Quietly, "Your use of our tongue is good, but your vocabulary was a little confused. Hak is সুদর্শন or প্রচণ্ড but never চমত্কার."
Pasara smiles back. "Oh, I think he's all three. And ম্যাগনিফিসেন্ট on top of that."
She comes closer to Hak and pets him lovingly. "আপনি তরুণ সুদর্শন ভয়াল কি, ডাইনোসর," she coos. She smiles at Nighttail in thanks.
Once Bakuu has removed the sting from the trap, the group is able to see past the narrows into a small oval shaped room with a hole leading to a lower level. Nighttail dimounts and drops through the hole, then calls up to Hak to follow, although the words are draconic the tone is encouraging.
As the little dinosaur inches towards the drop, the group hears another voice, "চীফ আপনি আবদ্ধ এবং দূরে নিক্ষিপ্ত আদেশ দেন." Suspicion in the voice, but no panic or worry.
There is only the slightest pause. Then Nighttail's blithe tone. "রাইট গাভী সঙ্গে উদাস পেয়েছেন, তিনি ঐ মূর্খ বাধা ভেঙ্গে এবং আমাকে মুক্ত."
Happily, cheerful chirps, "রাইট শুধু আমার পেছনে. আমি কাজ করতে চান সব চীফ সঙ্গে এই সামান্য ভুল বুঝা পর্যন্ত স্পষ্ট."
"আপনি আমাকে এবং যে এর মধ্যে হতে করার ব্যাপারে নিশ্চিত?" As she finishes her tone gets flater, meanance clear.
Just as she is finishing, Hak finally gets his bulk through the hole, landing with a splash. Then a growl.
Farmer spares Pasara the it's a wild animal not a pet lecture, as he can see that it would be wasted.
Pasara provides a translation of the Draconic for those who don't know the language.
Farmer grins as he gets a sense of Nighttail's style of negotiation.
Akatsuki waits calmly, looking around at the darkness at the edge of their light.
"There is another kobold in the room below, who does not look all that friendly to Nighttail, reports Pasara. "And I think I hear some more splashing in the distance. Nighttail may be getting more visitors than she and Hak are prepared to handle."
"Please to be pointing me at anyperson I am to attack," Medge says. "I am lost track."
*auto self-aid from bluff
*+4 from aids
Just as Nighttail finishes her little speech, Hak adds in a chirp that drops menacingly towards the end.
Those carefully peering down the hole see the other raise his hands in front of himself placatingly. "We've always been friends Nighttail, but when you keep making trouble for Roaghaz there isn't anything a friend could do." He backs up, slipping out of the tunnel. "You should probably leave and find somewhere else to be all revolutionary before Roaghaz finds out you slipped your bonds."
With a quiet swear Nighttail motions the group down as she mounts Hak. "This room normally empty, but next room has guards. Will try to knock you into water so the chelonians can bite you."
The room Nighttail is currently in contains two shallow pools that teem with tadpoles - although many are sluggish or sickly.
Bakuu grins, liking Nighttail more by the word.
She crouches down and sneaks ahead to take a look at how many guards will be attempting to push her and her friends into the water.
A large pool of dark water sits in the middle of this large but low-ceilinged cavern. Just as the cavern opens, Bakuu spots two kobolds along the wall armed with guisarmes, both looking suspiciously at the fleeing form of the kobold that Nighttail warned off. Their scaly hands tightening on their weapons.
Frowning at what she sees in the pool, she creeps back toward her compatriots.
"Dark pool of water filled with nasty, bitey creatures." She shudders, clearly uncomfortable. "There are just two guards in there, but armed with long things to knock you into the water before you can get 'em. Best to be keeping our distance if we're going this way."
Farmer nods. "I can keep my distance. I was worried you were about to say there would be climbing."
"If we can see them from a distance, we can probably take them down without anyone getting hurt too severely. How close are we going to need to get before we can make them out?" Akatsuki inquires while studying the closest wall to see how difficult it would be to climb.. just in case.
"Well. That's certainly different than I was imagining." Akatsuki says shaking her head, "How about we have Medge take the one to the left, Bakuu takes the one to the right. I'll pop up behind them to take out anyone that doesn't go down. Willem covers us in case anyone gets in trouble and goes into the drink with the nasty biteys and the rest of you watch for anyone new coming down the other corridors." she looks around, "Howz'at sound?"
Pasara chews her lip in thought. "That sounds as reasonable plan as any," she says after a moment.
Bakuu huddles down into the shadows as much as she's able. "Aye, I'm sure I can catch one unawares."
Stealth:
Attack:
Damage:
The kobolds, unfortunately on edge for danger, hear the slightest movement of paw and claw against stone. With the draconic equivalent of "Eat TURTLE, intruders!" the two guards attempt to trip their larger foes into the drink.
However, both kobolds are foolish enough to announce their intentions, and neither come close to actually touching the animalistic humanoid intruders. Medge's foe, in fact, bounces the tip of his guisarme off the wall so hard that he knocks himself prone, splashing into the water.
The kobold's blood further darkens the filthy water, driving the other snappers into a frenzy.
In the commotion, Bakuu cleanly decapitates the other kobold.
With the guards of the room quickly dispatched, the group is able to quickly explore the left-most tunnel, which leads to the kobold's armory. Although the majority of the small weapons are simply made weapons, there is one human-sized sword beautifully crafted from cold iron.
"Sending lizards to do a rat's job," Willem mutters, taking his tail in one hand and carefully keeping it clear of the frenzied turtles.
Farmer skirts the pool, and points at three rocks in the darkness. "Those rocks are trouble," he says.
Akatsuki takes Farmer at his word and noticeably avoids the three rocks.
However, both kobolds are foolish enough to announce their intentions, and neither come close to actually touching the animalistic humanoid intruders. Medge's foe, in fact, bounces the tip of his guisarme off the wall so hard that he knocks himself prone, splashing into the water.
Medge nods sympathetically. "I, too, would sooner be throwing myself off of the cliff rather than to face the terror that is myself."
"Eat TURTLE, intruders!"
"No thanks I am not that hungry at the moment."
With the guards of the room quickly dispatched, the group is able to quickly explore the left-most tunnel, which leads to the kobold's armory. Although the majority of the small weapons are simply made weapons, there is one human-sized sword beautifully crafted from cold iron.
Fenyx singing, "One of these things is not like the others. One of these things does not belong."
Fenyx will acquire the sword.
Pasara keeps well away from the water as she makes her way through the room.
The very large snappers do not seem to be interested in leaving their watery home, but are intent on ripping to shreds the reptilian interloper/food source.
Happily remounted on Hak, Nighttail moves the group down the middle tunnel. She motions ahead in the darkness, using a quiet, indoor voice. "Up ahead are the..." She pauses looking at Willem, the shrugs. "Nasty bad rats. Then target practice ro"
Nighttail is cut off mid-sentence as another voice speaks. Old and wavery, yet carrying in the darkness. The group's attention drawn by the voice, those with light are able to illuminate a kobold of immense age, his once green scales dulled to gray, his eyes held tightly shut. Yet a small, wicked smile plays over his mostly toothless maw.
Nighttail pulls back on Hak, retreating to the far wall, her eyes large and scared.
The ancient kobold's lids open, revealing milky-white eyes, unfocused yet looking directly at the group,
The old kobold's body begins to shake,
Farmer steps forward. "As one who sees visions to another ... who is Aeteperax?"
The old kobold does not respond. After long moments it becomes apparent that delivering the cryptic words drew on the last of the ancient's strength. Clutched in his withered claws is a small magical phylactery.
"Great scaly beast," Willem says to Farmer. "A dragon, perhaps, or a large kobold."
Farmer nods. "That figures." He shuffles forward and closes the kobold's eyes. Picks up the phylactery and turns it over and over and over.
"Dragon?" Akatsuki inquires almost hopefully. "Can't Be very large if it travels these tunnels, can it?" she adds with perhaps just a hint of disappointment.
Nighttail, who was stone still during the old shaman's ominous words, shakes herself - a motion mimicked seconds later by Hak.
"I've not actually seen Aeteperax..." a considering click-whistle. "Actually, I think the only one who has is Roaghaz and that is always outside, when he goes to take offerings to his new god."
A longer pause as she studies the body, "Jakkol didn't like the chief moving away from Vapula worship. Tried and true and all."
Another long moment, "So the target practice room... Don't know how you want to deal with that. My tribe members will be behind arrow slits with orders to shoot at anything that isn't us... well, me."
"And I'm not really in favor with management, so I don't think they'll buy the whole, OH, Roagie-baby asked me to bring these highly armed prisoners for a personal visit, m-kay?."
Akatsuki smiles, "Yeah, don't think that's likely to work." she says. Then considers Nighttails words, "So the only one who interacts with the new god is the one who benefits from it? How convenient."
And after a pause, "Don't suppose there's a way into the rooms behind the archers?" she inquires dubiously.
"The archers are more in a corridor protected by a curtain of rock than a room." She looks around the group, "The one with the flowery turn of phrase could probably squeeze into the entrance, but the rest of you are just a bit to tall or wide."
"Plus you have to get past where the archers are keeping guard to get to the corridor entrance."
"All in all it is going to suck to get past. Although one of you might be able to use Hak as a visual shield, but probably not more than one." The kobold says, confidently patting Hak's strong neck.
"So you have to get past the archers before someone can get into the corridor where they're at, is that correct?" Akatsuki asks to make sure she understood correctly.
"Maybe we can get Bakuu to try slipping in with Hak as cover while the rest of us that have ranged attacks rush the arrow slits and return fire from point blank range. ...I don't think trying to run past is a good option."
"or maybe Willem? Do you think you'd be able to get to the entrance unseen?"
"...could provide a few seconds of cover if necessary," Farmer says. "Magic critter."
"or maybe Willem? Do you think you'd be able to get to the entrance unseen?"
"Though I may look the part, a churchmouse I am not; I find no shelter from the din of battle." He removes his hat and passes the back of his hand across his forehead -- it's a strange action, as he does not sweat. Perhaps one learned and mimicked from the baldskins. "I am accustomed to delving into occupied tunnels, and clearing them at the thunder of my device. I should be first." He nods at the statement, a grim look washing over his rodent features.
Fenyx will cast Shield on the ratfolk before he attempts his gauntlet.
Fenyx will cast Mage Armor on the ratfolk before he attempts his gauntlet.
"...could provide a few seconds of cover if necessary," Farmer says. "Magic critter."
"Maybe. How about down the corridor past the entrance? Can you summon something that far away?"
"Maybe. How about down the corridor past the entrance? Can you summon something that far away?"
"Thirty feet on a good day," Farmer says.
Bakuu stretches her arms above her head. "I'd be happy to lurk in the shadows with arrows at and over my back!" She's clearly in her element.
Pasara, feeling very much the squishy spell-caster she is, is happy to hang around the back of the party as they attempt to traverse the shooting gallery. She can cast Sleep just fine from back here.
Willem removes his pack, then his hat. The pack he sets down by the corridor's wall. The hat gets punched and reshaped once before being planted resolutely on his head.
To Fenyx he says, "My thanks, but I fear your spell would be better served on yourself or Miss Tanner. My armor protects me nearly as well, and if these lizards have proven one thing it's that they have not the accuracy to stand against a tunnel rat of the Shackles."
He thumbs back the hammer of his gun. "After all, the fools brought bows to a gunfight."