"I'm waiting to go."
The kobolds picked out by Oscar begin to follow Sable slowly. Soon enough the group is moving again. You can all see the old sycamore they speak of. It takes under an hour to get to the tree. It is over 300 feet tall but is nearly dead having few branches and no leaves.
Xara leaves Reafan with the mounts, figuring he's useless in mite caves under a tree.
She will make liberal use of the message cantrip, keeping it constantly active while they are underground. She can include two party members; I'm thinking Oscar and Koldur.
"So we're here right? Are those mites beneath that tree?" Koldur asks as he dismounts and observes where they need to go. He's looking for any sign of possible ambush and also if it's viable to torch the tree if needed.
Looking at the accompanying kobolds, he looks to see if any are leaders of some sort.
It is the entrance to their domain from what i understood. I am ready , i hope someone brought a light cause you know i am just a human he says weapon in hand
"Yep, yup, mites down the tree in holes. Though we not sure where." Says one of the kobolds spear in hand.
The tree is large and has a large root system clogged with dirt. The kobolds begin to search for a hole keeping their weapons ready to fight the hated mites, you can hear them cursing the mites under their breath.
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Sable nods to Oscar pulling out his blade ready to follow the kobolds down, waiting patiently for them or someone else to find the way in.
"Oscar do you want to go tightly crawling in after the mites or should we make a big bonfire?" He asks his old Dwarven friend, though loud enough that the mites could possibly hear.
"I assume you'll judge the hearts of the mites first as you did the kobolds?" Xara asks Oscar dryly.
You assume well Xara says oscar heading down in the hole weapon drawn after an entrance has been discovered
"The bigger the better to smoke them out!" Koldur fully agress as he begins tromping around looking for materials to start a fire with...
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In draconic Sable yells at the kobolds, "Go in and find your enemies, flush them out and we will take care of them!" Those who don't speak the language can tell he is trying to inspire them as he raises his blade.
As he watches for any threats with Raz, he watches D and brother Henric collect dead wood to start the fire.
The kobolds are emboldened by Sable's words and could be even more if Xara did the same or assisted him.
Nonetheless the kobolds find a hole and charge into the tree's small entrance.
Xara nods in agreement with Sable, adding a few words to encourage them as well.
Xara's Diplomacy is high enough she automatically assists Sable's check.
Oscar you follow the jubilious kobolds ready to slay some mites. The hole, that they found you would need to squeeze down through and likely take off any heavy armor before that.
"Flush the mites out! Me axes be taking care of them." exclaims Koldur upon spying the tight fit of the tunnel especially for one as broad as him..his belly notwithstanding.
Well it sure does look like a very small hole. I would rather wait out here for these creatures to be flushed out.
"Unless the kobolds we sent in are slaughtered by the mites, and they have no reason to come out here after us. A smokey fire may be the way to go. We will have to go in and find this magic statue at some point, though."
2 handed weapon are hard to wield in those confined place. and it will take me at least a bunch of minutes to strip down to a just a breastplate
"Smoke out those little pests...."
With a decision made leaving Oscar and Koldur to wait for any sign of Mites, the rest of the group searches the area for wood and kindling. Within an hour the fire is burning low and smoke has been pouring into the hole. Still no sign of Mite or Kobold.
Something does come climbing out of the hole, with all the smoke it is hard to see what it is.
Koldur steps up beside Sable and readies his axes, just in case....
Xara readies her spear if a non-kobold appears.
A kobold does appear with a bag of loot. "Hiya." it says as it sees the group through the smoke. It goes 10 feet out from the fire and drops its bag of goodies. Resting and trying to catch its breath. It looks wounded.
Oscar will wait for those who speak the language of the kobold to communicate with him
Xara lowers her spear. "What happened down there?" she asks in Draconic. "Are the mites dead? What about your friends?"
"Yes, many dead on both sides, I barely got out!" the kobold says in Draconic clutching at the leather bag but also shaking.
Works for me. he simply says...
"Seems good but what does that one have in its hands?" Koldur asks.
The item Koldur speaks of looks to be a leather bag. Though it looks to be full with something.
Sable and D nod to the group and descend into the hole hoping to find little resistance. It is a tight squeeze but with his mithril chainmail he makes it down the hole with little to no problems.
When they return there is blue, gray black, and green juices splattered across their clothing and armor. They bring back several bags tied to a rope. They are worse for wear and have many cuts and bite marks all over their bodies.
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"Damn those mites, tricksy little devils. They had a few traps waiting for us, an ambush, and their centipede pets squished as good as their own bodies. They had a giant whiptail centipede! I now hate them far more than kobolds. Kobolds are civilized compared to them! Then their leader had a massive tick the size of a bugbear! It got ahold of me and squeezed me nearly to death!" Sable says with relief on his face that they have returned, with severe wounds.
"Brother Henric could you heal us please." He asks as he sits between the entrance and the horses. D drags the rope and thus the bags over to Sable and sits with him hoping to get the few scrapes healed.
a bloodstained ivory statuette of what looks like a crouching reptilian devil.
193 cp, 120 sp, and 32 gp.
A bronze griffon with a ruby in its chest.
Sable 2 points of Strength and Constitution damage, -12 hp, Red Ache.
D -12 hp
Used a cure light potion.
Red ache- Bite—injury; save Fort DC 16; onset 1d3
days; frequency 1 day; effect 1d6 Str damage; cure 2 consecutive
saves.
Sable fishes out a piece of paper as Henric heals the two of them. "We found this with their leader, maybe one of you can make heads or tails out of it. It is a list of some kind."
the paper consists of two columns, one labeled “Us” and one labeled “Them.” The “Us” column lists only two things: “kobold statue” and “lots of spears and coins.” The “Them” column lists “magic dust,” “lots of coins” and “shiny human ring.”
As Henric is focusing on healing them. There comes the sounds of high pitched yells.
Off to the side six mites come charging at the group. They charge forward getting to within 15 feet of the group during the surprise round.
Koldur
Oscar
Xara
Mites
Koldur
Oscar
Xara
Round 1
25 Koldur
13 Oscar
13 Xara
10 Mites
4 Sable
1 Kobold
Xara talks to the kobold while they wait for the smoke to do its work. She asks after the health of the other kobolds and to look in his leather bag.
"Beware! Mites!" she calls out, pointing to the advancing creatures. She casts grease under the mites. If I read your description right, the mites are in two columns of three, which means she should be able to catch four of them in her spell. Reflex DC 16 or fall.
The kobold does warm up to Xara and stops shaking from fear. He has a slight tremor every once in a while from the wound on his leg. He shows her what he was able to grab before running for his life. Within is a few bone necklaces, a dagger in a black leather sheath, the pommel is polished and sports a onyx with a strange rune etched into it, some meat and carrots.
Yes the grease spell will catch four of them. Only one stays standing.
Round 1
Oscar will ready a counter charge the creature that is still standing as soon as it leave the greased area
Current AC 15
Koldur the two mites attacking you were not affected by the grease spell.
As the mite goes after Xara, Oscar moves up to it and slashes it in two. As the body falls to the ground the blood rushes over the ground away from Oscar to the tree.
"Mites!" Koldur calls out in alarm then he chuckles.
"Lookie here. They're mites. Heh Heh Heh." His chuckles grows into full blown laughter as the mites charge him and his hungry axes!!!
Rolling into battle, his axes swinging as Koldur dances a dance of swinging death
"Come ere! Mites!" He roars.
Afterall Sable and the rest had their fun, now was his turn.
Round 1
Oscar and Koldur both lay low a mite into chunks before them. The other mites that fell try to stand up once more and they all stand and move forward, two threaten oscar as one went after Xara well out of Oscar's reach though still 5 feet away from Xara. The other mite still standing next to Koldur swings its pitiful excuse for a blade and a small tink is heard as his armor repels the attack.
Another mite appears from the foliage charging in, though still 20 feet away from Koldur.
Round 2
Heroes go!
Xara casts her summoning spell, and a celestial eagle appears in the space between herself and the mite to the southeast. The eagle flaps into the air, hovers, and rakes the mite with talons and beak.
All attacks bypass DR if the mite is evil.
Koldur swings with complete abandon as he grins with each swing. His axe finding places to bite and he barely registers the attack on him as his movements begin to draw a circle of devastation.
Round 2
Oscar will 5ft step toward any enemy attacking the party
Current AC 19
Round 2
Oscur aids the celestial eagle in slaughtering the mite into chunks. Koldur takes down another mite as well.
The two mites that were next to the paladin move to flank him. Attempting to strike him, but only hit his armored shins to no effect.
The three new mites stop about 30 feet away from the paladin, the mite's eyes bulge hideously open as they all utter dark words.
A massive tick ridden by a mite comes from Koldur's side with mites following along. The mite just in front of Koldur says a few dark words and the mite's eyes bulge hideously open.
The kobold stands up and takes its spear in hand protecting the wounded and their healer.
Round 3
Heroes go!