"So you want me to lead you into the warrens... knowing that means I'll be attacked both by my warren mates... and possibly you all?""It's either that or we can leave you here tied up with the rest of the other guards and should Roaghaz succeed this day and find that you have failed and would become the next 'sacrifices' to his new god or some conclusion like that."
The kobold looks at the other door guards, consideringly. "That seems safer, since you seem very competent."
A long pause, "Instead of taking you to Roaghaz, how about I take you to Nighttail? She doesn't like what Roaghaz has been doing, not at all. And she's stronger than me, smarter too."
Willem nods. "You get farther with hope and a gun than hope alone.""...which is why we'll be going deeper into the warren." Farmer indicates Pasara and Willem. "We have both."
Carlo looks surprised and not a little scared. "Deeper? You want to go deeper into this den?" He rips a small piece of the food that Sigrit gives him, letting it sit in his mouth with water, softening at the cleric's direction, "The little devils can see in the dark. The only reason they kept this room lit was so that we could work, going deeper just seems a good way to get killed."
She allows Sela to shelter behind her, but murmurs, "Peace, Mistress Bellathi. For all her unusual form, Medge cannot abide slavers and will not harm one who has suffered at their hands."Medge nods. "I use my powers of evil only for good."
The woman still harbors behind the solid form of Sigrit, but she offers the cat a smile. "I suppose that is better than using evil for evil... but not as good as using good for good." She says the last in an aside to herself, but most in the group have keen enough ears to hear her anyway.
For a moment the girl studies the strange technology that is the weapon, her smile fading just a bit as she realizes the intricate machinery in Willem's gun is too small for her own hands, "Too bad." Although she smiles, "I like the idea of having something to back up hope.""That, I fear, is a conversation for you to have with your mother. The first of many once you're topside." He waves away the lingering white smoke. "You'll find the crack of the shot and the stench of the powder more agreeable when there's a place for it to go."
Bophre hugs the little rat again. "My mother!" She says in a happy excited whisper. "I'd almost given up hope of seeing her or anyone else again."
"Even if she says no... I want to see her. So much."
For a moment the girl studies the strange technology that is the weapon, her smile fading just a bit as she realizes the intricate machinery in Willem's gun is too small for her own hands, "Too bad." Although she smiles, "I like the idea of having something to back up hope.""Hmph. You've already got something to back up hope; a will of iron that would well-suit any dwarf. Otherwise you'd not still be here, ready to fight after such an ordeal. But..." She rummages through her pack again, and pulls out a simple iron dagger, one that has clearly seen some use. "Not as impressive or long-ranged as the marvelous boomstick. But it will fit your hand, and it is the chosen weapon of the Lady of Souls. It has served me well, but I have a better one now."
The girl releases Willem to take the knife and although she gives the little gun another long look, she smiles at Sigrit, "Thank you, Lady Sigrit. Truth be told, I'd rather be home and coddled than to have found out that I could survive." She blinks, looks at the group, then at Willem, "How long has it been?"
"That is like the fighting of fire with water," Medge grouses to herself. "Effectively, certainly, but where is being the drama?"
A long pause, "Instead of taking you to Roaghaz, how about I take you to Nighttail? She doesn't like what Roaghaz has been doing, not at all. And she's stronger than me, smarter too."
"Sounds good to me."
Carlo looks surprised and not a little scared. "Deeper? You want to go deeper into this den?" He rips a small piece of the food that Sigrit gives him, letting it sit in his mouth with water, softening at the cleric's direction, "The little devils can see in the dark. The only reason they kept this room lit was so that we could work, going deeper just seems a good way to get killed."
Akatsuki shrugs, "We'll be all right." She looks Carlo up and down critically, appraising his martial abilities, or lack of them. "Could you use a scimitar? ...or maybe a dagger?"
"That is like the fighting of fire with water," Medge grouses to herself. "Effectively, certainly, but where is being the drama?"
"Fighting a forest fire with a bucket of water has little drama either. Sometimes it just makes sense to put the odds on your side. Unless of course, you are trying to remove all drama from life, in which case you will probably be dead." Akatsuki smiles, "Are you just bored or have you become bored with life, my friend?"
"So you want me to lead you into the warrens... knowing that means I'll be attacked both by my warren mates... and possibly you all?""It's either that or we can leave you here tied up with the rest of the other guards and should Roaghaz succeed this day and find that you have failed and would become the next 'sacrifices' to his new god or some conclusion like that."The kobold looks at the other door guards, consideringly. "That seems safer, since you seem very competent."
A long pause, "Instead of taking you to Roaghaz, how about I take you to Nighttail? She doesn't like what Roaghaz has been doing, not at all. And she's stronger than me, smarter too."
Fenyx unbinds Makroo and walks him over to the rest of the group. On the way over he has a thought, "How will we know who sides with Nighttail and who sides with Roaghaz should combat come forth between the two factions? I'd be dreadful having shot the wrong kobold."
Fenyx unbinds Makroo and walks him over to the rest of the group. On the way over he has a thought, "How will we know who sides with Nighttail and who sides with Roaghaz should combat come forth between the two factions? I'd be dreadful having shot the wrong kobold."
Makroo shrugs philosophically, "Most will side with whichever side they think will win." A pause. "And whichever side they think won't attack the hatchery. The warren means more than any one of us."
"Whichever path we choose -- and I am inclined to pick our present one, seeing as I would not trust this scaled heathen to tell me water is wet -- we should bring the unfortunates with us, and conceal them somewhere along the way. Thus, every kobold we kill or capture renders our charges safer." Willem punctuates this by spitting on the floor.
The married merchants look worried about the plan to bring them deeper into the kobold warrens, but are grateful enough for their rescue that they don't plan on muddying the waters.
Bophre's hand tightens around the iron knife, her eyes squeeze shut for a long five count, then "We can't see in the dark though, Mr. Willem. That's one of the things the kobolds did when we tried to escape. Douse all the lights and ambush us when we were blind."
She swallows, "That's how Baxter died..."
Bophre's hand tightens around the iron knife, her eyes squeeze shut for a long five count, then "We can't see in the dark though, Mr. Willem. That's one of the things the kobolds did when we tried to escape. Douse all the lights and ambush us when we were blind."
She swallows, "That's how Baxter died..."
"Rats see better than any lizard, Miss Malak. And as long as we clear the halls of vermin upon ingress, there will be nothing breathing and unbound to ambush you." He turns to the party. "Will one of you humans lend a torch or two to our charges, to keep darkness and kobold at bay?"
Pasara brings out her copper piece. "Mind your eyes, Willem."
She touches the coin while muttering a mystical word. The coin begins to glow brightly.
Pasara hands the coin to Bophre. "This should help," she says gently.
Pasara brings out her copper piece. "Mind your eyes, Willem."
She touches the coin while muttering a mystical word. The coin begins to glow brightly.
Pasara hands the coin to Bophre. "This should help," she says gently.
The girl's eyes widen a bit at the easy use of magic and she takes the coin. After a little bit of experimentation she holds the coin between the pointer and middle finger of her off-hand, her right hand still having a death grip on Sigrit's knife.
Akatsuki smiles fondly at the little girl, perhaps remembering old memories. "You should not hold it so tight." She says, taking her own dagger in hand to show as an example, "If you hold it so tightly for long, your hand will begin to ache rather quickly. This may take a while."
"Whichever path we choose -- and I am inclined to pick our present one, seeing as I would not trust this scaled heathen to tell me water is wet -- we should bring the unfortunates with us, and conceal them somewhere along the way. Thus, every kobold we kill or capture renders our charges safer." Willem punctuates this by spitting on the floor.
"Your suggestion has sense behind it," Farmer says, apologetically. "But we go to Nighttail first. Maybe we seek intelligence there. Maybe we seek allies. I can't see the reason of it."
"We do take the freed captives with us and hide them," Farmer says. "We can't spare the escort back to Belhaim."
The kobold, partially hiding behind Fenyx (because he feels that is safer). "Can do both." He points to the passage leading from the well room, "This way goes to where Nighttail is, too, eventually. We make the warrens twist so top-dwellers get confused."
Nervously, Makroo moves towards the front of the group, leading the way down a small twisting passage through which the normal-sized members of the group need to hunch. Eventually the passageway opens up into a room with a surprisingly high fifteen-foot ceiling. The stone floor is cushioned by a layer of strewn straw. Three ledges, ten feet off the ground, look out over the main cavern. A five-foot-wide, twenty-foot-deep trench runs north to south through the western half of the cavern, with just one five-foot wide bridge of natural stone allowing passage from one side to the other.
Makroo motions to the an exit to what may be the south, looking nervously up at the ledge under which the group will have to pass.
"Your suggestion has sense behind it," Farmer says, apologetically. "But we go to Nighttail first. Maybe we seek intelligence there. Maybe we seek allies. I can't see the reason of it."
"We do take the freed captives with us and hide them," Farmer says. "We can't spare the escort back to Belhaim."
"Don't even know why I spoke," Willem says.
Sigrit asks the Bellathis "Would you like your own light sources to hold? Can you do that, Pasara or Farmer?"
She scowls at the assumption that the former prisoners must accompany the party. "I do think you'll be safer with us or behind us, than waiting outside with the horses or trying to make it through the fen, when we cannot spare an escort for you. But the choice is yours: to travel deeper in with us, to wait with our horses outside, or to travel through the fen to town on your own. Or to take some other option I haven't thought of. We'll equip you as best we can."
"Makroo, we've no plans to attack your hatchery. We are not child-killers! But we need you to have a leader who will agree not to take slaves, and who will keep the kobolds out of Bellhaim. No more knocking down towers!"
Sigrit asks the Bellathis "Would you like your own light sources to hold? Can you do that, Pasara or Farmer?"
Farmer hands each of the Bellathis a glowing coin. "Lasts about twenty minutes," he says.
"Don't even know why I spoke," Willem says.
"I say what I see, but I ain't always right," Farmer mutters, and takes a drink.
Fenyx looks up at the ledges that Makroo was looking at.
"I say what I see, but I ain't always right," Farmer mutters, and takes a drink.
Willem calms, his tail beginning to twitch from stillness. "Many humans see me as a mere beast. Clever enough to use his hands, learned to mimic speech from his betters, yet still vermin," he says.
Willem calms, his tail beginning to twitch from stillness. "Many humans see me as a mere beast. Clever enough to use his hands, learned to mimic speech from his betters, yet still vermin," he says.
Farmer snorts. "Moneylenders are vermin. You're people to me, Willem."
"I could not say what I see when I see it, but all that leaves for me to talk about is my leg, which hurts like a son of a--" Farmer's eyes flicker to the little girl, then to Sigrit, and he shrugs. "It's tight and damp in here."
Farmer will continue to keep the coins Bellathis coins lit .
Farmer snorts. "Moneylenders are vermin. You're people to me, Willem."
"You as well."
Farmer nods and puts his flask away.
Farmer will continue to keep the coins Bellathis coins lit .
Pasara likewise will top up Bophre's coin as needed.
There is just the barest flash of blackend weapons from the ledges. In the same moment, Willem drops his pack and moves to the base of the nearest ledge, large pistol aimed almost straight up at the group of kobolds who have broken cover to rain arrows down on the group. A snarl of kobolds, the first two arrows pierce Makroo, dropping the traitorous kobold to the ground.
The rest of the arrows all streak towards the glowing, magically armored catwoman. Most ping off the sturdy bulwark of magical energy, but two arrows manage to pierce through her defenses, one ripping muscle as it passes.
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░ = ledges (10-ft up)
▓ = drop into oblivion
* = Previous post DC 15 perception
R = Makroo (down)
K = Ambusing Kobolds (on ledges 10-ft up)
A = Aka
B = Bakuu
W = Willem
G = Faf
F = Farmer
X = Fenyx
M = Medge
P = Pasara
S = Sigrit
Willem fires.
"Ambush!" Akatsuki has a habit of stating the obvious, and well after it would have been most helpful.
Aka
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14. . (+4 armor,+4 Dex,)
hp 15 (1d10+0)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +6 (+9 total vs. charm/compulsion effects)
Akatsuki moves to get a better field of fire, leaving the covering corner for one of her friends. Once she reaches her position, she sights quickly and fires.
Aka
I am assuming Sigrid will likely be moving to help Makroo, if not, Aka will keep herself within a single move of the downed kobold.
Initiative:
"These guys really want to live up to stereotypes, huh?" says Pasara. She points at the three kobolds on the other side of the bridge, speaking an arcane phrase.
"If you're not a fighter, drop down on the ground, and hide your light!"orders Sigrit, hoping to avoid damage to the rescued.
Sigrit will aim at the archers near her, as they seem to be in range.
Farmer spreads his hands, and dips his fingers in the river of fate.
A multi-hued bubble appears around him, colors swirling one into the next in a manner reminiscent of blown glass. "Subtle," he frowns.
Fenix moves to the covered position that Akatsuki left and will fire an arrow at any available targets.
+1 if within 30 ft.
+1 if within 30 ft.
Bakuu cries out in dismay as the cat woman next to her is pierced with multiple arrows, and she dodges sideways to avoid the barrage.
She pulls her sword and moves towards Willem after attempting to pull Medge out of immediate harm's way.
One of the kobolds on the ledge nearer to the group spits over the edge, the slightly corrosive liquid etching Makroo's scales. "ওয়ারেন যাও বিশ্বাসঘাতক প্রথম মারা যায়."
Willem fires, the cone of sulfuric-tinged lead tearing into two of the kobolds on the near ledge. The furthest away manages to dodge back, the lip of the perch taking the brunt of the pistol's fire. The nearer kobolds snarl, bows aimed at the little ratfolk - grievously injured but fighting mad.
Akatsuki moves to get a better field of fire, leaving the covering corner for one of her friends. Once she reaches her position, she sights quickly and fires. Her arrow flies true and one of the small bows clatters to the cave floor as Aka's target drops to the ground.
The remaining kobolds continue to wear away at the ungodly strong magical catwoman. Of the four arrows sent her way, only one manages to hit, but this time Medge's red blood flows in addition to the hydraulic fluid of her armor.
Fenix moves to the covered position that Akatsuki left and fires at one of the kobolds on the near ledge. His shot thunks solidly into the stone embankment.
"These guys really want to live up to stereotypes, huh?" says Pasara. She points at the three kobolds on the other side of the bridge, speaking an arcane phrase. Two of the three kobolds on the far ledge slump to the ground. The kobold who survived the blast of Pasara's magic snarls, his bow clearly aimed at the spellcaster.
Farmer spreads his hands, and dips his fingers in the river of fate.
A multi-hued bubble appears around him, colors swirling one into the next in a manner reminiscent of blown glass. "Subtle," he frowns.
Bakuu cries out in dismay as the cat woman next to her is pierced with multiple arrows, and she dodges sideways to avoid the barrage.
She pulls her sword and moves towards Willem after attempting to pull Medge out of immediate harm's way.
"If you're not a fighter, drop down on the ground, and hide your light!" orders Sigrit, hoping to avoid damage to the rescued. The icile blast that she sends towards the kobolds dissolves in mid-air.
Bophre reacts almost immediately to Sigrit's instructions, the coin between her fingers easily pushed into the palm and dampened. The two merchants also obey, but aren't as sprightly as the young girl.
Willem -5
Two near kobolds -4
Two kobolds asleep
One kobold stable at -7
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█KKA▓○○○○░&██
█KWB▓○○○░&░██
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██r○▓○○██████
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░ = ledges (10-ft up)
▓ = drop into oblivion
* = Previous post DC 15 perception
R = Makroo (down)
K = Ambusing Kobolds (on ledges 10-ft up)
& = sleeping kobold, k = downed kobold
A = Aka
B = Bakuu
W = Willem
G = Faf
F = Farmer
X = Fenyx
M = Medge
P = Pasara
S = Sigrit
Sigrit breathes deeply, searching for the peace of her goddess amongst the chaos of the ambush. She fires another icicle at the nearest attacker.
Farmer will move forward until there is a Kobold within range of an eldritch bolt.
"Can someone deal with Grumpy over there? I don't want to waste a spell for four on just one guy!" she calls out.
She repeats her gesture and mystic phrase, pointing at the three kobolds.
Attack on non-melee engaged kobold.
+1 if within 30 ft.
+1 if within 30 ft.
Attack on a melee engaged kobold,
Spell Resistance only
No save.
Aka
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14. . (+4 armor,+4 Dex,)
hp 15 (1d10+0)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +6 (+9 total vs. charm/compulsion effects)
Akatsuki glances at Maroo, but considering the number of arrows that seem to have sunk into Medge she is not entirely sure just how damaged the amazingly resilient catwoman actually is. The sight of red blood is a clear enough signal, however. She takes a breath and holds it as a warm pulse of illumination gathers around her hand. She reaches out to touch her friend before she can scamper away.
Willem reloads, pressing his back against the rock face so as to present less of a target for arrows.
Akatsuki glances at Makroo, but considering the number of arrows that seem to have sunk into Medge she is not entirely sure just how damaged the amazingly resilient catwoman actually is. The sight of red blood is a clear enough signal, however. She takes a breath and holds it as a warm pulse of illumination gathers around her hand. She reaches out to touch her friend before she can scamper away.
The kobold over by the sleepers aims his bow at Pasara, the arrow thudding into the otherwise successful sorceress. [ooc]Pasara takes 3 hit points.
The kobold near the downed kobold aims for Aka, a healing spellcaster. His arrow just manages to get past the nimble quick archer's defenses.
The other two kobold's above Willem's hiding spot aim for Farmer. One arrow is destroyed by the multi-hued shield, but the other zaps through hurting the oracle.
Pasara, hoping someone else will take down the kobold she couldn't Sleep, turns her attention to the three kobolds by Aka, Willem, and Bakuu.
"Can someone deal with Grumpy over there? I don't want to waste a spell for four on just one guy!" she calls out.
She repeats her gesture and mystic phrase, pointing at the three kobolds. Again, two of the kobold's fall into slumber - just leaving one of the kobold's Willem damaged.
Farmer will move forward until there is a Kobold within range of an eldritch bolt. Although the multi-hued bolt just misses the nimble kobold on the far side of the cavern, many of the remaining bows point to the obvious, magic-cloaked, spellcaster.
Bakuu looks up at the walls and the kobolds above them, then pulls her rarely used bow to take aim at whatever kobolds she can see. Despite the fact she rarely uses the weapon, her arrow flies true, dropping on the of the kobold's that Willem damaged previously.
Sigrit breathes deeply, searching for the peace of her goddess amongst the chaos of the ambush. She fires another icicle at the nearest attacker.
The merchants shuffle back to Faf's defensive line, while Bophre presses herself to the wall, trying to be as small a target as possible.
The two remaining kobolds look nervous now that they are outnumbered. The one damaged by Sigrit looks at his sleeping companions, clearly wondering if kicking them will awaken them.
Willem -5
Pasara -3
Aka -5
Farmer -5
Two near kobolds (1)-4 [asleep], (2)-5
Above Willem a 2nd asleep
Two kobolds asleep
Kobold near sleepers -2
One kobold stable at -7
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█████████████
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██PF▓○○○○○○██
██M○○○○○○○K██
█&kA▓○○○○░&██
█&WB▓○○○░&░██
██○○▓○○██████
██r○▓○○██████
○○○██████████
█████████████
░ = ledges (10-ft up)
▓ = drop into oblivion
* = Previous post DC 15 perception
R = Makroo (down)
K = Ambusing Kobolds (on ledges 10-ft up)
& = sleeping kobold, k = downed kobold
A = Aka
B = Bakuu
W = Willem
G = Faf
F = Farmer
X = Fenyx
M = Medge
P = Pasara
S = Sigrit