"Kobolds lay eggs, yes."
After carefully stepping over the tripwire, the party makes their way down the shaft. A stairwell leads down to the left, and the tracks continue looping around and down to the right. You are 175 ft. over the bottom of the shaft.
Mud flips a coin.
"Left?"
"Good suggestions Mud, lets got left first. Keep an eye out for those trip wires Alset found."
”Left it is Mud. Onward!” Stonewall keeps an ear out for anything suspicious.
"Lets go!"
"Likely more of the same either way. So, left it is." Alset readies his bow for the next attack.
"Wait! Odie how do you feel? Are you still tired and run down? If so, you're probably fatigued. I can help you with that. We'll need you at full strength for our next kobold adventure."
Odie looks offended that he would ever look tired and run down.
"I'm great!" as he begins making his way.
Abandoning the cart, the party steps down the stone steps. The cavern opens up into a chamber, a fire smoldering in a pit in the middle. Lizards, bats, and cave fish are roasting on sticks propped around it. A cage sits in the left corner, and a wooden log peppered with spikes rests in a passage to the right. The fire illuminates seven kobolds in the room, some huddled around the fire, some lounging around crates and a few red barrels. Most cradle crossbows near their persons, though one is (slightly) larger than the others with a rapier at her side, and another wears a thick black robe. The rapier wielder one glances casually up the stairs at you before doing a double-take.
She grins wickedly and says, "Ho ho, what's this? New challengers come to face my blade?"
Initiative order:
1-Scalecaster, snipers
2-Party
Round 1
The robed kobold moves his hands in short circles before places his thumbs together and pointing his fingers at the party, staring intently but doing nothing more. "Curse whoever was on sentry duty; I'll feed their family to Tinder when I identify that slacker!" he shouts at the kobolds.
"...I fear our fellow companion may have already perished beneath these foes..." the rapier-wielder responds, eyeing the blood on the party's weapons. "Let us hasten their demise! Loose your bolts!"
The five crossbolds all raise their weapons and loose a bolt at Odie.
Four bolts sink into his chest, one hitting hard enough to whip Odie's head back like Boromir in his dying stand.
"Ho ho! Still standing? If you wish to feel the sting of my blade, come at me, foul beasts!"
Round 1
”Ugh, why wasn’t I first? Puny arrows.”
Stonewall moves past the injured Odie and charges into the room, swinging wildly at the nearest crossbow weilder.
Round 1 | HP 39/40 | Arrows 33/40 | LoH 3/5 | Smite Evil 2/2 | Wand CLW 2/50 | Wand CMW 2/50
Alset steps forward and fires his bow at the second closest kobold.
The sound of the arrow tears through the air and lands with a satisfying Thunk in the chest of the kobold.
"Keep moving Stony, Odie's about to come alive!!!"
Ood navigates around the giants past stonewall and plants a fist in the face of the nearest Kobold
Stonewall crushes one beneath his flail. As the kobold slumps to the floor, an arrow sinks into the next kobold's chest. Over their freshly dead bodies leaps Ood, cracking the kobold's jaw with his fist.
The cloaked kobold utters an arcane phrase as Ood finishes his attack, and a gout of flame bursts from his fingertips at the dwarves. "Looks like dwarf's back on the menu, 'bolds!"
"Curse your dwarven hardiness! My spells are not effective against these two, Alkindus. Take them out!"
"Still thy anger, sorcerer." Alkindus says. She smirks and points her blade at Odie. "A gentleman always asks before dancing with the lady." she says. "And I wait patiently for the request."
Round 1
HP: 32/60
"YOU THINK A FEW TINY PINPRICKS ARE ENOUGH TO BRING ME DOWN? ENOUGH TALK. ODIE DOES NOT DANCE. LET'S FIGHT! SHASHABOOEY!"
Odie moves into the room to stand right next to the female with the blade.
With a flash of her blade Alkindus parries Odie's greatsword. She spins around and lunges at Odie, sinking her rapier in between Odie's ribs.
The snipers step on their crossbows and pull back the cord, readying another volley.
The scalecaster 5' steps back and casts burning hands again.
"Burn for Tinder, he likes his meat freshly roasted!"
Round 2
Round 2
HP: 24/60
"SUCH A TINY SWORD, I'LL SHOW YOU A REAL SWORD! AAAAGGHHHHH!"
Odie tries again to hit her.
Round 2
Stonewall emerges from the flames with his beard singed as he moves around Odie and takes a mighty swing at the robed Kobold.
Round 2 | HP 39/40 | Arrows 32/40 | LoH 3/5 | Smite Evil 2/2 | Wand CLW 2/50 | Wand CMW 2/50
"Mud keep your head down and your flag up!"
Alset moves forward and fires at the scalecaster.
The arrow flies from Alset's bow and pierces the casters left eye.
"No more flaming fingers from you, spell-boy. Who's next?" Alset looks glaringly at the crossbow wielding kobolds.
Odie slices a deep dash in her side, but she still stands. Stonewall's hit cracks the sorcerer's legs, bringing him to his knees, and then Alset's arrow flies through his eye, sticking out the back like a shishkabob.
EDIT:
Round 2
HP 35/35
Ood moves to one of the archers and lets another punch fly...
Ood knocks another kobold out.
Round 3
Alkindus lays down her weapon and bows before you four. "I know when I have been bested. I surrender myself to your mercy."
The remaining crossbow kobold says, "Never surrender! Die! Die! Die!" and draws his shortsword and stabs at Ood.
Party is up.
Round 3
Hp 35/35
Ood punches the final attacker
Round 3 | HP 39/40 | Arrows 31/40 | LoH 3/5 | Smite Evil 2/2 | Wand CLW 2/50 | Wand CMW 2/50
Alset wonders if Odie will just behead the unarmed swordswoman without a thought.
"Odie, bind her hands." Hoping this will distract the big guy.
Alset fires an arrow at the un-surrendering kobold crossbower.
A sharp twang from Alset's bow pierces the air as the arrow pierces the right eye of the kobold.
Alset imagines the sword-wielder is thinking her decision to lay down her weapon was a life-saving move.
Round 3
HP 24/34
Stonewall interposes himself between Odie and the Kobold, "Calm down Odie, she surrendered."
Round 3
HP: 24/48
Odie sees the surrendering Alkindus and attempts to curb his fury at his friend's insistence.
Odie, breathing heavily due to an effort of will, holds back his sword from the kobold's body, but still threatens her with it pointed at her throat.
Ood and Alset take down the last crossbowbold quite easily.
"Thank you for sparing my poor life," Alkindus says. "I am Alkindus, First Blade of the Ashwalker tribe. Having bested me in combat, I am your prisoner to do with as you will. To serve and protect, should the need arise."
The room to the bottom looks like some kind of shrine, and the passage north opens to another room. In the cage you hear a slurping and burping.
Alset reaches out to Odie and lays a hand on him. His fatigue is removed and he is healed.
Using the wand of cure moderate wounds, Alset heals Odie a bit more.
"I see a small burn and a minor cut that aren't quite healed, but I think you'll feel much better now. Besides, they're on your face and no one can really tell."
Alset detects evil on Alkindus.
”What can you tell us about these passages, and what brought you to stay here?”
Stonewall observes the room looking for magic and searches the bodies while the others talk with the Kobold. Stonewall watches Odie out of the corner of his eye as well, not quite trusting his restraint.
Alkindus looks down the tracks and says, "The passage hugs the wall to the waterfall on the other side. I have not ventured further below, my charge being to guard this entrance. But beware of the rock trap! In truth it is quite plain to the eye, but, I would be remiss to fail to mention such a contraption."
"I pledged my blade to the Ashwalker tribe, a noble enterprise at the time- or so I believed. They offered peace and security to fellow kobolds such as myself. But they are ruled over by Tinder, a capricious and child-like god! Had I known of his existence I would not have made the agreement to defend this lair. But now, having been bested in combat, I am free from my agreement. For that, I thank you, and offer my services, should you need them."
Odie glairs at her with a burning hatred. Hi left eye twitching with the strain.
Alset, ever quick, some say too quick, to believe and trust others speaks to the group.
"I believe Alkindus and know that she is not evil. For myself I would welcome her services. But, my friends, we have a problem. Odie and his race do not mix well with reptilian races. This presents Odie, and, therefore, us with a dilemma. Odie will struggle to maintain the will power to not harm, okay, KILL, Alkindus. Yet, it might be possible since he and the dwarves have learned to put aside their differences and work together. Odie, can you see any good in Alkindus worth controlling your rage and anger?"
"Mud, what do you think of Alkindus and her offer?"
In an attempt to get her to lash out, giving Odie an excuse to kill her, he says
"Well, I did just smash a bunch of eggs in that other room. Just putting that out there."
Stonewall lowers his head in shock at Odie's statement cradling it with one hand. He raises his head and speaks as though Odie didn't say anything, "I say we take her weapons and tell her to go up to the entrance and wait for us to come out. If shes there when we get back up, she's trustworthy, if she isn't, then shes not and we hunt her down." He turns to Alkindus and says, "Tell us more about the Kobolds here, how many there are, who is in charge, and more about this Tinder."
Mud looks at Alkindus and says, "I no like lizardfolk. Even small ones. But this one seems nice."
Hearing Odie's words, Alkindus is shocked. But she quickly tries to hide her horror, and scoots warily away from Odie, eyeing him but saying nothing.
"A rousing plan, though if my person is absent upon your return, may it not be because I was murdered ruthlessly, being without a means to defend myself? May I remind you, my blade barely pierced the flesh of that brute of yours. I pray, let me keep it."
"As for the kobolds, what I know is this: many kobolds moved in at the behest of Tinder, to secure his lair, and to gather a hoard of treasures the likes of which we had never seen before. Tinder gathered disparate kobolds lost in these jungles and unified them under the worship of himself. I know not our numbers precisely, but, perhaps a whole score?"
"Tinder is the only being worthy of true worship: a dragon. You should not fear him though; he is still in juvenile form. He is easy to find; unless scouring the jungles for new recruits, a job he loathes, he likely sits and counts his collection of gold and jewels given to him as tribute."
Alkindus makes to move back upstairs if given the go-ahead.
"She makes a good point. We shouldn't leave her to that gnome, something fishy about that guy. We can handle her if something goes awry. Odie, please refrain from provoking a fight."
Alset picks up the rapier and hands it to Alkindus when she reaches the first step up. "Odie, if she turns on us, you may take great pleasure in killing when we meet again. I, however, trust her."
Odie moves to continue on our journey to the center of the Earth.
The next room contains a small religious shrine, flanked by two large crates. Two boards are nailed to the wall on either side above the baskets, written in Draconic. the one on the left reads "Not for Tinder," and the one on the right reads "Good for Tinder." The left side of the shrine has a few bits of fruits and vegetables, and small pieces of junk: old nails, broken seashells, and scraps of leather. The right side of the shrine is empty.
A fire burns in the center of the room, and a few crates marked with a large black eye, postmarked from a few months ago.
Beyond, the passage continues to the cart tracks.
Alset and the others search the rooms thoroughly before moving into the room with the Tinder boxes.
Odie scans the rooms:
Alset checks the room for stuff.
Ood casually glances through the room with no great effort expended.
Odie finds a gray cap hidden behind the barrels to the south before moving on to the other room. Nothing else of interest is seen.
Odie picks up the hat, inspects it with his magic vision, and puts it on.
"How do I look?"
Alset grins and says, "You look like a giant dwarf, though a bit uglier than the typical ugly dwarf!"
Stonewall clomps through the rooms without paying much attention and says, ”we need to get a move on. I bet that Kobold that turned invisible is reporting to his dragon master. Huh, nice look Odie, very handsome.”
You walk around the room and return to the tracks. The entire second floor is visible to you, the tracks continuing their loop around the edge of the quarry, descending another 100 feet but not yet reaching the bottom. You see a giant boulder set in place over the tracks by a rope, a room across the chasm before you, and a waterfall pouring out of the rocks and crashing into the floor ~100 ft. below.