Javell rushes forward, intent on finishing the king off, his starknife held high and brought down forcefully for a final blow....
Laro starts to get the measure of the King and while flanking with the others attacks with his sword twice.
Javell's blazing knife swings inches by the King's head. As the King jerks back from the wrathful warpriest Laro takes full advantage of the distraction to stab both of his swords, simultaneously, hilt deep through the King's armor, his scales, and into his chest. His heart pierced twice over the King's eyes glaze as his scream of rages dies along with him.
The former slave has killed a slave master.
Despite the King falling to Laro's twin swords, Aelerie knows the battle is not yet won. Switching focus to the angered kobold only steps from herself and Virdel, Aelerie tries to cloud his mind with one of her fey spells, hoping to enthrall him long enough that the others can surround him and attack, and thus be one step closer to ending the fight for good.
Albus wearly turns to attack the next fool of a kobold that wants his tribe to die. He turns to the kobold that is too close to less martial members and tries to move to attack, once again making an overhead swing of his greataxe.
To hit target. Critical on a 20. Weapon Attunement +1 Hit and Damage., Power Attack -2 Hit +3 Damage, Bless.
Damage Weapon Attunement, Power Attack
To confirm a critical if rolled. Weapon Attunement +1 Hit and Damage., Power Attack -2 Hit +3 Damage, Bless.
Damage from critical X3, Weapon Attunement, Power Attack
Virdel cheers when his fellow halfling takes down the kobold king, then quickly fires at the wounded guard.
Albus, weary indeed, misses the kobold as it shrugs off Aelerie's mental assualt.
Virdel on the other hand does manage to hit the kobold still standing in the grease though he doesn't seem to have done much damage
Laro 18 damage 2 Dex Damage
Albus 13 damage!
Kobold on Earth elemental DEAD
Second Kobold unharmed
Kobold in Grease 15 damage no longer Held
King DEAD
The only unhurt Kobold snarls Kill. Kill. For Great King. and steps into the spot where the earth elemental had been protecting Aeleire and stabs at her.
In its rage it misses Aelerie entirely.
The other kobold snaps and snarls as it attacks the earth elemental, it hits but does minor damage.
The earth elemental responds with a blow that does far more than minor damage as the kobold falls to the power of the earth.
The final kobold refuses to surrender but it doesn't last long against an assault by the entire group of increasingly hardened rescuers as they surround and end its zealousness in a very terminal fashion.
Silence comes into the former throne room of the Great King Merlokep as he lies face down in a growing pool of blood in the corner.
Kimi pushes her way into the room and looks around.
Wow she says, before aiming a kick at the King's head. Where's Hollin?
The earth elemental that has been with them for two battles now finally vanishes, melting ino the earth to go back to where it was summoned from.
Laro looks around the room for any sign of Hollin or anything else of use.
Laro does hear some faint noises coming from the tunnel heading to the east. The place where the reinforcements had come. In the throne room itself there really are just the equipment that the King had on him that's of any interest.
Laro points down the eastern hallway. "There are sounds coming from down there. I'll check it out if you guys will back me up". When the others agree he heads down the tunnel.
Aelerie is breathing a little heavily after the battle. Seeing the kobold step up and try to stab her had been a harrowing ordeal, one that she hoped never to experience again. While she was always grateful for the risk her more martially-inclined companions took to keep her out of harm's way, she has now a newfound appreciation for the danger they constantly put themselves in. Speaking of which... "Albus, are you alright?" she asks after her woodsy friend, thankful to see his innards are where they're supposed to be.
Stepping over the kobold bodies and around the growing puddles of blood, Aelerie moves toward the fallen king, her eyes glowing with eldritch energy as she attempts to discern what possible magical qualities his cursed weapon might possess.
Javell barely seems annoyed by the way the battle turned out, instead sighing in relief that everyone was safe. He walks the edge of the battleground, securing the area and looking for things of interest.
When Laro moves on, Javell nods, "I'll watch your back. You ready?"
Aelerie quickly discovers that that axe of the King isn't evil per say, or even cursed, but it does have the special property of human bane. Scrawled in crude handwriting on the side of the handle in Draconic is the text "Man-Feller"
The crown of the Kobold King is incredibly special as well. Aelerie detects a strong aura of transmutation from it.
This is quite the helmet, it grants natural armor to the wearer , immunity to the frightful presence of dragons, if you are a sorcerer your spells are stronger , three times a day it can make the wearer faster.
Aelerie also picks up a new aura from the hammer Albus used to break the chain.... she doesn't need much spell knowledge to recognize that it is now a Holy weapon, where it most definitely was not when it was wielded by the Forge-Spurned.
Javell, you can tell that the gold ear rings and lip rings the King was wearing, six in all, are probably worth some coin.
Albus steps away from the most recent slaughter. "Master Javelle, do you think, as I do, that we the loss of so many warriors plus their mighty king that this tribe is doomed or close to it? If so, and if they realize it, well the reaction of despair may be terrible." Albus doesn't seem to eager to pick up the king's axe. As for the other stuff, Albus looks inquiringly to Aelerie for the go ahead.
"We'll take a moment to take the King's items, don't want them used agaist us. Then yes let's be swift to find Hollin, I think this tribe's ... patience is running out."
If Aelerie's tells Albus it's okay, he'll take the items, he'll need encouragement to take the axe but if reassured that it's not cursed, he reluctantly take it as well because of its dangerousness.
Replying to Aelerie, Albus says, "Well enough, interesting to get that sliced, thank you Master Harg for you timely intervention. How are you doing, it's been rough these past ... hours? seems like months?"
"Me? I'm fine..." Aelerie tries to wave off Albus's concern with a breeziness she doesn't feel. Then, after a few moments, she admits in a voice that sounds a shade haunted, "I'm sure in a day or two the things I've seen and done will catch up to me. But for now, my focus is on getting these kids home."
After, Aelerie nods in response to Albus's inquiring look, letting him know that the items are safe to handle. "Well this explains how Merlokrep was able to deal such a grievous wound to you. The axe is enchanted to be more harmful to humans. I agree; this is not something we want finding its way into kobold hands. And neither is this," she adds, holding the fallen king's crown up for closer inspection. "While not immediately dangerous, this crown seems to be an integral part of the kobolds' blood ritual. Without it, hopefully our town will never have to go through this again."
Once she's detailed the properties of the crown—namely that it makes the wearer more fleet of foot and resistant to damage—she notices the new aura surrounding the warhammer. "Albus, that hammer you took off the Forge Spurned? It's enchanted, too. 'Blessed' might be a more fitting term. It should prove more effective than your greataxe against evil creatures," Aelerie says, at last blinking away the cantrip that allowed her to perceive magical auras and making her eyes return to their normal hue.
As Laro and Javell begin to make their way down the eastern passage, Aelerie takes a moment to study her spellbook.
Virdel taps Albus a couple more times with the wand, healing the remainder of his wounds.
"Let's go find Hollin and leave this place. I doubt the rest of the tribe will be a threat without their fighters and without their magical crown. I have no quarrel with their elderly and children."
As Laro sneaks forward he sees the path split, one going north and one going south. The noises are coming from the north tunnel. He can hear muffled sounds of Draconic along with what sounds like dragging.
As the group catches up with the sneaky halfling at the fork in the tunnels, Aelerie can't help but to state the obvious conclusion given the facts. "I'm pretty sure that they're holding Hollin down that way," she states, pointing to the north. "I think we should all head in at the same time. If they've started the blood sacrifice already, there won't be any time to spare if we hope to save Hollin. And if they haven't yet, then we might be able to take them all by surprise." Though not the most practiced of tacticians, Aelerie feels like her suggestion has merit. Of course, if her more martial allies beg to differ, she'll defer to their judgement.
Albus takes the items, rather gingerly when it comes to the King's Axe. He then goes with the group. He nods at Aelerie's comment. "It's the most likely way, we do need to be swift now, for many reasons." Albus asks Laro, "Please check out the tunnel with the sound of talking and dragging. Just hope that Hollin is there, expect to find very desperate kobolds, so be even more careful than ever, Master Laro."
Javell nods in agreement with Albus, unsure of what more to say. He keeps an eye out for any potential trouble, guarding the rear as usual.
Laro nods, "Right! I'll take a look but don't be too far behind. If there is immediate danger I'm going to yell and go in to rescue Hollin. If not, I'll come back to get the rest of you so we can all go in together." With that said Laro heads down the tunnel on the lookout for trouble.
Laro looks inside to see a gruesome bloodstained altar at the center
of an otherwise unadorned chamber. In the corner of the room right opposite the passage Laro entered from are a group of three kobolds. Two Dark talons are slowly dragging an unconscious human child that matches the description of Hollin towards the altar while a slighly smaller kobold made of shiny blue scales and dressed in fine wolf fur screeches at them Hurry hurry. Need power to give King.
At the altar itself is a walking corpse of a kobold, whose withered old white scales are stretched tight over bone. His puny skeletal snout contains a lone tooth and constantly dribbles drool. His milky eyes focus intermittently on his surroundings as he absent mindedly makes practice swiping motions with a particularly wicked looking dagger and mutters to himself.
None of them see Laro.
Laro charges into the room yelling "Hollin! and then in draconic "The king is dead! Surrender and live!"
Aelerie is in motion almost as soon as she hears Laro's shouting. "I knew we should have gone in together!" the arcanist doesn't fail to mention as she rushes toward the sacrificial chamber alongside her friends.
Albus hears Laro's yell, and prays, "By the gods! We must-" Albus breaks off as Aelerie charges after Laro, and races after her.
Why didn't he call us forward or does it mean-?
Virdel tails Aelerie into the chamber, taking a quick look around at the action. Seeing the old kobold at the altar who is evidently in charge, Virdel attempts to distract him from coordinating the others.
Albus takes a quick look at the situation and snaps to a judgement. Leaving the old kobold to the more mystically inclined, he moves up on one of the guards that dropped Hollin. If one of them is a guard that Laro is engaged with then Albus will flank.
Laro attacks the guard again hoping he goes down.
Aelerie worries her bottom lip between her teeth as she considers her options. With Laro and now Albus both standing toe to toe with the kobolds, her blinding spell was out of the question lest she accidentally hinder her own allies. Rather, the arcanist siphons the energy from the spell she would have cast, using it to fuel her own innate abilities.
Javell sprints into the room, calling on Desna to refresh her fortune on him as he sends a dagger flying at the old kobold.
Laro is able to kill one of the guards with two swipes of his sword as the blue kobold holds up a hand to her mouth and screams. Javell's dagger swishes by the old kobold's head and he finally looks up, shrugging off Virdel's attempt to freeze him. Why you here? Go away longshanks. Jeggajak busy remembering ritual!
He holds out a hand and a spray of colour washes over the group of adventures. Aelerie, Albus, and Laro are unable to resist the effects and are blinded and stunned!
The last guard takes advantage to move to Laro and stab him with his spear. It's a wild stab that only gets through because of the very confused situation that Laro is in. Laro feels the now familiar sting of poison working through his system making him more lethargic on top of everything else.
Guard One Dead
Guard Two Unhurt
Blue Kobold Unhurt
Jeggajak Unhurt
Hollin unmoving
Aelerie Blind and Stunned 4 rounds then 1 round stunned
Albus Blind and Stunned 3 rounds then 1 round stunned
Laro Blind and Stunned 1 round then 1 round stunned 1 Dex Damage, 4 Hp damage
"No!" Virdel's cry is not sufficient to keep the others from staring at the colors. He grits his teeth and invokes his mystery to aid his friends.
Laro slashes out blindly at the kobold attacking him.
Javell shields his eyes from the blinding display, and retaliates with another dagger sent flying at Jeggajuk.
The dagger flies and seems to miss but curves at the last second to deal a heavy wound to the dribbling senior kobold, he screams as the dagger continues curving to thud into the screaming blue kobold who promptly runs away, trailing blood as she pushes past the unmoving Albus, Aeleire, as well as Laro to get away.
The withered kobold glares at Javell and starts to cast a spell.
The one guard wailing on Laro takes the opportunity to stab at the unmoving halfling again! It hits but the kobold is too crazed to do a good job of hurting the halfling.
Laro's eyesight fades back into working order and he sees the kobold attacking him with glee. He still, can't quite move though but he can feel his arms starting to twitch.
Guard One Dead
Guard Two Unhurt
Blue Kobold 12 HP ran away
Jeggajak 16 HP
Hollin unmoving
Aelerie Blind and Stunned 3 rounds then 1 round stunned
Albus Blind and Stunned 2 rounds then 1 round stunned
Laro 1 round stunned 1 Dex Damage, 4 Hp damage
Laro starts to blink and remembers the dagger on his belt.
Javell throws another dagger as he closes into melee range with the spellcaster, drawing his starknife as he tries to interrupt the spell. It strikes the caster solidly, tearing through it as it carries on to the unharmed guard.
Javell's second dagger, as if guided by the hand of Desna herself, rips through the old kobolds throat causing him to drop his knife and slump over. His own blood spills out to annoint the altar rather than that of any of the Children of the Hollow that he had meant to use for the purpose.
There is only one kobold left, he blinks, suprised at the death of the shaman and realizes that the group must have gone through the King to get to this, deepest, part of the cavern. He trembles and lets his spear go, letting it clatter to the floor.
Laro is the first to be able to move again, It takes a little longer for Albus. Aelerie is blind for almost half a minute before she is able to see and then move again.
One covering kobold, two dead ones, and a trail of kobold blood are all that is left. Other than Hollin of course who lies unmoving where the guards dropped him to try and fend off the party's assault.
"Whazzit? Wha...?" Aelerie mumbles incoherently when the familiar enchantment finally wears off. Blinking owlishly to clear the colorful aura lingering on the edges of her vision, she looks around the sacrificial chamber, taking in the scene that played out while she mindlessly watched on. "Did we win?"
Once she's finished slowly regaining her wits, she looks over to the opposite side of the chamber where Hollin lies unmoving. "Hollin! Oh Gods, is he alright? Were we too late?"
Albus stands dazed and a bit comforted by the pretty, pretty lights. A distant part of his mind hears screams as his nose smells the familiar copper odor of fresh blood being spilled but the lights are too pretty to ignore. Suddenly the lights clear and he sees carnage having been wrecked on the remaining kobolds with one terrified survivors trembling before him. Still unable to move his eyes flick to Hollin lying still on the ground. Albus struggles to move and with a snap he is free.
Albus, does a quick spin around and seeing no immediate danger drops beside Hollin and starts checking him out.
How is Hollin? Can he wake him? +2 if Healing Kit applies.
"Checking him now Aelerie, he's ..."
Albus checks and finds Hollin's breathing to be strong. The boy seems to just be unconscious.
"Yes, yes, I will take care of the lad. Let me through!" Virdel brandishes his wand quite expertly at this point.
"There now. All better. How are you, my boy? Come join the rest of the children and return home in safety."
Albus checks again to see if he can tell why Hollin is unconscious.
+2 if heal kit applies, What is causing Hollin to be unresponsive.
If Virdel's treatment is works to wake Hollin okay, if not keep treating Hollin as be we can.
"Let's see what is causing his state, Master Harg, before using too much of the wand. The cause might not be injuries." Albus addresses all others.
"Keep alert! This may take a few moments, maybe check out he fallen kobolds for anything dangerous they may possess. Don't want to leave any such in hostile hands."
Albus notes a pretty nasty bruise on the side of Hollin's head. Everything else about the boy seems to be in order. A healing wand would be a fine cure Albus concludes.
As Albus checks Hollin and Virdel casts his spell, the rest of the children gather round while Whisper noses around the deepest room of the kobold warren.
Is he alright? I hope so? Look he's waking up. He's waking up!. Go home now?
the two boys and two girls start talking over each other as Hollin opens his eyes. Wha... what happened he says as the the children mob him, pushing Albus and Virdel aside in their relief.
"Yes, let's get home now. I think our work here is done."
Aelerie breathes a sigh of relief as Hollin comes to, even managing a tired smile despite the gruesome scene in the chamber. "Hear, hear," she voices her agreement with Virdel's suggestion before helping him search the fallen kobolds. Her eyes glow a familiar shade of blue as she examines the items, in particular the elder kobold's sacrificial knife.
With Hollin safe and awake, Albus assist in checking out of the late, unlamented kobolds.
What do they have?
"Hollin, we came and I don't think there are any kobolds that can hurt you now left. Yes it's time to leave. Take a moment for water, food if needed and do the necessary. We'll exit the way we came; we can pick up the dwarf's armor on the way out, for his heirs, and then make our way home."