Teena rolls her eyes at the back and forth. "Okay, squirt, here's how e are going to do things. I don't care what sort of dealings your King and this one's brother had or did not have. But, if you want us to go looking around in there, I expect you to tell us everything we need to know. If you aren't honest, we walk. Or we might squish you. Depends how the mood strikes us."
Intimidate
"We are experienced adventurers, we won't let ourselves be manipulated." Troxell adds to Teena's statement, puffing himself up.
"No need to be angry!" Mikmik pleads, clearly intimidated. "You wait, I talk to chief."
Mikmik approaches the chief and holds a low chittering conversation. The chief makes a few barking arguments, then gestures for Mikmik to talk to your group again.
"Chief says he explain deal only if you clear spiders. They coming through silver mine, using old passages that connect to riverside caves."
"A silver mine? That's interesting," Teena notes as she looks around at the others, waiting on their input before making any rash decisions.
"If your Chieftain is as great as he appears, surely he can offer more than just the information if we take care of this problem for him." Troxell adds matter-of-factly.
"You want reward?" Mikmik rubs his claws nervously and looks to Myhm. "Your brother and friends cause problem. Might all be trapped down there still. If found, they probably give you reward. If dead, you can have their..." He stops and looks to the chief, then continues. "Their treasure."
"Anything valuable we find in the mines, we keep. We accept your generous bargain." Troxell agrees with little emotion. "Unless you're going to be our guide, Mikmik, I believe you should give us directions and tell us about any traps."
"Might be a decent idea to have someone who knows the lay of the land in the cave system," Teena agrees.
"I take you to entrance." Mikmik says. "We did not trap it. Cannot know if others did, but do not think so."
"Chief, if we agree to clear this cavern, we take Mikmik with us. That's part of the deal.".
Myhm pats Mikmik comfortingly on the head, "Take me to the cave."
Taking a winding, circuitous route through the largest of their caves, Mikmik leads you through the Sootscale Caverns and down through their silver mines, most of which are not much more than rough caves just big enough for the kobolds themselves to navigate. It is stuffy, dark, and very claustrophobic. You eventually come to a passage blocked by rushing water. Mikmik steps to a rusty metal lever protruding near the edge.
"Silver mines once filled with water. Long ago, first great Shaman-Chief dig to riverside and change where water go. Opened best caves for finding silver. When spiders come, we flood again and wash them away. Need to change water direction again."
Mikmik grabs the lever and pulls.
Then pushes.
Then pushes harder.
"Argh! Lever stuck!"
"Is it rusted or is the stonework the problem?" Troxell inquires, looking over the apparatus.
Teena looks around and sniffs. "I'm not pulling on that rusty lever. Mhym, why don't you give that a try? You're strong enough so that shouldn't be a problem."
The lever appears old and rusted. Whatever it is attached to is hidden underwater.
Myhm reaches for it without question and gives it a yank.
With a grinding squeal the lever slowly moves under Myhm's strength. There is a hollow sucking sound as the edge of an iron hatch rises from beneath the surging water. A whirlpool forms before you in the middle of the flow, redirecting it downwards into a new passage.
The hatch groans, fighting the force of the water. Pushing hard, Myhm forces the lever further. Then, just as the hatch locks into place, the lever bends sharply and cracks off in Myhm's hands.
Mikmik looks at the lever and gives a resigned hiss. "No way to stop spiders without collapsing mines now."
After the water clears the old passage, Mikmik directs your group that way, staying near the back himself with a small crossbow. You follow the new passage for about a couple hours, heading nearly straight as an arrow, before arriving at a short drop into new caves.
"We close now." Mikmik whispers.
Teena follows the others quietly, preferring to be at the back of the marching order.
Troxell casts a spell and his quarterstaff becomes brightly illuminated. He then takes the lead, moving slowly and cautiously through the caverns.
The group enters a larger cavern still glistening with water. Immediately Troxell notices a black slimy shape hanging on the ceiling nearby!
Myhm picks up a rock and hurls it, splattering goo across the cavern. Xerexis levels his musket and fires a bullet into the blob as well. The retort of his weapon startles everyone and echoes down the tunnels.
Troxell takes a 5 foot step back and casts Barkskin on himself.
The black creature oozes across the roof of the cavern and lashes out with a long psuedopod at Xerexis, but the elf dodges back and avoids it.
Mikmik raises his crossbow and fires a bolt that goes straight through the psuedopod, separating it off from the creature. The kobold gives a cry of victory, but Xerexis and Troxell notice the psuedopod quiver on the cave floor below, then start to crawl up towards the ledge!
Myhm jolts at the sound of thunder in the caves and looks for another rock.
Troxell attempts to cast Flaming Sphere defensively!
...and loses the spell!
Troxell tries to cast a spell, but fails. Myhm throws another rock, splattering more ooze. Xerexis blade, however, splits another piece off, and suddenly there are three oozes lurching towards you! Psuedopods flail about the the elf and half-elf. One sizzles as it brushes Troxell, but he resists injury from the brief contact thanks to the spell toughening his skin.
Not one to give up easily, Troxell tries to cast defensively again, this time with Produce Flame.
A flame forms in the palm of his hand!
Teena tries to find an open avenue to get a clear lightning strike ATT he monster(s). She wasn't sure how lightning would effect he ooze, but when had that ever stopped her before?
"Move out of the way and let me try to blast it!"
Myhm moves back behind Teena.
Xerexis notices that slicing through the ooze has left his weapon scorched by acid.
Lightning bolt
DC 19 Reflex for half.
Teena's lightning bolt fries two of the black oozes, rendering them inert.
Mikmik hops up and down, cheering.
The remaining ooze slams at Troxell, but again the half-elf's magic saves him.
Troxell attacks the last active ooze with his flaming hand.
Myhm's ears starting to hurt, he just stands at the back covering them both with his hands.
Tess will ready an action to blast once again, if a path clears to the remaining monster.
Lightning Bolt
Ref 19 for half.
Teena's lightning blasts the remaining section of ooze, and Troxell's touch burns away more, but enough remains to be a threat.
Xerexis' gun retorts like a second crash of thunder and blasts the last bits of ooze across the cavern.
"Well, that was unpleasant. Mikmik, are there any other surprises we need to be made aware of? I don't want to have to blast you," she smiles coolly, after seeing how impressed he was with her fireworks display.
"That thing not here before!" Mikmik insists. During the fight he slipped to the back of the group, looking out of his depth. "Water must have wash it down here."
"You have a strange definition of fun." Troxell responds to Xerexis' statement with a smirk, "Since Mikmik obviously isn't aware of the dangers down here, perhaps I should scout ahead in another form and see what lies ahead."