Hearing the scorn in Galandram's voice even though she can't understand the words, Yngvilda's heart pounds in her chest as her grip on her throwing axe tightens and she prepares for combat.
Steady... Don't go until we're ready, any second now...
She can't help but smile.
The kobolds may be daft, but they aren't planning on giving up their defensive position anytime soon. You hear some shuffling of feet and repositioning, but it looks like they are digging in without signs of leaving their posts.
As the moment stretches on, Yngvilda struggles to restrain herself. She's been called a lot of things, but patient isn't one of them. Nor wise actually, come to think of it. Cautious, prudent, careful, all very low on the list.
"Aaaaaaggggggghhhhh! the battlecry bursts out of her taking her by surprise, and she bounds out from behind the rock, shield raised and throwing axe in hand.
"FOR BELHAIM!
Yngvilda's battlec cry catches the kobolds off guard as they temporarily freeze to assess their life choices.
Yngvilda moves around the rocks toward the top group, screaming all the while, but remembering to keep her shield up and pointed in the direction of the kobolds.
"Unfortunate that the kobolds chose this time to showcase their wisdom," Galandram says under his breath to Sabrine, Cei, and Eldon.
He moves from boulder to boulder, keeping cover between himself and the kobolds, and heading towards the southern duo.
”Can’t say I expected the murderous lizards to surrender,” Bri says as she whips around the rocks, drawing her curved blade and contiunes moving towards the two kobolds towards the south.
Surprised by Yngvilda's sudden rush, Eldon hesitates for a moment watching his fellows moving out of cover. Shaking his head he mutters "This should certainly be interesting." to himself and follows Yngvilda.
Cei moves along with the others, following behind Yngvilda and Eldon.
The kobolds shuffle positions behind the rocks. You catch glances of one splitting to the south and two to the north. The one to the south fires a stone from his sling and catches Galandram in his right cheek .
Yngvilda moves up and throws her lovely new birch handled throwing axe at the nearest Kobold, letting out a grunt of effort as she does.
She resists the urge to follow the throw with her eyes and see if it hits, and instead raises her shield.
Galandram ducks just a little too late to avoid the incoming stone, which leaves a nasty mark on his right cheek. Momentarily seeing red after the hit, he dashes at his attacker, rapier striking out at the kobold.
Yngvilda and Galandram's attacks both send their opponents to the ground, their combat expertise demonstrated with quick strikes.
Cei moves forward, swinging his mace, it flies from his hand at the center kobold, then returns to Cei's hand.
Eldon moves up past Cei and raises his hand to point at the north most creature (Grey? boarder). Unleashing a bolt of electrical energy at it.
Sabrine will move as close as she can to the Kobold at the south.
Eldon's ray scorches a kobold, but it's not quite enough to take him down all the way. It IS enough however to send the remaining three kobolds backpeddling and scrambling. All three turn tail and book it down into the tunnels as fast as they can, screaming and hollering the entire way.
With her blood up, Yngvilda's natural reaction is to pursue, and she does start toward the northern tunnel when she sees the kobold flee, but her brain kicks in before she gets too far.
They're too fast for you, don't get in the way
She disguises her initial reaction by stopping at the kobold she slew, putting her boot on it and pulling her throwing axe out of it, giving the others a chance to use magic or regroup.
"Left or right?"
Dissapointed at seeing the Kobold still standing after his ray hits, Eldon cheers when the remaining creatures turn and run. Caught up in the excitement he chases after his target entering the tunnel but soon comes to a halt straining to see where he is going. Peering through the gloom he spots movement and raises his hand for another shot.
Eldon's second shot finishes what he started last round, sending a blast of electricity into the fleeing kobold. The dragon-like creature collapses to the ground and rolls to a stop in the tunnel ahead of him.
”Pity, they seem so cowardice now, we could have avoided killing any of them. We should regroup and pursue, I vote to the right.” Bri says as she casts light on Yngvilda’s shield.
Cei breathes a sigh as the kobolds run. "Their time was short, so it goes sometimes." He looks up at Sabrine, "Right seems as good a direction as any."
Galandram bows his head at Sabrine, "I feel you're right. I may have goaded them prematurely." He examines the left and right passages briefly, attempting to determine which is the more fruitful path.
Galandram studies both tunnels, trying to figure out which path to take. The left tunnel turns north about forty feet ahead, limiting your line of sight.
The right tunnel splits ahead after about fifty feet, one branch going north and the other going south. The eventuality of both tunnels are continue past that into darkness.
Yngvilda volunteers to lead the way, bright shield shining forth. "Now they know we are serious, perhaps the rest of them will listen to us. Well to you two anyway. Maybe one of you should walk behind me."
She swings her shield about, trying to illuminate something more but not seeing anything. "Let's go north, I assume these tunnels will meet eventually"
Unless anyone disagrees, she'll turn north and march on
Ignoring the southern fork, Yngvilda marches north and the path splits again. Up ahead straw is strewn across the floor of this large cave. The ceiling vaults to a height of twelve feet. Three ledges, eight feet off the ground, look out over the main cavern. A five-foot wide, twenty-foot-deep trench runs north to south through the western half of the cavern, with just one five-foot wide bridge of natural stone allowing passage from one side to the other.
Seeing his quary fall to his second elemental ray Eldon looks around the tunnel for a moment. But seeing nothing ahead he follows Galandram back to re-join the group and enters the right passage way. Following behind the others Eldon keeps a vigilant watch for anything hiding in the shadows.
On reaching the cavern Eldon moves up behind Yngvilda and tugs on her arm to quietly get her attension and raises a finger to his lips. He wispers. "We're being watched from the alcoves, I think there are eight of them!" Unsure whether the party want to try talking to the creatures again or just attack.
Yngvilda stops and presses herself against the wall to the side of the cave entrance.
"I think we should tell them they can go if they want. They're too near the town is all, they don't all have to die. Though to be honest the ones we've seen so far have been quite bloodthirsty"
She thinks for a second before seeming to come to a decision. She twists her grip on her new masterwork handaxe.
"You give them a chance", gesturing vaguely toward Sabrine and Galandram, "And I'll cut their heads off"
"If they don't go I mean. Right. Just poke me in the ribs if they don't agree and I'll run in there and draw their fire"
She stands poised, axe raised, heart pounding in her ears. She can almost hear the crowds cheering her name. "Yngvilda! Yngvilda ..."
Galandram frowns as Eldon informs the group about the kobolds. "Well, I suppose diplomacy can't hurt," he whispers. "Sorry for my impatience with the last bunch."
Raising his voice, he addresses the assembled kobolds in Draconic, "हैलो, थोड़ा ड्रेगन। हम आपको और नुकसान की कामना नहीं करते हैं, लेकिन अनुरोध करते हैं कि हम आपके नेताओं के साथ बात कर सकते हैं।"
If there are truly kobolds in the room, they are well hidden and do not reveal themselves by responding to Galandram's attempts to negotiate peacefully.
"Seems foolish to just walk through a potential ambush," Galandram says quietly to his comrades. "Maybe we should leave carefully and see where the southern fork leads?"
Yngvilda looks crestfallen at the suggestion, but nods at it anyway. She knows from experience that her impulses are often not the wisest, and has learned to listen to voices of reason.
She tries to whisper "Someone should watch our rear in case they try to follow"
Then leads the way south to follow the other fork of the tunnel.
The group backs up from the way they started and reverses course back through the other fork to the south. Yngvidla takes the lead, looking around for signs of more hidden kobolds as she goes.
Completely distracted from her inability to brazenly charge into the fray moments ago, she completley misses a trap that lay ahdead. The path is strewn with small limestone boulders and debris and as she winds her way through it she neglects to notice a pit trap beneath her feet until it releases!
Yngvilda does look where she's going, sometimes. It's just that most of the time she's dreaming of other things. Here in the tunnels with kobolds all around, she's going over fighting moves with her shield and axe.
Slam then strike, or strike then slam? If you start with the shield they might be unbalanced for the strike, but if you start wi-
She plummets to the bottom and lands on her face, just having enough time to roll over and get her shield between her and the falling debris.
She looks over to see if Galandram fell with her in case he needs help.
Despite his normally quick reflexes, the unexpected pitfall trap takes the elf by surprise, and he falls headlong into the pit.
He attempts to adjust in midair to soften the impact of the fall, but still lands prone at the bottom and is unable to avoid the falling debris.
The impact knocks the wind out of him. Before he can recover, the falling debris that he didn't see coming catches him in the back of his head, opening a nasty wound and knocking him unconscious.
"I'm OK!" Yngvilda calls out as she gets to her feet. She looks over and sees Galandram amid the rubble, unconscious.
"Oh no. Galandram is hurt, help!"
She will drop her axe and draw her potion of cure moderate wounds on the first round. On the second round unless prevented she will put the vial to his lips and tip the potion down his throat.
Eldon follows as Yngvilda and Galandram lead them back the way they came, but preoccupied by thoughts of kobolds sneaking up behind them he is too busy looking behind him for signs of pursuit and doesn't immediately notice Yngvilda and Galandram falling from view. Hearing the clatter of debris he looks ahead just in time to avoid following them into the pit. Carefully peering over the edge he can see the light from Yngvildas shield and holds his breath waiting for signs of life.
After a few moments though the light begins to move as Yngvilda tends to Galandram, letting out his held breath he turns to the others and says "I can see movement, I think one at least of them is alright. Does anyone have any rope?" Eldon looks around for somewhere to tie a rope safely but struggling to see in the dim light he mutters to himself and casts light on a pebble he pulls from a pocket of his robe.
There are not a lot of good options to tie the rope off in this cavern corridor, but Eldon things he spots several large rocks that he can use together with the strength of the party to help anchor a line.
As Yngvilda begins drawing her healing potion, Galandram's breathing becomes more steady, although he remains unconscious.
Galandram's alien eyes flutter open as Yngvilda pours the potion down his throat, as his wounds knit themselves shut. He coughs and looks up at the Ulfen woman, his voice ragged, "I never saw it coming," he says slowly. "Thank you for the healing, Yngvilda. I'm sure I was in bad shape."
Looking around, he says, "So how are we getting out of this pit?"
Yngvilda watches the potion do its work and offers Galandram a hand to help him up. She takes her shield off and stows it on her back, picks her axe up and puts it through her belt loop.
"I have a rope and grappling hook in my pack, this shouldn't be too-"
Before she can take her pack off though a rope drops from above . "You go ahead, I'll follow"
When it's her turn, she makes quick progress and takes out her shield and axe at the top.
"Thanks for the rope. Back the way we came or cross the pit?"
Bri, is caught off guard by the sudden collapse of the ground and the disappearance of her friends. She peeks over the edge,
”Sadly Eldon, I do not have a rope. Maybe Cei?”
At the top Yngvilda looks over the gap. "I think the easiest way to make this passable would be to set up ropes on either side for climbing up and down."
She draws the rope up and ties several knots in it before dropping it down again, then draws her own rope and ties knots into that, before threading the end through her grappling hook.
"We could try throwing this across from here, but I'd be more confident in it taking our weight if we could affix it manually. Does someone think they could jump across with it an lower it down from the other side?" Eyeing the gap dubiously she says "I don't think I could jump that"