Djack catches hold of Amideo's arm-guard; the knight slides a bit further before coming to a stop.
Having gotten more rope lowered down, Djack and Amideo bruised and scraped, manage to successfully climb back up and crest the ridge to safety.
Up ahead, the adventurers finally see what they're looking for: a rough-hewn tunnel carved into the rock face, its jagged edges smoothed only by years of use. Wooden support beams, darkened with age, brace the opening. A simple but sturdy wooden gate, reinforced with thick iron nails, stands half-closed.
Above the entrance is a weathered wooden sign bearing a crudely painted Blue Dragon symbol and the following letters, in Draconic:
"Blue Drake Clan's Mine! All Others Keep Out!"
Blue Drake Clan's Mine! All Others Keep Out! Djack is happy he'd spent some time with Spizz the Sorcerer.
Reckon we should turn around, then? He smiles mischievously. Rocko, you comin'? I can't see in the dark...
"It is lucky you have us around to guide your way then, Djack." The elf comments cheekily, moving with confidence towards the cave.
The first chamber of the mines is a roughly hewn cavern, its walls jagged and bearing the crude marks of pickaxes and chisels. The floor is uneven, covered in loose rock, dirt, and discarded tools. Several tunnels branch off in different directions, their entrances dark and foreboding. Some are narrow, barely wide enough for a grown man to squeeze through, while others are broader but no less intimidating, their depths swallowed in pitch blackness.
There is no sign of any sort of guard here, that you can see.
"Hm... There are many places one could go. Perhaps it would be beneficial for me to send fourth spirits of the earth to explore ahead?" She considered, turning enough to face her companions.
Rocko frowns a little. "Don't you two be wantin' a little somethin' for all those scrapes before trouble comes a findin' us?"
"Did I not tend to their wounds earlier?" She states, having clearly channeled energy for sometime after they got up the cliff.
"Ey! Ooo B U?" a voice says in really badly accented Draconic. No one is visible.
The elf blinks, turning back to the darkness. The words didnt make any sense, but she would push on ahead. "Hello? We have been asked here by will of your master."
Light glints off a pair of lizard-like eyes that suddenly appear down one of the corridors. Slowly, a single Kobold with blue and silver scales walks out.
"You friends? Sent by Big Uncca?" he says, cautiously, holding his spear in a non-quite-ready position.
Wit' da tail n' wings... Big Uncca.
The Kobold nods at Djack's "description" of the dragon you encountered. He considers for a moment, looks hostile, then confused, before finally deciding to believe the newcomers.
"Okay, you come with me, I take you in to Boss." Following their host into the darkness, he takes them on a long route through at least a mile of maze-like caverns. Once you're away from the entrance cave, torches and phosphorescent funguses light the paths semi-regularly. Nevertheless, you're taken through so many corridors it would be difficult to find your way out quickly.
Finally, you arrive at a larger chamber. The underground throne room of a Kobold chieftain in a grandiose yet crude chamber carved deep into the rock by generations of Drake-kin. The air is thick with the scent of earth, smoke, and reptile-like musk. The walls are adorned with crude carvings depicting the chieftain’s victories and the favor of their draconic benefactor.
At the chieftain’s feet, lesser Kobolds grovel and scheme, whispering in Draconic.
After your guide explains the situation, the leader's eyes widen.
"Welcome, friends of the Blue Drake!"
Amideo gives a gracious nod, "My greetings, drake-kin. I am Amideo Caluzzo di Solva, circuit judge of these lands, and these are my travelling companions. The mighty Stormfang has sent us as his proxies, to aid you in making sure your mines are safe. He spoke of the very stone coming to life and accosting you. Is this ongoing?"
The mighty Stormfang has sent us as his proxies, to aid you in making sure your mines are safe.[/b]
"You may call me chief Udo." The chief's face becomes grave.
"Indeed; we lose two or three miners every day. These mines have been around for over a hundred years!" Kobolds are generally a short-lived race; this chief is probably the sixth or seventh of his line. "We must find a way to stop these rock-beasts, and continue operations."
If any of the younger kobolds are brave and curious, Rocko is more the happy to give them tosses in the air or let them climb over him. Things like that are always a favorite of the young ones in his tribes
Rock... beasts? What do they look like?
"Different things. Sometimes really small, sometimes big with lots of arms. Sometimes big eye that shoots zappies. That's the worst. Zappies."
Meanwhile several of the younger Kobolds are quite enthused with Rocko, having never seen a Gnoll before.
Djack is at the same time ignorant about the subjects of and confident in his questions.
What do you mine, here? Are these... rock beasts intelli... smart? Have they ever spoken to... you?
The elf considers their descriptions, and tries to pair their words up to the mental images she had of other such Spirits of Earth.
Yoltzin is certainly aware of the concept of Elementals. These COULD be those, or some other sort of incursion of the Elemental realms into this one. But without more direct information, it would be hard to tell for sure.
What do you mine, here?
"We mine copper, and lead, and minerals we sell to desert traders," the Chief says, gesturing what Djack thinks must be West.
Are these... rock beasts intelli... smart? Have they ever spoken to... you?
"No. No talk. Only killing. Collapsing. Wrecking."
Maybe you disturbed their... nest? Or something.
Maybe you can help each other... trade. Djack is proud of his idea.
"Maybe, maybe. But first, must manage to not get killed long enough to talk. That's where you come in. If the great Stormfang sent you, you must be great as well. You go down in mines. Find creatures. Convince them to not kill, however you must."
"Not all issues are solved with words, Djack." She chides lightly, "Though if it all possible, I will do my best to communicate with these spirits of Earth. If that I'd what they are."
The party is lead down another long series of tunnels. By now, they must be deep in the mountain. Most of the tunnels seem to have started as natural caves, and then had tributaries dug off of them in order to mine the metals and minerals the Kobolds seek. All the while, your guide looks fearfully side to side, as if the very walls might reach out and grab him at any moment. Finally, he stops.
On the tunnel ahead, there is painted a large red "X", and a mine car is tipped over in front of it to block off the path.
"This is one of the areas where the killings happened. We stopped going this way."
Hey big fellas... if they are all stone like... inside-out, my usual finesse and precision will not be as effective.
This is preamble as he steps forward, looking for clues in the stone all around him.
Djack sees some odd rock patterns on the floor and walls, certainly. Nothing moving (currently), but...something similar to footprints? Movement through the rock?
Rocko will have shield and axe at the ready for when things get ugly. Although he's nowhere near as comfortable in caves as he is out on the open fields, he'll still look around for what might seem out of place or of interest.
Djack calls to the guide, Hey, Kobie... he can't quite remember the guides name or if it were given.
You scared because they can come through the stone walls, floor... and ceiling? The young man seems in awe and a bit terrified.
"Yes, come out of walls! Or sometimes ARE walls. Got to go. This is not-safe-place. Good luck!"
With that, your guide scurries back the way you came.
Rocko's knowledge of dungeons and the like will probably help you find your way out, in absence of a guide (assuming he doesn't come back). Rocko doesn't know the exact route back out, but he is able to tell the direction, and roughly how deep you went.
Speaking of which, Rocko notes the strange shapes Djack points out; he's certain they're not natural features. He's also pretty sure the caves are stable, rock creatures not withstanding.
After a few yards following the path, a set of stone stairs seems to lead to a makeshift wooden bridge over what looks like a pit of small stalagmites. Their growth at the bottom of a pit makes them unusual. It's like the ground around the pit was swallowed, and the stalagmites grew out of it. You'll need to cross carefully.
Reflex Save, DC 15
"Let's be working together on this one. Hittin' them spikies will be hurtin much more a slide down a slope."
"May the death not find us on this day." The elf prays, clasping her hands around her pendant. "I shall provide what assistance I can, may that a blessing will bring us much aid."
Djack approaches the obstacle.
Amideo takes a look over the edge of the pit, "Friends, I must say this is a precarious situation. I will need all the assistance I can get in this endeavor. Fighting skeletal dragons is one thing, but getting across a rickety bridge in my armor may prove harder."
Acrobatics +22. Is it more than 20 feet across?[/ooc]
Almost exactly 20' at an angle, but you won't be over the bridge except for the last 5'. Peering across the way, Djack notes some similar spikes of rock poking out from the walls. He'll have to jump JUST RIGHT to clear the distance without impaling yourself when you land (Jump DC 30).
It's alright my judicious friend... you just need a bit o' luck. He hands the big man the end of a hemp rope.
Don't let go, now... 'nd as Gramms would day, 'Djack be nimble, Djack be quick!' Turning suddenly he leaps across the span.
His landing is not pretty, Fralllk! But, I'm across and that's... what matters.
Amideo take a deep breath before venturing across the bridge. Despite his heavy armor that would surely sending plummeting to the rocks below, he manages to get across without difficulty thanks to Djack and Yoltzin.
Yoltzin:
_______:
Rocko:
_____:
Zia:
___:
Everyone makes it across the rough board-bridge safely.
Guess, if we're lucky... we'll have to make it back across. He starts to look around.
The tunnel immediately ahead of you is covered in rocky spikes. Blood pools to the ground near the middle of the hall; probably a Kobold who did not make it out during one of the rocky attacks. Beyond that, the area seems to open up into a larger tunnel.
Ahead, there is a turn immediately to the north, another a few feet further ahead, and finally a the larger cavern beyond.
Rocko will go forward and kneel down to check on the blood, in the hope he can tell anything about what happened. He will briefly look, on the off chance it's recent and something is still above.
As Rocko moves ahead to continue exploring, the rocky points to the side of the hall come suddenly alive, jutting out of the living rock like some natural iron maiden.
Fortunately, Rocko was being cautious, and manages to pull back his weight to avoid damage.
It is uncertain whether they will continue to do that while moving past, or if this was a trap that was sprung.
Yhe elf takes a cautious look at the walls around them, "I really do not like caves..."
Shall I try? The young man looks at the sharp rocks.
Djack examines the rocks and determines it's not a trap; more like the wall itself is doing an area attack. No way to "disarm" it.
Nimbly, Djack crossed sometimes using the spikes themselves to his advantage.