Brother Turnagall's whiskey is more than promising. It is magnificent. The afternoon passes in an atmosphere of growing conviviality.
Leo leans closer to Commander Caine and whispers.
"They must know we have the pillar and will come for it when they're ready, have you checked the cellar for secret passages?"Leo will then get up and under the pretext of stretching himself will take a walk around the cellar taking note of the area looking to see if he can spot anything that could look like a concealed door or secret door since the kobolds mentioned there being passages underground and it would be unlikely this place would have been exempt from that.
Looking a bit too happy for his own good, Caine smiling says, "Why look for passages the whiskey is all here?"
Sensing a bad reaction coming from Leo, Caine sighs, "Alright. I'll go check."
Like Leo, Commander Caine can see no indications of secret doors or tunnel entrances in the cellar.
Having read through the analect, Pergia leaps from her seat. "Do you have a map of the region around the tower handy," she says. "We must locate the six holes mentioned." After she looks at the map she heads down to the cellar. "We need to go back and talk to Snaggletooth and Kneebiter," she tells the others. "We need to know how many pillars the creepers have taken so far."
Looking a bit too happy for his own good, Caine smiling says, "Why look for passages the whiskey is all here?"
Sensing a bad reaction coming from Leo, Caine sighs, "Alright. I'll go check."
Leo sighs.
"Maybe I'm being paranoid," he admits to Commander Caine."You go ahead I'll keep watch whilst you check the security of this whiskey of theirs," Leo shrugs as he takes a seat and starts polishing his longsword.
Feeling from his meal and liquor, Brujo excuses himself. "I think I'll see what the others are doing."
Commander Caine regulates his interaction with the whiskey and keeps his eyes open until someone relieves him.
Late in the afternoon, Brother Turnagall returns to the monastery and relieves Caine and the others of their honourable guard duty.
"Odd thing. There's a sobbing kobold outside wanting to talk to one of you."
"I'd best go, at least. They likely trust me more." Cronin follows Turnagall.
"Let us find out what he needs," Perigia says. "Maybe he can answer my questions."
Outside, crouched beside Kuryon's tombstone is Snaggletooth. In direct contrast to the last time you saw him, he is now a picture of despair.
"Creepers took Kneebiter. We were hunting for tunnels. He found one. Then he was grabbed. He wasn't sneaky enough. Stupid kobold."
Brujo lays on his bed staring at the ceiling. "A cure, tsk""
"What kind of idiot are you. What in Thay would compel you to say that. The whiskey? The pretty Sister? Gods I'm pathetic"
Brujo takes out his blade, and stares at his reflection in it. "What am I going to do with you, huh? Just keep your mouth shut, and find what you're looking for."
He rubs the left side of his neck and stare off into space.
Fairwind goes with Cronin.
"Hush now, lil fella," she says to the distraught kobold, "Reckon we'll find him right quick. Waddya say, Cronin?"
Outside, crouched beside Kuryon's tombstone is Snaggletooth. In direct contrast to the last time you saw him, he is now a picture of despair.
"Creepers took Kneebiter. We were hunting for tunnels. He found one. Then he was grabbed. He wasn't sneaky enough. Stupid kobold."
"We'll try and save him," Perigia says, "but first I need you to tell me how many pillars the Creeper have taken.
Fairwind goes with Cronin.
"Hush now, lil fella," she says to the distraught kobold, "Reckon we'll find him right quick. Waddya say, Cronin?"
"Nobody should be left to the creepers, even a kobold."
Snaggletooth is not a pretty sight as he gulps and snuffles, but your offers of help calm him. He thinks.
"Pillars? Seen them carrying pillars around, but one pillar looks like every other pillar. Four maybe?" He waggles his fingers doubtfully as he looks up at the assembled group, a far cry from the confident bandit you met this morning.
Snaggletooth is not a pretty sight as he gulps and snuffles, but your offers of help calm him. He thinks.
"Pillars? Seen them carrying pillars around, but one pillar looks like every other pillar. Four maybe?" He waggles his fingers doubtfully as he looks up at the assembled group, a far cry from the confident bandit you met this morning.
"Alright, tell us how to get to the creepers! And this better not be a trick!"
Snaggletooth looks disarmingly at Commander Caine. "You're too big to trick." he explains.
"We found a way to the crypt. Creepers use it to go to the Tower. Tunnels that sneaky kobolds don't use."
Slightly embarrassed he scuffs the ground. "We are very brave and very sneaky, but kobolds don't like dead things. We leave them alone. Not like the creepers. They disturb dead things." Somehow he manages to make this sound virtuous.
Then he deflates again. "I like Kneebiter. He's stupid. They've taken him to the Tower. I can show you the way down into the crypt and you can rescue Kneebiter."
Snaggletooth looks disarmingly at Commander Caine. "You're too big to trick." he explains.
"We found a way to the crypt. Creepers use it to go to the Tower. Tunnels that sneaky kobolds don't use."
Slightly embarrassed he scuffs the ground. "We are very brave and very sneaky, but kobolds don't like dead things. We leave them alone. Not like the creepers. They disturb dead things." Somehow he manages to make this sound virtuous.
Then he deflates again. "I like Kneebiter. He's stupid. They've taken him to the Tower. I can show you the way down into the crypt and you can rescue Kneebiter."
"Lead on then," Perigia tells him. To the others she says "If the Creepers have four pillars than things could be very bad. According to the analects there are six holes for the pillars to sit in. If the pillars are put in the holes, it could spell doom for Spellgard, if I'm reading it correctly of course."
Brujo makes his way from his room. His hair somewhat damp. "Nothing like a good bath".
He notices the party outside the monastery doors, and goes to investigate. As he draws closer he notices one of Kobolds from earlier. "What's going on?"
"Creepers disturbing dead things," Cronin muses. "I believe we're on the scent.
"Lead us."
Snaggletooth nods, then pauses. "You need lights. It's dark. Tunnels are dark."
Snaggletooth looks disarmingly at Commander Caine. "You're too big to trick." he explains.
"Wise ass." Caine mutters under his breath.
Evening is drawing in as you follow Snaggletooth through the ruins. Spellgard Tower glows like a beacon shedding faint light over the whole area. The kobold moves swiftly to the north of the Tower, not far from your encounters of the morning. As you approach the ramparts, he puts his hand to his snout and urges you to silence.
Dropping to his knees, he scrambles among the rocks and gestures for you to look down.
"Be quiet big things. The ramparts are full of rat-halflings. Don't disturb them. This is the hole."
Probably only a kobold would have spotted this entrance. It is remarkably well concealed. The hole Snaggletooth indicates can just take one medium creature at a time.
"Following a kobold is so against my better judgment."
Perigia falls over her own feet in her excitement at finally making progress with the mystery of Spellgard Tower.
"Well it might be worth looking into," Leo whispers.
The inadvertent noise made by the group pulls you to a halt as you wait in the half darkness. Snaggletooth quivers and hides behind Commander Caine as the largest thing he can see.
F10. Init (1d20 5=10)
The heavy wooden door to the ramparts flies open and wolves pour out snarling. The haggard beasts are starving and hurl themselves at their nearest opponents. Lurking in the doorway, you can just make out a feral ratlike humanoid, brandishing a short sword.
"Suppertime."
Snaggletooth cringes back as a wolf hurtles towards him, sandwiching himself between Caine and Leo for protection. "Darano halfling. Very ratty." he squeaks, voice high with terror.
Fairwind grimaces and slashes at the nearest wolf, "Sorry. pooch, gotta run."
She runs over to aid Cronin.
W4 barely notices as Fairwind's blade snicks at it.
"Perhaps wolf pack tactics to get our kobold ally out of reach of these wolves might be a good idea," Leo asks Commander Caine.
For Rev, on my turn
Allow Snaggletooth to shift one (1) square.