"We did warn you, kobold. Back down now before you get iced to death."
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The flurry of attacks fails to hit the kobold sniper. The sniper steps away from Tanssi and fishes a flask out of his belt pouch. "I'm going to kill your dog!" he shouts down at Andwise before throwing the container at the eidolon. It's a direct hit and the liquid inside the flask ignites as soon as it's exposed to air.
At this point the tied up kobolds let out a cheer at the sniper's act of courage and begin to bullrush Suizal and Andwise out of the way in an effort to block the bridge. Despite how many of them are working together though they are unable to get the arcanist and summoner to budge.
Round 2
Irlana
Tanssi -6, on fire
Sir Falcon
Suizal
Andwise
Ilvaria
Kobold POWs
Kobold Sniper -4
Tanssi, despite the flames, steps forward to maul the sniper.
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Irlana fires a bolt into the crowd of bound kobolds and one falls to the ground clutching a bolt in their chest. Suizal moves into position and fires another ray of frost at the kobold sniper, this time hitting them. Andwise moves away from the pit and just defends himself.
The sniper attempts to fire their crossbow at Tanssi at point blank range. Tanssi lunges at the kobold, but it darts out of the way. Seeing Irlana shoot one of the wristbound kobolds they shout down something in Draconic before firing at Tanssi. But its hard to hit something so close and kobold's shot misses.
Despite the kobold sniper's rousing speech, the kobolds flee away from the fighting, their screams echoing in the cavern.
The fire burns a little longer, but then starts to go out just as the eidolon is ready to pounce again.
Round 3
Irlana
Tanssi -11
Sir Falcon
Suizal
Andwise
Ilvaria
Kobold POWs
Kobold Sniper -7
"Serious! Come down NOW!" Suizal calls out at the stubborn kobold. "We wont kill you if you surrender."
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Suizal and Irlana both hit the sniper, finally bringing him down. The tied up kobolds continue trying to run away, but they are easily caught and brought back.
The downed kobold also has a masterwork crossbow, along with a short sword and studded leather armor.
With the fighting over, the party can hear some noise coming from the tunnels to the north of the big chamber.
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The party explores the northern part of the caverns.
Room AWide steps have been carved into the rock in each tunnel that
intersects with this large cave. A five-foot-wide circular pit filled is
the chamber’s only feature. Five feet down is water and it appears that the kobolds have been using this as a water source.
Room BThis foul-smelling cave has thick mounds of moldy straw on
the floor. From the droppings on the floor and scratch marks on the walls and floor of this small chamber it could be assumed that this is where the giant rats came from.
Room CA few torches wedged into niches in this cave’s rocky walls burn fitfully. This area is obviously used for labor-intensive tasks such as making rope from vines, drying meat, and tanning hides, but the working conditions are squalid at best. In this room are three humans who cry out and shudder in terror when the party enters the room. They are dressed in filthy rags and have iron manacles around their wrists. Chains lead from the iron restraints to spikes that have been driven into the stone floor.
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Irlana gathers up bolts to replace those she fired, loads her crossbow and follows the team. She's tempted to fire a few more bolts into the captives with threats, but doubts she could be convincing. She isn't evil....
When the human prisoners are found she glances at the captive kobolds again. "We can free these and secure the kobolds here. Better than pulling them along...." She moves up to the humans, checking them to see how badly hurt they are. "Give us a moment please. We can open these locks to free you and get you safely out of here."
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After the fighting is over Ilvaria sighs.
She looks at the kobolds that are remaining and warns them with a cold voice.
“You tried to support your companion. Another wrong move by any one of you and I’ll execute you for your crimes here and now!!’“
~
When they find the humans the Drow glances at the kobolds with disgust.
Ilvaria looks at the humans and is waiting for an answer to sir Falcon’s questions.
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Despite being dirty, the prisoners have been kept in relatively good health and have not been tortured or maimed. Of course, being confined in a cramped, smokey room and out of the sunshine has not been good for their health but they should recover pretty quickly now that they are freed.
One of the prisoner is an older teenager that says that her name is Bophre Malak and reports that she is a milkmaid who worked at her parents' dairy farm. "I was taking a walk in the woods one morning after I got the milking done. It was a misty morning and I got a bit lost and was in part of the woods I've never been before. Then suddenly these kobolds were all around me, jabbing at me with their spears. They put chains on me and lead me back here. That was back in the month of Desnus. I'm not sure what month it is now, but I know from it getting colder sometimes that we must be heading into harvest season soon."
The other two prisoners are a married couple named Carlo and Sela Bellathi. They are peddlers of religious charms and report that they were captured on the Veduran road about two months ago after having sold some of their wares in Belhaim. "We usually do good business in Belhaim because they know how to respect gods in that town. We did a fine bit of business that day and it was nearing dusk before we left. I wish we chose to stay at the Wise Piper that night but the roads around here have always been safe and we didn't think would have any trouble."
"They were excited when they saw our merchandise but we tried to explain to them that we didn't make them ourselves, but they didn't care.
They have us making all sorts of things out of the junk they bring us. Jewelry, statuettes, little trinkets like that. They especially seem to like animals like frogs and lizards and rats. We try to make stuff they like because then they give us more food. Then when we've filled up a couple sacks of trinkets they take them away and we start over."
Suizal grows angry. "We'll get you out of here. No longer will you have to suffer through days in these dark, smoky halls. No one deserves to be trapped or manacled in chains.". She glances over at the kobolds.
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Bophre thanks the party, saying "You should finish what you have started and defeat the tribe. I could lead the Bellathi's back to Belhaim if you would just be so kind as to lead us outside. It tis just a long walk back along the Old Quarry Road, and I would enjoy nothing more than a long walk in the sun."
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Irlana's feelings are were mixed. The prisoners hadn't been abused beyond being enslaved and forced to do light labor.... It could have been much worse. But if they had defeated their group, would they have put us in chains? Forced us to work? She might have trouble executing the kobold mob, but she thinks she could do it. What would Desna think? Yes, the Goddess of Freedom and Luck could do it.
"Any more of these that face us die! No more prisoners."
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Bophre seems shocked by the question. "I don't know if I want them to all be killed. I just don't want them to kidnap anyone else."
Sela Belathi asks, "I doubt you were here to rescue us, because no one in Belhaim would know we were here and I don't think Bophre's parents could afford to hire a bunch of adventurers. What did the tribe do that would warrant sending adventurers?"
The party debates whether it might just be better to execute their prisoners. And once the party has finished talking with the freed slaves, Sir Falcon escorts them to the entrance of the cave.
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Hearing Bophre's comment shakes Irlana's thoughts. "You're right. We can't just exterminate them all.... That would be evil! We need to figure out why they've been raiding and taking slaves. And does it tie in to the collapse of the tower?"
"Ilvaria, Something must have changed recently. Maybe the kobolds have a new leader?"
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Andwise remains silent as the others talk, a look of discomfort with the situation passes his face.
Tanssi, I am torn. They are evil, but good doesn't always repay evil with evil.
"We should take a leader back, perhaps the caster? Otherwise, I feel little charity toward these creatures. Until then, I think we need to keep moving, once these prisoners are free of course. I agree Irlana- something must have changed, and we haven't figured that out just yet."
"Yes, senseless murder of these creatures will be cruel." The sylph glances at any of the kobolds still around. "And yes, we do need to bring back prisoners of our own for the crimes they have committed."
Suizal looks to Sir Falcon. "Ready, fearless captain? Lead the way."
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The party secures the kobold prisoners in the "crafting" room, then moves to the southern part of the dungeon. The party is able to avoid the pit trap revealed by the kobold prisoner that got away by climbing across the alcove then hopping on the other side. The trap could also be disarmed but doing so would put the disarmer at risk of triggering it.
A mound of what appears to be rotten vegetables, fruit, and excrement sits heaped in the middle of the room. A bulging leather sack rests atop the mound of garbage. A single forlorn kobold sits in the middle alcove in the northern part of this cave, her arms, legs, and snout tightly bound with rope and her body lashed to iron spikes driven into the cave wall.
Suizal scrunches up her nose in disgust. "This room is an eyesore. The smell is awful. Let's not dilly dally for too long here."
As Irlana cuts loose the kobold, Suizal raises her eyebrow. "Sure. Let's do that, kobold. What is your name.". Unsure if the kobold is truthful, Suizal watches her closely.
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Suizal cuts the kobold loose. Rubbing her wrists she says, "I'm Nighttail. Pleased to meet you!" She holds out her hand to the arcanist. "Do you shake? I know some of you surface dwellers like doing that."
Suizal thinks that Nighttail seems eager to help out the party and the fact that she was tied up seems to indicate that she might not be in good graces with the rest of the Bloodvow Tribe.
Nighttail shakes her head at Andwise's question. "Oh, I thought it would be clear from the name, but I can fill you in about, um...Chief Roaghaz's role around here. You might say Chief Roaghaz is a major player in the Bloodvow tribe. A kind of elder statesman if you will, that Chief Roaghaz is. One might even say that Chief Roaghuz is in kind of a leadership position here."
Then turning back to Suizal she says "So, you seem like you might be the brains behind this little outfit. Let's talk planning. Of course, I will need my equipment back. And most importantly we're going to need to bust out my pal Hak. I don't do anything without Hak by my side."
Suizal chuckles at Nighttail's comments while she shakes the kobold's hands. "Me? Brains? Ha!". She shakes her heads. She has never really felt like a leader nor particularly smart. But the kobold's comments make her think. The last few days have really been exciting and Suizal has started to come out of her shell. Before, the sylph was studious, but rather boring. But with the kobolds, she's starting to feel more sure of herself.
"Well, we can definitely do some planning. Where is your equipment? Who is this Hak? Another kobold? We'll help you break Hak out."
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[ooc]No need for diplomacy checks, as Nighttail *appears* to be helpful.
"Chief Roaghaz has been the Bloodvow chief for some time now; I'm actually somewhat of an outsider to this group. So maybe that's why I could see that he's been making some bad decisions recently. Namely, I didn't think the tribe should be escalating tensions with the local surface dwellers. I knew and frankly everybody knew that knocking that tower down was going to make Belhaim's chieftainess a little cranky. I figured they would send mercenaries knocking on our cave door eventually, but even I didn't think they'd find some so quickly. Did you guys just happen to be around or something?"
She sighs and takes a deep breath again before speaking "I thought I found a few like- minded kobolds in the tribe here that would go along with a little...um, let's call it a course correction. But when the time came to act, I guess you could say I miscalculated how much support I had."
"Let's just say that Hak is like a brother to me. You'll like him. He's really nice when you get to know him, but you should let me do the talking because he might be riled up if a bunch of strangers coming running in. They locked him up in one our guest rooms." She points to a sack sitting on top of the pile of garbage in the room. "That's my stuff right there. I understand that you might not trust me so feel welcome to rifle your dirty little mitts through my personal belongings. But I do want to remind you, especially any paladins that might be with you," she says, winking at Sir Falcon, "that those are my personal belongings and taking them would technically be stealing."
The sack is tied up bindle style to a masterwork spear. Inside there is a suit of blue dyed leather armor (well made and casting a faint magical aura), three potions, two wands and a belt pouch containing a nice looking topaz and 30 pieces of silver. There is also basic camping gear, including a bedroll, flint and steel, a canteen and a dented cooking pot.
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Irlana sheaths her dagger, watches and listens as the kobold prisoner responds to her friends. She isn't fully trusting yet....
but listening to what information is given. "I don't think we need to search your personal belongings. Maybe it'll be good to have someone along with us that might be able to convince some of your tribe to stop fighting. We really don't want to kill them all. In the last battle we were able to knock out several and just tie them up. But we're running out of rope. Any possibility that you might lead us to this Chief Roaghaz so we could just end the fighting with one battle? You and your brother Hak wouldn't have to be involved of course."
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Irlana thinks that Nighttail is eager to help the party but she can tell that the kobold keeps her cards close to her chest when it comes to information.
"I'll fight side by side with you, but frankly, I think everyone here is too afraid of the Chief to cross him. Remember, I have experience in that area."
"Oh, you want to know where the secret tunnel is that lets you get straight to the chief without having to deal with any of our traps and guardians? I'm sorry, I guess they never trusted me enough to tell me where they put it."
If no one stops the kobold, she begins to put her armor back on and collects her other belongings.
Suizal nods at the eloquence of this kobold. "We'll help you. But from the sounds of it... is Hak another kobold?". She raises an eyebrow.
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Sir Falcon looks truly confused Wait a minute, am I paladin? Is that what everyone thinks when they see me? He asks somewhat confused.
I mean I am sworn to the Order of the Songbird but that's not quite the same thing I don't think! He says trying to think really hard about whether Apsu has been talking to him.
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Nighttail leads the group down one of the passages and past two sets of sturdy wooden gates which are held shut with a hefty latch and a loop of rope. After the second gate is a large cave with a 12 foot high ceiling. Dozens of well chewed deer bones lie scattered around the cave. Nighttail insists on entering the cave first.
Out of the darkness a six foot tall reptile comes running forward. The lizard stands upright on two muscular legs, with two smaller upper arms. The creature has a large head with a mouth filled with teeth. The kobold grabs Hak's face and strokes the top of the beast's head then hops on top of its back.
"Okay, I think it would be best if I stayed out of your way since you folks are clearly the professionals here. But if you need any help I'll be back here ready to jump right in!"
Suizal fantasizes that Hak as a shocker lizard, a creature common in her youth. As the group follows Nighttail, she stops in her tracks at the first sight of Hak.
Definitely not a shocker lizard. "That... that is an allosaurus. A dinosaur! Dinosaurs exist?! I thought they were only rumors."
Suizal is nearly at a loss for words. "Will... will Hak eat us? He looks hungry.". She points at the very large teeth.