeble efforts by bulk alone, even while standing on the uneven rubble spilling in from the entrance.
With Vibenia moving up behind him, both are able to see the rest of the chamber: three kobolds are positioned around the pool, two armed with crude guisarmes flanking the entrance, and the third brandishing sling from the other side. For their part, the turtles snap their jaws at the sudden clamour, eager to bite but unable to ascend the steep edges of the pool. Several more tunnels can be seen around the chamber as well, with one barred by a wooden gate.
"Alligator snapping turtles, larger cousins to the common snapping turtle. Dangerous, especially if riled up and harassed like these are." Vibenia mutters, preparing to have to fight.