The bridge collapses beneath Thogrin and Grel, and they're left to try to grab on to the line left by Styfis.
Tholgrin and Grel: Reflex save please. (Give yourselves +2 for holding on to the line.)
Styfis, at the sound of the bridge's collapse, you see 4 kobolds pop thier heads out of nearby bushes. You can just make out their whispers to each other.
"আমরা কেউ পেয়ে মত শব্দ! কে পবিত্র বিচারের ভিত্তিতে আসছে?"
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Almost without realising it, Tholgrin's psychic training kicks in and he summons a burst of adrenaline to aid him
The dwarves manage to maintain their grips on the rope that spans the chasm as the bridge drops away below them.
The curious kobolds emerge from the bushes on the other side of the river and watch admiringly as Tholgrin and Grel make their way hand-over-hand across the ravine.
"চমৎকার ফাঁদ এড়ানো! প্রায় প্রাপ্তবয়স্ক স্তরের!"
When Tsura crosses to their side of the ravine, one of the kobolds questions her:
"কি আমাদের উপত্যকা আপনি এনেছে? আমি মনে করি আমরা আগে এখানে আপনি দেখা করেছি মনে হয় না। আপনি কি সত্যিই বন্ধুত্বপূর্ণ? সচেতন থাকুন, আমরা খুব ভয়ঙ্কর!"
Another one of the kobolds pulls a rope out of his backpack and walks over to the edge of the ravine.
"যে কেউ নিচে?"
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The elf answers to Grel. Sure. You crossed the bridge, don't you? They don't want to fight. We can discuss. But we have to get Morrolan and Not-Trixie on this side as well.
Then he tells to the kobolds.
Draconic:
He concludes in Draconic to the one near the ravin:
Reassured by Styfis's words, the kobold at the side of the ravine tosses the other end of his rope across the ravine to Morrolan and Not-Trixie. (With two ropes secured, the remaining members of the party are able to shimmy across the ravine safely, if they choose to.)
The kobold smiles excitedly as Styfis explains your destination and gestures off in the direction of the library.
"আপনি একটি গ্রন্থাগার কল কি পবিত্র বিচার স্থল হয়। তাহলে তীর্থযাত্রী হও! আপনি উত্তরণ রীতিনীতি চেষ্টা করতে চান? আসো আসো. আমরা এখানে একটি শিবির আছে যেখানে আমরা বয়সের উত্স আসছে উদযাপন করা হয়। শান্তিপূর্ণ গেস্ট স্বাগত জানাই।"
The lead kobold says, "সেতু-ও-লগগুলি আমি এটির চেয়ে অনেক ভাল ব্যাখ্যা করতে পারি। তার কাছে শব্দগুলির সাথে আসল পথ রয়েছে! আসুন, তিনি একটি ক্লিয়ারিংয়ে এগিয়ে আছেন।"
The kobold gestures toward a path that leads in the direction of the library.
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Tholgrin scrabbles up the other side and rolls to his feet, panting for breath. He makes some mental notes about the language the kobolds are speaking for later analysis, and looks to Styfis to explain what was said.
"Kobolds in the library? Thank Torag it wasn't Goblins!"
He stands by to help the others across, then stands ready to follow the Kobolds
The kobolds led you down a twilight pass through the woods toward the temple complex. As you near the building, you come in to a clearing you see that hides and woven blankets have been laid out on the grass in front of the library. Several campfires are burning, some with simmering cook pots. A squeaky yapping song echoes throughout the valley.
When you enter the clearing, your guides bring you before the kobold who is leading the singing. They quickly explain what you have told them and how they met you.
The kobold singer addresses the group, then repeats himself.
"উদযাপন স্বাগতম। আপনি কি প্রাপ্তবয়স্কদের দেখতে এসেছেন? অনুগ্রহ করে আমার স্কাউটগুলি আমাকে বলুন যে আপনাকে যোগাযোগ করতে সমস্যা হচ্ছে, আপনি কি কিছু জাদু সাহায্য করতে চান?"
"歡迎來到慶祝活動。 你來看看你是不是大人？ 拜託，我的偵察員告訴我你溝通有問題，你會接受一些魔法幫助嗎？"
The kobolds celebrating all wear asymmetrical patterns and have any metal equipment or armor dusted with soot or smeared with mud so that it does not show a reflective surface. Some of the kobolds wear a face paint on only one side, while others wear clothing with different colors or patterns on the left and right. Fourteen kobolds are present in total.
The kobold casts a spell once and touches Grel, then repeats the process for Morrolan and Tholgrin.
After completing his casting, the kobold continues. "Ah, that should make it easier for us to understand each other. I am Bridge-and-Logs, of the Scalebreaker tribe. You have come to us at a happy time, as three of our members have just passed through the hall of trials and been welcomed into the tribe as adults: Whirling-Teeth, Ants-and-Clay, and Burning-Badger. You should congratulate them if you see them!"
Bridge-and-Logs turns to Styfis and Tsura and says, "If you want to prove you are adults, you must face the hall of trials! That is how you earn your adult name and your place in the tribe. My scouts told me that you came here seeking the hall, so maybe you will become adults as well."
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Tholgrin submits to the spell, and visibly relaxes when he can understand things again. He wouldn't admit it, but he prides himself on his linguistic skill and felt very uncomfortable not understanding the conversation.
He perks right up when he hears language he understands though.
He listens to Grel's question, and adds "Aye, and where might we find Whirling-Teeth, Ants-and-Clay, and Burning-Badger, to congratulate them? Oh and thank you Bridge-and-Logs. I am Tholgrin, uh, you could call me Hammer-and-Tongues. May I ask why many of you have covered your armor with mud?"
The gregarious kobold answers Grel first: "Evil spirits haunt the sacred trial ground. Each generation of Scalebreakers sneaks in to lay new traps and keep them trapped inside! The spirits stare into your soul and make you fight yourself as a test. If you fail..." he pauses for effect,"...they eat you!"
The kobold laughs, but not unkindly at Tholgrin's response. "I'll call you Tholgrin for now--but maybe Hammer-and-Tongues after your test! That would certainly be something to see." He grins. "Scalebreakers earn their adult names in the library. Whatever trap you set inside the library, that’s your name. Pick a good trap when you go in. Unbalanced-Bottle has been asking for a second chance for the last decade." Bridge-and-Logs almost hops from foot-to-foot in excitement. "I've never seen a trap made with hammers and tongues before, but I admire your inventive spirit! I think you have the makings of a true adult, so that's good. Too few real adults amongst those who are not kobolds."
The three adults are sitting around a near-by fire having a celebratory picnic. One of them greets you when you approach, "Greetings, pilgrims! I am Whirling-Teeth. Have you come to attempt the hall of trials? It will be hard to surpass my companions in the ingenuity of traps, but you could always try!"
Burning-Badger replies, "Only young kobolds and those who choose to die repairing the traps instead of letting old age or sickness take them are allowed inside. You must pass the rites inside the library yourself. You will be adults when you leave though!"
Ants-and-Clay interjects, "We could sell you a map of the place, though. Maybe even point out where a few traps are--only 50 gold!"
The kobolds retrieve paper and a calligraphy kit from a nearby backpack and sketch a surprisingly-detailed map of the library for you.
"Still some surprises in there, but we marked some of the nastier traps."
"Well...it is where we last saw them, but sometimes the spirits move the traps! Tricky spirits."
The kobolds have some limited supplies that they are willing to sell you, though they didn't plan on trading, so it's not a very impressive variety.
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"So you become an adult by placing a trap within the library?" Not-Trixie asks, still jotting down notes. "Do you have standards for how good a trap has to be, or what counts as a trap? And could you explain your garb? Is this ceremonial armor for new adults?" She waits for the answer with attentive eyes.
Whirling-Teeth answers, "A trap's a trap, but if you want a good name, you'll set up an impressive one. No one wants to go through life being called Twine-Snare." He seems quite proud of his adult name.
Burning-Badger adds, "The spirits look like us, but they are always backwards, so our clothes make it easier to tell the real us from spirits."
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Tholgrin will also take an antitoxin, bringing him up to two.
To the group away from the Kobolds, he says "If I had to guess, I'd say these spirits sound like soulslivers, extra dimensional shape changes that lurk in the half-dimensions behind mirrors. That must be why the Kobolds have covered their reflective surfaces."
"We must be swift if this place is unraveling. Let's move"
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I have an antitoxin and a healer's kit. I am not terribly interested in the others. Let us proceed.
Morrolan is muttering to himself under his breath, I am unsure what to do here. The placement of traps is not generally considered heroic. However, here, among this culture, it is. Does Ragathiel actually prohibit using traps? I don't want to give insult if my Lord doesn't require me to.