A fire is lit in Carina's eyes. "Ruz Zu'u frolok amativ ahkaan tir ok hil."
Child murderers. No one's going to miss them.
As she examines the gear, Astraden explains its use to her companions.
Astraden nods, catching only glimmers of understanding of the rasping language. "Where do we find Velmane?"
Hishka turns to Astraden. "Ilthane's children are down below with the eggs." He points towards the watery passage the heroes went by to reach Shukak.
"That's all we needed to know" Tanith answers with a nod at his friends.
Cuetzpalli nods, bows to the lizard folk and then motions Spiny to swim through the passage. The olman grabs onto the dinosaur's leg to have Spiny pull through the water.
Eben, whio has been struggling to remeber the little Draconic he learned years ago in the Free City throughout, tries to follow along the conversation between Hishka, Carina, and the other lizardfolk, but gets lost fairly quickly. Did they just say... pie plate? That must be the wrong translation. He's grateful when it comes back around to common and his brain stops twisting itself. He raises a hand before the group departs. "As an addendum to the 'where is Velmane' question, let me ask: what is Velmane? By 'dragonspawn' do you mean, he's a dragon himself? And if he's with the eggs... is it safe to fight him there? I'd hate to see your children become collateral damage in a chaotic fight." Plus our chances for a peacful treaty might get smashed alongside your eggs...
"And are Ilthane's children aligned with order, or freedom?"
Seeing Spiny and Cuetzpalli dive, Astraden pulls out one of the scrolls she crafted at the Lands' residence and motions the remaining group around. She focuses, letting the writing migrate off the page and into the fingertips of one hand, then touches each of her friends in turn. Finally, she taps her thumb against her throat. "The breath lasts two hours for each of us," she says, voice slightly distorted by the addition of two blue gills.
"I don't know," Hishka says, frowning. "They were sent here as 'gifts' from Ilthane. They don't speak with us."
"Black dragons are, simply put, indiscriminately destructive, selfish monsters that thrive in swamps and marshes." Carina says, scratching her head. "They're concerned only with themselves and how much chaos and pain they can sow among lesser beings."
"So, what's Olidammara's policy on fighting them?" She asks as the water breathing spell takes hold. She makes sure her haversack is entirely sealed against water.
"His policy is to do whatever feels right at where your heart's up in. I was just hoping one of his spells would find a use today." Astraden shrugs and lowers herself into the water after Cuetzpalli, letting herself sink and then walking along the bottom to their destination.
Eben stifles a manly tear over Hishka completely ignoring his questions, and heads into the waterlogged passageway with the others, re-casting his cat's grace and dancing lights as he goes.
Eben, whio has been struggling to remeber the little Draconic he learned years ago in the Free City throughout, tries to follow along the conversation between Hishka, Carina, and the other lizardfolk, but gets lost fairly quickly. Did they just say... pie plate? That must be the wrong translation. He's grateful when it comes back around to common and his brain stops twisting itself. He raises a hand before the group departs. "As an addendum to the 'where is Velmane' question, let me ask: what is Velmane? By 'dragonspawn' do you mean, he's a dragon himself? And if he's with the eggs... is it safe to fight him there? I'd hate to see your children become collateral damage in a chaotic fight." Plus our chances for a peacful treaty might get smashed alongside your eggs...
"Velmane is a half-dragon," Hishka says. "He comes from a tribe that claims to be descended from Ilthane's grandmother. He's a potent warrior and fights with a scythe, but I haven't seen him in a fight, so that's all I know.
"There's a large chamber between you and the eggs. Hopefully, the guardians will elect to fight you there. Ilthane's own egg is located amid ours, after all, and its destruction would mean a fate worse than death for its siblings."
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Eben nods, having learned the value of passive aggression.
The tunnel becomes completely submerged forty feet beyond the start of the water. It winds generally westward for a hundred feet before fully emerging again. Luckily, the party is protected by Astraden's spell and has no trouble making it through.
As they enter a larger chamber, they see eight little creatures waiting for them.
The short, reptilian humanoids have black-scaled skin, snouts filled with tiny teeth, and long, ratlike tails. They give sharp grins, raising longspears.
At their head is a decidedly different-looking creature. He has the same scales, the same small size, but his head is sunken in—almost skull-like—and he seems much larger than his kin . His eyes glow with a fell green light, and, most bizarrely of all, this creature has large, tattered, scaly wings.
Velmane doesn't make any remarks or threats. He just raises his claw in a mock salute.
Cuetzpalli commands Spiny up onto the bank, and to attack the dragon-spawn. The dinosaur wades out of the corridor, murky swamp water streaming off his back and spine. He lashes out at the kobold with claws and teeth.
Cuetzpalli follows his companion up on to the bank. [a]"That's it, Spiny, get 'im!"[/b] he says as he swings his axe at the same little lizardling.
Carina moves forward, still in the water. She pulls a bomb out from her belt and throws it at the winged leader.
Eben hoists his bow and takes aim at Velmane, who otherwise has enough minions between him and the group's heavy hitters that he'd get to escape unscathed for the start of combat.
Tanith powers through the murky water and takes a swing at the next kobold in line.
Farrukh moves in on the group and slashes the first creature he can reach.
Astraden sloshes up into the cave, fumbling for her mask, and resummons Olidammara's glowing rapier as she draws a blade of her own.
Cuetzpalli commands Spiny up onto the bank, and to attack the dragon-spawn. The dinosaur wades out of the corridor, murky swamp water streaming off his back and spine. He lashes out at the kobold with claws and teeth.
Cuetzpalli follows his companion up on to the bank. [a]"That's it, Spiny, get 'im!"[/b] he says as he swings his axe at the same little lizardling.
The kobold's chain shirt and surprisingly tough hide withstand two attacks, but he's unable to avoid getting raked across the arm. Reeling from this grievous wound, he's too distracted to notice Cuetzpalli moving in for the kill.
Carina moves forward, still in the water. She pulls a bomb out from her belt and throws it at the winged leader.
The bomb burns the kobold, but he just rolls his eyes.
One of the neighboring kobolds is caught in the blast; the other completely avoids it.
Eben hoists his bow and takes aim at Velmane, who otherwise has enough minions between him and the group's heavy hitters that he'd get to escape unscathed for the start of combat.
Eben's first shot causes significantly more duress—Velmane howls in anger as the arrow hits him in the shoulder. The second two shots fail to connect, however.
Tanith powers through the murky water and takes a swing at the next kobold in line.
Farrukh moves in on the group and slashes the first creature he can reach.
Farrukh cuts into the kobold, though its tough hide keeps it alive.
Astraden sloshes up into the cave, fumbling for her mask, and resummons Olidammara's glowing rapier as she draws a blade of her own.
Though he's surprised, Velmane's chain shirt protects him from the rapier of Olidammara.
The creature swallows looking at the big Kordian with dread as he realizes he's next in line.
Velmane starts to beat his immense wings, lifting himself up off the ground with remarkable speed.
When he's just a few feet off the ground—over the heads of his kobold brothers and sisters—he takes a deep breath and blasts out a stream of acid. He continues to ascend after that, up to the forty-feet high ceiling of the chamber.
Inspired by their brother's display, the kobolds fight with renewed tenacity. One of them stabs viciously at Farrukh, the other at Spiny. A third moves in, drawing a dagger, and attempts to distract Farrukh.
Of course, no attack comes close.
The other three move in, firing hand crossbows at the easiest target: Tanith.
One bolt sticks in Tanith's hand, barely more than a needle.
Astraden curses as the corrosive splatters over her head and shoulder, setting her skin afire with pain. She wipes at the acid with her sleeve, holding the dagger by its tip, and then carefully launches it (the dagger) at the nearest foe. The burned Oeridian then summons her illusory double as her spell-rapier soars after the dragonspawn.
The kobold ducks, and Astraden's dagger pings against the wall harmlessly.
Cuetzpalli yells in pain as he dodges most of the acid. a good portion of it still coated his upper body, sizzling where it melts off patches of his skin. He slaps Spiny on the rump, driving the beast forward to the next kobold.
Spiny sinks his teeth into the kobold's throat, crushing the tiny bones instantly.
With a space clear, Cuetzpalli shoves his way into the melee. "Come back down here and face us! Honorless dog!" he cries up at the flying kobold-dragon. Maybe if I kill enough of its brethren it will return to the floor and fight, he thinks, swinging his axe like a golf club at the next Kobold in line.
Cuetzpalli's swing misses, the kobold's tough hide absorbing the glancing blow it receives.
Carina slogs through the water behind Farrukh, unlimbering her crossbow. As she moves, she takes note of the flying kobold, trying to remember if his half-dragon blood yields any weaknesses...
Tanith yanks the tiny arrow out of his hand and growls at the offending kobold.
Tanith pulls the tiny arrow from his hand only to be caught totally off guard by the gout of acid. He quickly retrieves a wand and mends some of the burns.
Eben winces as the acid stream splashes over his friends, although he's glad to not be in that line of fire himself. Don't know if I could prestidigitate away what that would do to my clothes. Not to mention my face. Still, Velmane's choice to go flying aloft cheers him up a bit; the kobold-dragon crossbreed might be out of range of the engines of death like Spiny, but is actually now better situated for someone with a bow to hit.
Action point shot!
Eben fires three shots, but the little lizard nimbly dodges each arrow. He giggles, sending an obscene gesture Eben's way.
Carina slogs through the water behind Farrukh, unlimbering her crossbow. As she moves, she takes note of the flying kobold, trying to remember if his half-dragon blood yields any weaknesses...
[dice=Knowledge (Arcana)]1d20+11
"Ah, shit! My beautiful face!" Farrukh cries as the acid pours onto him from above.
Farrukh glares at the flying kobold through a haze of pain.
"I'm coming for you as soon as all these small-fry are dealt with." he promises.
And with that, he slashes at one of said small-fry.
Farrukh gravely injures the kobold in front of him, but isn't able to drop it.
Up above, Velmane takes aim at Eben, yapping advice to his colleagues below.
The spiritual weapon stabs at him just as he fires, though, causing the shot to go wild.
Down below, two kobolds continue shooting at Tanith, seeming newly motivated by their leader's useful tips. Another tiny bolt finds its mark in Tanith's side.
The other three abandon their long-range weapons, draw daggers, and assume defensive stances.
Eben grits his teeth as three shots go wild. At least two of those were solid shots, too... His free hand reaches into his spell component pouch rather than his quiver. Clearly he's in need of a little something extra to match shots with Velmane... "I believe in me." he says, casting heroism on himself. Then, to the flying kobold, he adds, "B#*%@."
Spiny ravages the wounded kobold in front of Farrukh, while Cuetzpalli swings at the one in front of him again. Spiny finds flesh with one claw, but Cuetzpalli's blow is ineffective once again.
Even Spiny is unable to land a hit—the kobold has seen what happens to her siblings who act recklessly, and is putting up an especially cautious defense.
It belatedly occurs to Eben that he knows a thing or two about kobolds.
"Hey, for what it's worth, bright light messes these guys up! But really bright light, not torch or lantern level bright."
Hearing Eben's recommendation, Astraden calls upon the power of her god. The entire area is flooded with light, causing the kobolds to shriek and shield their eyes.
"I knew that." Farrukh says.
He slices the Kobold in front of him again.
He looks at the one behind him and steps in closer.
"You're next."
Tanith grunts in pain and touches the wand to himself again. "Those hurt!"
Farrukh's swing also misses the defense-focused kobold.
