"Fine, I'll take a look." After concluding that the paladin isn't going to be much help at spotting anything, Zuriel steps up and takes a look.
You both can see beyond the crag that it leads to a small path further on. It however turns making it hard to see the end but you do see an intersection with one way leading north and the other twisting south. You can see a small door made of wood wound together with twine.
After examining the crack closely, Zuriel steps through it and heads down to the bend in order to get a better look.
(I need to make this quick so that stooped paladin doesn't yell and gives away my position.)
You move down and see in the dim light that the fork splits, the northern passage bends back to the west while the north is blocked by the aforementioned gate.
Peering into the gate you can’t see much the dim light fading to black. However you do hear the sound of draconic hisses and talking from two kobolds. They don’t seem to have noticed you from the sounds of it.
After hearing what he perceives to be more kobolds, Zuriel heads back to the group and passes the information on. "Hay guys, it seems there is a fork past the bend. One side bends back around out of sight, while the other is blocked by a gate. It sounds like there are more kobolds past the gate. I doubt we can sneak past them."
"That's right. I'm not very good at sneaking. Could we just ask them to open the gate?"
He turns towards Nighttail. "Are they friendly kobolds or evil kobolds?"
Zuriel looks over at Nighttail, wondering the same thing.
She thinks eyes shifting for a moment before finally speaking; “We ugh don’t have to worry about them. They’re not gonna hurt us, they won’t leave that area. To the south is the chief’s room.”
"Is there any traps between here and the chiefs room?"
"And is the chief's room locked?" Zuriel can probably pick the lock if so, but it's always good to know these things ahead of time.
She nods “I think, there has been oil in there before. He may have set up the trap there since the alarm was raised. I can help look for it but I don’t know how it work. I think it involves fire. As for a lock, theres no room. It’s just open, like a throne room”
[ooc] Yes there are two ways, one to the south and one to the north. North leads to a separate area, south leads to the chief.
After hearing about the trap, Zuriel takes the lead and begins carefully searching for traps along the way. "I'll do what I can." He says as he takes point and begins leading the group towards the chief's room.
*Zuriel leads the way, a newfound place in front of the team instead of behind it. As he rounds the corner he sees walls slick with a bit of oil. Paying close attention he notes a slight flicker of light and notices overhead glass vials of all sorts of sizes with liquid that has the faint flicker of fire in it; alchemist fire. Following the netting stringing them up he sees several trip wires across the way. Tied to the pitons that the net is tied to.
He thinks he could cut them rendering the trap inert simply leaving alchemist fire overhead, and retrievable.
Carefully Zuriel stops the group before they enter the trap. "The fire trap is armed, and the walls are slick with oil. I'll need a moment to see if I can disable it."
Taking his time, Zuriel slowly makes his way to the trip wires. After carefully examining them, he retrieves a sharp dagger and begins disabling their triggers.
With the carefulness only fear of death by fire can bring, Zuriel slowly cuts the tripwires disarming the trap. With that done he is able to slowly pull vials from the nets above. The slow process is made all the more tense by the occasional slip but his deft reflexes make sure not a single vial is breaks. He is able to retrieve 12 vials of alchemist fire, and the trap is disabled.
Jenise watches Zuriel carefully pick his way around the wires, cutting them in a pattern that she can't quite discern. Whatever the logic behind it, the elf manages to retrieve every flask of alchemist's fire intact, and she lets out a relieved breath. "Great work, Zuriel!"
Zuriel carefully gathers the flasks. "This is a lot of alchemist fire." He says in response to Jenise. After collecting the vials, he slides them into his pack and prepares to follow August up to the chief's door. "We should be clear all the way to the door now."
"Good job, Zuriel." August says, patting the elf on the back. "Be careful with so many alchemists fires. You better not fall down, now."
Then, sword and shield ready, he starts leading the group towards the chief's room.
Zuriel draws his sword and falls in behind August.
As you walk forward you find stairs leading out of the dark and oiled area. As your crest the stairs you can hear the nervous whispers of serval guards close at hand realizing they lay hidden close behind a wall. You see a kobold in red robes, he holds a wand in hand and sneers at you, speaking in perfect common.
“You think you can trespass in the lair of the Blood Vow Tribe with impunity? I am Roaghaz, and I serve the great Lord Aeteperax! He rewards his supplicants for ferocity and faithfulness. We shall add your bones to those hanging on these walls, and our great lord shall sup on your flesh!”
With that he growls menacingly and aggressively looks toward you all.
turn order Zuriel, Jenise, August, Roaghaz, guards.
"Oh, that Aetpr... Aeter... That name again!"
Hoping that he is quick enough, Zuriel dashes into the room and attempts to cut down one of the guards.
Jenise looks down her nose at the kobold chieftain with a distinctly unimpressed air. "You and what army?" She takes a few steps forward, utters a few mystic words, and thrusts her hand palm out toward the two nearest guards. A cone of rainbow-colored light washes over them.
Zuriel runs up and with terrible quickness slashes and a kobold drops a spray of blood on the wall.
The north two guards like earlier spasm at the spray of stars and colors that Jenise throws from her. They lock up and are on the ground no longer conscious.
Turn Order Jenise, Zuriel, left to go: August, Roaghaz, Nighttail, Kobolds
Following up on the momentum, August roars a battlecry and charges past the kobold guards. With a few strides, he reaches Roaghaz. Sword raised above his head, the paladin calls for the power of the dragon-god, and the weapon glimmers in silvery shine. And then he brings the sword down on the growling kobold.
A wide slash hits the robed kobold in a brilliant flash. He’s tossed back but remains standing for a moment before stepping back and with a wave of the wand sends a web cascading across the room covering the kobold guards, Jenise, Zuriel, and August.
Out of everyone only Zuriel manages to not be entangled in the web and everyone else is considered grappled.
Nighttail tries to get herself out of the web as best she can.
But she is unable.
The guard struggles to get out but is unable.
Turn Order Jenise, Zuriel, left to go: August, Roaghaz, Nighttail, Kobolds
"Stupid, evil wizards..." August mutters, trying to struggle his way out from the web, but ends being entangled even worse.
With all the kobolds tied up in the sticky web, Zuriel quickly moves back to the caster and then brings his thin blade into a side long cut, centered at the kobold's midsection.
Jenise curses the kobold chief viciously as she struggles to get free.
August struggles but is unable to get free. Jenise manages to slip out of the webs no longer stuck and may move if she wishes too!
Zuriel manages to escape the web as well! Using the blade to cut himself free.
Out of everyone only Zuriel manages to not be entangled in the web and everyone else is considered grappled.
Zuriel manages to escape the web as well! Using the blade to cut himself free.
Well, she's disentangled herself, but there's a lot more webbing out there. And it's blocking her line of sight to the chief. Guess it's time to break out the good stuff. Jenise digs around in the pockets she sewed into the lining of her coat, pulling out a slender wand carved from pale yellowish pine wood.
Zuriel manages to deftly make his way through the webbing cutting and weaving until appearing from it he slashes at the chieftain, leaving a horrific gash across his chest. He looks to be barely standing from all the blood loss.
Turn order: Zuriel, Jenise, August, Roaghaz, guards, Nighttail.
Not hesitating over the kobolds condition, Zuriel brings his blade back into a second, offhanded swing.
August puts his full weight into play, and manages to rip off the webs that kept him in place. Now, he is free to engage the enemies.
Roaghaz steps back and looking scared casts a spell as he steps back, his form splitting into 6 images of him.
The guard tries to escape again, as well Nightail.
Both escape Nighttail moves to get in melee but is unable to close the distance getting stuck back in the webbing. The guard simply bears his spear next to August trying to harry him.
Zuriel slices as he steps up, but it only causes a single version to dissipate.
Turn order: August (move), Jenise, Roaghaz, guard, Nighttail
August pushes towards and moves next to the spellcaster, believing him to be the most dangerous (and most evil) of the enemies.
Jenise aims her wand at the chief and whispers the activation word. A tiny sphere of white light shoots toward him.
The force damage crashes into him and the chief stumbles, and with a harsh breath he whispers only August is able to hear “Aeteperax will destroy you all, and your town….”
He drops unmoving, all 5 versions of him in a kaleidoscope of motion. The guard still awake is silent while Nighttail looks shocked. After a moment she starts barking in draconic and shouts in common. “Yes we did it! I am chief now, I will rule the Blood Vow Tribe now!”
After a moment the web dissipates and so do the multiple images of the chief.
Without delay, Zuriel begins searching the chief.
"Yep, yep, happy days are here again. So, any ideas on where you would like to move your new tribe?" Zuriel asks while carefully looting the chief.
Looking over the body of the chieftain you find several pieces of leather rolled up marked with symbols, the small stick inscribed with tunes, as well as a dagger, a cloak that is adorned with fangs from multiple animals all of which have runes marked in them, and two keys.
2 scrolls of glitter dust, a a wand of web with 4 charges, and a cloak of fangs.
Nightail gives a scowl now, “I’m not gonna tell you where we’ll go. If a day comes when you or someone else is asked to come kill us, I will not have it be an easy hunt.”