With a little more exploration you have cleared the rest of the caves. There is one missing, when asked the others say that the other kobolds threw him into a trap, directing to the tacky room. "They hid pits of spikes in their and had him walk through it. They covered up the area rather than pull him up again."
With that the kobolds can do as you wish, you can leave the area and return to the city of Kaer Maga, surviving prisoners in tow.
Searching the previous room the group finds a pair of insidiously hidden pit traps. At the bottom each are bodies, one of which had the dead body of one of the prisoners the other kobolds stole from you. The other has a deceased dark dwarf at the bottom with a number of magical items.
Moving into the adjacent room the group the connecting cave narrows both in width and height drastically from north to south. Sharp, glittering stone spikes protrude from the walls and ceiling. Aside from the sharp stones the party doesn't find anything of worth here.
After both of these are checked, the tunnels will have been explored aside the tunnels deeper into the Darklands. The path it takes is long and dark, offering no sign of reward anytime soon.
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"There's magic down in that pit.. on that shortshank. Someone should retrieve it." Vanarog says as he looks down into the hole with magical sight. He points as claw at the rough location on the corpse.
Afterwards, as they explore further down the tunnels, he quickly gives up "These go on forever. No magic here. We should go back, these Longshanks' whining about being hungry bother my ears."
One of the group you have in tow pipes up, "Oh! I'm so sorry if that was bothering you. I ... we would hate to seem ungrateful or do ... do anything that would make you displeased!"
It is an easy enough process to extract the treasures from the pit. Once you leave the caverns you are able to signal the Duskwarden Talbren. She is with you in minutes, her blade ready for any for any attacker that might be hunting the party. After appraising the party for a moment she sheathes her weapon with some respect. "You have done well to survive the vault." She looks over the body of her comrade with care as she makes a silent prayer to them. "We should move quickly, else draw the attention of other things yet more monsters the lie down here."
After a few more hours of silence she guides you back into Kaer Maga proper. "I am grateful for what you have done for us today Pathfinders. I know you have done much of this investigation at your expense. The Duskwardens will take that cost on for you as well as offer basic training to any Pathfinders that seek it. It is the least we can do."
The citizens regard you even more oddly now as you are followed by a train of humans who gaze upon this underground city with wonder. Even as you enter the area of the Freemen, the sun has already passed by and lanterns light the entire district. You find that little has changed at the Common House. Music and merriment easily audible as you approach along with the smell of freshly cooked meat.
As you enter Halman quickly approaches asking in worried tone, "What have you found?" As soon as he sees the former slaves his eyes light up and a worry drains from his face.
"I'm sorry, give me a moment, I need to speak with them." He turns away from the party and focuses on the rescued humans. "I can't say enough to apologize for the pain you have gone through to get here, but I promise, on behalf of all the Freemen that we will d all we can to help you find your footing."
He begins to speak to them individually, addressing their concerns and individual injuries as Anva interrupts him, "Keep your focus on the Pathfinders, they have done too much for you to ignore them. I'll attend to the newly freed while you finish speaking with the heroes." He is reluctant for a moment before nodding in agreement. Anva begins organizing the other Freemen to offer food, clothes, and healing to the people you rescued while Halman continues to speak with you.
With a more stoic, although still with less worry weighing it down, he says, "Sorry again for leaving you for a moment. What did you find down there?"
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One of the group you have in tow pipes up, "Oh! I'm so sorry if that was bothering you. I ... we would hate to seem ungrateful or do ... do anything that would make you displeased!"
Vanarog smiles, the sounds of groveling being music to his ear holes. "You be best to stay quiet. Your bellies aren't the only ones that not eaten much lately." He rubs his belly and eyeballs the youngest of the group.
After the bodies are rescued with the help of his most powerful magics, Vanarog totes the bodies back on his floating disk. He frequently verbally motivates the slaves to keep up during the trip back. "If I can carry these two then you can carry yourselfs!"
Vanarog looks at Skyrahk and feigns concern "She must be still in shock. We saw many things. Greenskins and lesser cave kobolds mostly. Many, many traps of devious design and explosive power! I found many magic tokens from lost ones. Magic caves block their power..." He puffs out his chest, clearly proud of his magical knowledge.
Halman gravely takes in the information you brought back. He patiently takes it in before replying, "We are grateful you were able to rescue who you were able as well as telling us what happened."
He then looks you over to take stock of you, trying to find the right way to break the subject before adding, "I don't wish to offer any insult, but it is a fact that many underestimate kobolds, but I know for certain, even if there were 'lesser cave kobolds' it is no minor feat to be able to combat any kobold in their own territory. While they might be lesser threats to you, the fact they were able to take defeat a Duskwarden means that they weren't just any kobold."
He shakes his head as the weight of the information hits hims him hard.
"They used the poor man to test their traps? If you hadn't acted as quickly as you had, I'm sure that more than one of the travelers would have lost their lives."
"Yes, in fact one of these longshanks--sorry, they all look the same--was being led somewhere when we found them. Probably on their way to test another trap. It's good we found them when we did."
Engashez puffs up a bit, both at the pride of saving the trap fodder, and at the prowess of kobolds. "I'm also not surprised the cave kobolds were able to capture a Duskwarden. Longshanks underestimate true dragons at their peril. Even these weaker tribes like this still have capability beyond your imagination."
Halman considers Engashez's words before offering no argument to them. Instead he says, "You have done admirably here today. I would be happy to welcome you among our number, but I know that you are busy with your work with the Pathfinders and your own business. Still, all of you are certainly welcome to visit the Bottoms whenever you like. I will let your venture-captain know that she has convinced me fully of the skill of your organization."
You are all offered room and board for the night as you are given the opportunity to begin your next plans. Your return transportation is being set up, but will likely put you out for weeks at least on the roads, rivers, and sea as the Pathfinder Society has far less access to those with teleportation magics on this end of the world.
As this plans are worked out you hear the familiar voice of Jabberin' James nearby. "Of course I will do it! You just don't that they don't exactly appreciate me. Not that everyone enjoys the way that I talk, I just think that we left off things in a fine way and I want to be careful about opening up that story again when- ... Fine I'll talk to them! I was just getting to that!"
Jabberin' approaches you with a forced smile on his face as he annouces himself. "Oh my friends! It is wonderful to see you again. I've been hearing all about town about your exploits. Delving into the catacombs, aiding the Duskwardens! Saving a group of people from certain doom from the unknowable dangers from below. It is honestly astonishing how many times your names have come up for the short time you have been here. Why, I was just talking to Telin, one of my friends at the bar, about you and he couldn't help but compare you to one of the stories of old. About a group of strangers coming into town that had been infested with demons-"
He is interrupted by a cough from dark skinned woman impatiently rapping her a set of shears in hand to encourage James to move forward.
"Ah yes, yes,", James adds with a nervous laugh glancing at all the parties. "Well. The point is the merchants in town, specifically the hatters, have heard of the long journey you are about to face and they decided, with your brave efforts, they would be more than willing to fund a teleportation spell to bring you back home in an instant! Isn't that wonderful! I must wonder to myself where I would go into this world if I had such easy access to teleportation. Maybe take a week on the shores of a beach! Maybe to a village on the other side of the world, learn a new language, eat new foods, and find out new stories."
The woman repeats her cough and gives a decisive look at Jabberin' James.
"Haha. Right. There is one provision they would like to add with the deal, they would want to make sure your group isn't separated and that your lovely companion who came with you made the return journey as well. You know, about six to ten feet tall, about three feet, several tentacles. I believe that he calls himself Hats? What do you say? You all want a free trip home?" He puts on a big smile as he makes the offer clearly hopeful that you will accept.
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"But... I'm not a chef or delivery boy, I mean I could point you to a few locations where you can get as much as you can hold, but after the last few years I've learned-"
The woman stops him before he gets any farther, she very clearly states, "You will have your mushrooms."
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Vanarog quickly has his sizable box of mushrooms large enough that he has some trouble carrying it with just one hand.
The group is led back to the open air market along with a spellcaster who only complained once about this trip before being reminded of the payment that would be rendered onto him.
With clear direction in mind they lead you to a corner of the market where you can clearly hear Hat's proclamations far sooner than seeing the otugh.
"And with the great host gathered around, they danced and drank and celebrated, but as soon as everyone was unprepared a shadowy tear ripped through the hall and called out to the lady of the evening, 'You were betrothed to me by your family! The pact has been broken and all shall pay!'"
There are a few mummers of shock and awe one after another before you hear the familiar squeaky voice of Awesome Cowl add, "Oh no! How horrible! What sort of person attacks during a party?"
"I knew what I had to do, I stepped in and stood up to the shadowy people! I rallied the other guests and charged forward and drive them back!"
"A FOOL THEY WERE TO STAND BEFORE SUCH A GALLANT LEADER!"
"They called out as I- Oh! Hello dragons!"
You see Hats has commandeered a stall and is giving a show of sorts. There are a few street urchins in attendance listening to the performance. Hats is now covered with a variety of caps, hats, helmets, turbans, and so on resting on his body. As he moves to the party some of the hats tumble off and are quickly swept back up and replaced on Hats' body.
"I lost track of you all when you all got away from me! I will need to keep closer track of you all else I wouldn't been there when you needed me!"
The otugh's body undulates and the free tentacle tips various bits of head wear as Hats makes varying voices of assent.
Not allowing the situation to go out of the spellcaster is prodded into moving this forward. "That is quite wonderful reunion"/b], he says dryly, [b]"Are you well prepared for your journey home?" He asks the kobolds, not offering Hats the initiative to deny the request for the group.
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Vanarog snatches up the mushrooms without so much of a thank you, giving Jabber the stink eye for not being as helpful as he thought he should be. "We go now, mushrooms not good forever and these feet tired of walking so much." He places the box of shrooms on his floating disk and heads off.
"Hats. You have more hats. Let's go." He nods at the spell caster, watching him closely as he casts.
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"There were so many people in a rush they got thrown to the ground. Thankfully kind Hats was there to help them up!"
Picking up a small pink hat and waving about a bit Hats adds in a soft and low voice, "Yes, I must admit that I was treated quite discourteously. Thankfully this nice boy Hats was here to help me up."
The mage focuses on the scroll after another measurement of the party before finally casting the magic. The world wavers, twists, and splits before rejoining with the party in an arrival point within the Pathfinder Society. The guard jumps up with your appearance and is immediately calling for aid, announcing "The kobolds have returned!"
In a flurry of activity the party are granted yet more food and comfort as they debrief the party. Janira especially excited wanting to know if you found any interesting sculptures, if the trolls really predict the figure that way, if the group made any friends, how they managed to secure transportation back so quickly and where Hats got so many pieces of headwear.
"IT WAS SUCH A POOR DISPLAY! THEY LINED THE STREETS WHEN WE GOT THERE! SO LITTLE RESPECT GIVEN!"
The Pathfinders don't seek to keep you long for long, but just enough to file some preliminary reports before you head back to your chieftain and whatever he demands.