Cronin
You trip no further visions. What you were shown was a fleeting view of Spellgard as it was, falling in a final conflagration. The differently coloured stone was part of the arcane fabric of the original fortress. You do recall that the kobolds were quite keen to step onto the stone. Questioning your prisoners may help you here.
20 minutes hard work enables Cronin to make a large enough opening for a medium sized creature to pass through. His activities are watched with beady concern by Snaggletooth and Kneebiter.
"Nothing but kobolds down there."
"Sneaky kobolds, who'll just run away."
"Yeah, lots and lots of sneaky kobolds. Who will run away very fast.
"Faster than that. Very dull."
"Really boring."
"There are better bits of Spellgard. With more treaure."
"Lots of rats."
"Lots of halflings"
"Lots of fast rat halflings"
"Lots of nice things to kill."
"Better than kobolds."
The two turncoats chitter in chorus as Cronin works.
Perigia casts light on the end of her staff and gestures at the hole. "After all that work it would be a shame not to find out what the little blighters are so keen on us not seeing," she says.
Perigia casts light on the end of her staff and gestures at the hole. "After all that work it would be a shame not to find out what the little blighters are so keen on us not seeing," she says.
"Given what's been garbled its probably their lair, but whats all that business about rats and halflings all about?" Leo asks.
Cronin sits down on a rock, taking a few minutes to recover from the exertion. "So," he addresses the kobolds conversationally, "What's special about the pink stone?"
Leo
Although he's aware that kobolds are not to be trusted, Leo's observations of the body language of the captives suggests that they are not talking utter cobblers. They don't want you going down the hole, but they're not lying about the rats and halflings. You're pretty sure they can tell you more.
"What other nice things to kill?" Leo asks after a moment.
Catching the looks from the others.
"I'm just saying, what else is there down there other than rats, halflings and halfling wererats...?" Leo defends himself as he lets the sentence drift as he ponders that little possiblity.
"Maybe there's more they can tell us, but exactly how far we can trust what they reveal however leaves a lot to be desired," Leo finally mutters turning his attention back to the hole.
"Need a hand?" he asks after a moment as the others turn their attention back to the kobolds.
Cronin sits down on a rock, taking a few minutes to recover from the exertion. "So," he addresses the kobolds conversationally, "What's special about the pink stone?"
"Pink stone?" Snaggletooth and Kneebiter exchange glances.
"It's good." offers Snaggletooth.
"Helps you hit harder" volunteers Kneebiter.
"If you've hit hard anyway"
"But it works all the time."
Kneebiter and Snaggletooth look smug. They beam gleefully.
"Helpful kobolds. See, you can trust us!" says Kneebiter.
"So you don't need to go down the hole" adds Snaggletooth.
"How's about you go down it?" Fairwind replies with an icy smile.
"What other nice things to kill?" Leo asks after a moment.
"How's about you go down it?" Fairwind replies with an icy smile.
"Darano halflings - euugghh"
"We don't like them.""Nastier than us."
"Nastier than iron snakes."
"No they're not."
"Are."
"Not."
An unseemly squabble breaks out, finally quelled by Snaggletooth putting his hand over Kneebiter's mouth.
"Stupid kobold." he sighs.
"Iron snakes are as bad as Darano halflings. But ..." he lowers his voice and looks as sincere as a kobold can given the basic disadvantages of being untrustworthy to begin with,
"Creepers are worse. You'll like killing them. Much more fun."
Kneebiter breaks free from Snaggletooth's grip.
"That hole is full of sneaky kobolds and sneaky kobold traps. We'll go down. Show you the traps." His beady eyes gleam happily at the prospect.
Snaggletooth kicks him. "Stupid kobold. Ignore him."
"I've got a bad feeling about this" Brujo looks at the hole, then the remaining kobolds.
"Halflin's, creepers, kobolds. Oh my... Well ain't that just sweet as?" Fairwind says, "So fellas, how's about we get you doin' some guidin' fer us?"
The kobolds look a trifle taken aback by this suggestion.
"For coin?" asks Kneebiter hopefully. Snaggletooth slams a hand over his muzzle once again.
"Stupid! Very, very stupid. He was a dropped egg." he nods emphatically at the party, grinning ingratiatingly.
"Where do you want to go?" he asks cautiously.
Perigia turned to Cronin and smiles. "Well we did want to find out more about the Creepers," she said. "I say we let our new friends here show us the way."
"Saw a creeper this morning" says Kneebiter invitingly.
Snaggletooth looks doubtful and shakes his head.
"It's still morning stupid kobold."
"Early morning. Guarding things."
"Oh. That one."
There is a short silence while the kobolds seem to weigh up their options.
"Take you there now if you like."
Snaggletooth comes to a decision and he and Kneebiter get up. Snaggletooth leaves his weapon on the ground and kicks Kneebiter again to make sure he follows suit.
"Nice, trustworthy kobolds who are now helping you. So you will protect us."
Always a little slower on the uptake, Kneebiter also drops his weapon and attempts a smart salute.
Cronin watches the kobolds, then turns. "Fairwind? Your lead."
"Well, ain't that swell. Let's go fellas."
Your diminutive guides lead you north towards the ramparts, passing the deserted Darano camp on the way. Even at some distance you can see that the ramparts are in reasonable condition. Possibly the Darano clan took the path of many Seekers and attempted repair work on Spellgard. A pair of Watchtowers stand at either end of a 30 foot stretch of intact wall. The one on the left has a roughly made but substantial door.
Snaggletooth takes to the role of tour guide remarkably easily.
"Ephram is clan leader here. He is a great big halfling and a fine warrior. Of course, you can't see him. He's gone."
"They've all gone."
"I know that, stupid. Who is telling this story? They went when the moon came up."
"And rebuilt the ramparts."
"I was going to say that."
"Just after the tower was taken."
"Yes, yes, the tower was taken the creepers came, white pillars being carried around."
"I'd like to kill a creeper." says Kneebiter wistfully.
"We can't. They're too sneaky. Even for sneaky, TRUSTWORTHY kobolds. They can kill the creepers for us and we can get back to normal ambushing. Bleak will be happy, we get promoted. Everyone gets something." Snaggletooth unveils his grand plan to you as you walk.
Kneebiter pauses by another half demolished building and points.
"In there. Saw it going in this morning. Pillar hunting."
Commander Caine withholds comment on the kobolds. He moves to an unobstracted rear position to observe the discussion and of course to nurse his wounds.
"Are you alright", Brujo turns his attention to Caine. "we stop for a moment to let you bandage that. Perhaps let the cleric or paladin take a look at that."
Gesturing at his wounds, Commander Caine blusters, "This is nothing. You should have seen me at the Battle of the Ogre King's Fastness. I can still feel the beating I took.,.." Caine looks over to the horizon with a look akin to regret.
Snaggletooth and Kneebiter watch in quiet awe as Commander Caine's wounds are tended by Cronin.
"Could heal us too." suggests Snaggletooth.
"Kneebiter is horribly hurt. Then we can help you with kobold cunning."
"No weapons. Your idea. Not so clever after all." Kneebiter points out smugly.
Snaggletooth is only briefly flummoxed.
"Ah. They will lend us weapons. Much better for killing things than our weapons. Which we left behind because they were no good. And so you would trust us."
Kneebiter pauses by another half demolished building and points.
"In there. Saw it going in this morning. Pillar hunting."
"It? A creeper?"
Rev:
"I'll heal you when we're done here. You need some incentive to stay around while we fight sneaky creepers."
Cronin
It's an arcana check. Cronin's arcana check on Dark Creepers: (1d20 2=17).
This is what you know (and it is as much as anyone knows without meeting them).
Native to the Shadowfell, dark ones are sly, murderous creatures clad in black garments. They come to the world with sinister schemes, take and learn what they can, and slink back into the gloom.
Dark ones live among shadar-kai, much the way that halflings find their place among populations of dwarves, elves and humans. Dark ones prefer to dwell in homes that are at least partially underground.
Personally I don't regard this as very helpful. I'm sorry.
The building indicated by Kneebiter was probably once part of a guard tower of some kind. The remaining walls range in height from 10 to 20 feet tall. Without going closer it is hard to tell much beyond that. It's pretty similar to the area you just left, but with more intact walls.
Leo/Cronin/Fairwind
You hear faint noises from within. At first you might think they were animal noises, but they seem a little too rhythmic for that.
Cronin ** spoiler omitted **
Note that most of the tower is intact, but none of the floors are still in existence. Effectively it is a roofed stone tube with gaps in the walls. Structurally sound as far as you can see, but long abandoned.
Cronin suddenly crouches where he's standing, focusing his senses on the ruined tower. "Fairwind," he whispers, "Check the east side."
Cronin moves to the west side of the tower as silently as his armor will allow, looking for entrances and on the alert.
Leo follows Cronin but slightly behind since he would rather not spoilt their stealthy approach.
Given the likelihood he's now getting glared at by Cronin and Fairwind let alone the rest of the party Leo pulls back a little chagrined at his inability to move in silence...
Brujo follows behind Fairwind around the east.
Fairwind strains her ears, "Somethin's makin' a little music in there," she mutters, "Let's crash the party."
Despite Leo's inability to keep quiet, the sounds do not alter at all. The kobolds look cautiously at each other.
You are within 20 feet of the walls. How close do you want to go?
"So, o wisest of kobolds, wanna clue us in on what that is?" Fairwind mutters to the reptilian humanoids.
Snaggletooth and Kneebiter have been huddled together, hissing in draconic, but at Fairwind's question, Snaggletooth bares his teeth in an ingratiating smile.
"Kneebiter thinks the creeper may be dead. Killed by the iron snake."
He nods vigorously.
"Told you about that. The iron snake is fast. And it has help. We can look and tell you if you like? Then you'll trust us, give us weapons and heal us."
Kneebiter pipes up. "We can be sneaky for you."
"The iron snake, huh? Well, don't that beat all? Did y'all fergit to mention that one?"
"The iron snake, huh? Well, don't that beat all? Did y'all fergit to mention that one?"
Darano halflings - euugghh"
"We don't like them."
"Nastier than us."
"Nastier than iron snakes."
"No they're not."
"Are."
"Not."
"Did not forget. You forgot. Or didn't listen."
"Ya mean when y'all were babblin' at us? Tell the truth boys, I'm kinda pre-disposed not to trust ya. Funny that."
Snaggletooth and Kneebiter tell you what they know - which is not a huge amount. They and all the kobold's in Bleak's Band tend to avoid this place for two reasons.
The first and most practical is that Seekers don't come to this part of the fortress - and especially not since the Darano halfling clan vanished. The other is that some areas have what they describe as "old guards". To the surprise of none of you, this is one.
"Don't sleep, don't go far, but very very dangerous." they conclude.
"Shall we go and be sneaky for you?"
"I have no problem with treating their injuries. But, we would have to be out of our minds to give these 'repitiles' weapons."
Perigia stands mutely by and listens to the discussion. Anyone watching her can tell that she is clearly out of her element here.
"I have no problem with treating their injuries. But, we would have to be out of our minds to give these 'repitiles' weapons."
The kobolds look approvingly at Brujo.
"Very sensible. We would not give us weapons either. But - we are not reptiles. We are sneaky kobolds."
Snaggletooth grabs his comrade and they sneak (very well) towards the walls. You watch as they peer cautiously around the edge of some broken stonework and then as Snaggletooth hoists Kneebiter up so he can scramble to the top of a section of wall. They seem to be consulting each other. Abruptly, conversation comes to a halt as a crossbow bolt flies over Kneebiter's head. Shortly afterwards they rejoin you.
"Old guards." pants Snaggletooth. "Nearly got Kneebiter." He pats the other kobold soothingly on the shoulder. "Lucky he was sneaky."
Then he draws you this map on the ground.
"There is an metal cobra and two metal men and a bolt blaster on legs. Guarding a pillar. And this is your problem and not ours at all."
They sit back triumphantly, convinced they've proved themselves in some way.
Perigia stands mutely by and listens to the discussion. Anyone watching her can tell that she is clearly out of her element here.
Cronin yields to Fairwind's rapport with the kobolds.
"What exactly are we after here, folks?" Fairwind asks the group. "Seems to be if we can avoid this gettin' to the tower, that's the best way."
"What exactly are we after here, folks?" Fairwind asks the group. "Seems to be if we can avoid this gettin' to the tower, that's the best way."
"We're after the dark creepers that are hunting Seekers.
"Creatures of Shar, detested by Selune," Cronin continues with unusual venom.