It was an uneventful journey from Dunholme to Wispil, but Silas Gribb said he wanted extra security for his caravan “just in case”. It became rather apparent why he was worried when he was promptly arrested on charges of smuggling upon entering the small town of Belhaim. As the sheriff and several deputies marched Silas and his caravan south to Cassomir, the extra caravan hands Silas had hired were left un-arrested, but also un-employed and un-paid. Offered free room and board "at least for a few days - give you a chance to get your bearings" at the Wise Piper Inn by its young proprietor Talia Orem, the four companions sit in the common room over supper and discuss their options.
Tabin sat at one of the tables, mulling over recent developments with a hot cup of mulled cider in his hands. On a wooden plate was a few scraps of bread, a mash of various root vegetables, and a morsel of cheese.
The halfling scooped up some of the mash with a slice of bread and popped it into his mouth. A yearling pup lies at the halfling's feet chewing some gristly venison scraps.
"Remember what I said Talia. You keep all this in your ledger and I'll pay you back as soon as I can. Wouldn't be right of me to just take food off your table. You need more meet I can go hunt for something for you tomorrow."
"So I answer, 'I'll get you Scarlet Pestle. Mark my words though Hector Snowscar. When Rolf come back, I stick pestle so far up your arse all Snowscar feel it!' Ha!" The skinny ulfen man laughs heartily, slapping his knee and throwing his head back.
When the laughter begins to subside, he cracks his bread in half and stuffs one of the chunks in his mouth, taking off a large bite. "Any*wayfff, thath how I leaff home and come thouth to be faffinner." The words are muffled and garbled coming out of his mouth. Unfortunately for Primketh, the words are accompanied by bits of the bread he is attempting to eat.
Much to the pup's delight.
Rolf swallows hard, finally clearing his mouth. "I am not afraid to walk," he says in his thick, ulfen accent, rolling his rrr's and lingering a bit too long on anything that sounds like an 'eee'. "If we must leave, maybe we get a leettle beet if food, maybe hunt, and try to get to closest town. Maybe get lucky and catch wagon back to Absalom. Theese place seems to not have much money to pay. I suppose we could ask around, find odd job or two to do, earn a couple silver? What you think?" he asks the group, but clasps Tabin on the shoulder, giving him an attempted hearty shake. It is quickly clear to Tabin that Rolf might have difficulty pushing a wheeled cart down a hill.
Primketh happily munches the tavern fare, politely asking Talia if the Wise Piper happens to serve any dairy-based drinks. ”Way up north we have a drink called a ‘White Crown,’ made with sweetened cream and strong clear liquor.”
Addressing his newly-unemployed fellow “security,” he asks, ”Did we find out what Mr. Gribb was smuggling? I wonder who tipped off the sheriff.”
Primketh laughs at Rolf’s anecdote, licking his paw-like hand and wiping the bits of bread from his face but otherwise not seeming to be phased by the spray.
”I suppose tomorrow we can ask around if anyone’s bound for Absalom; I have not yet seen the city at the center of the world. Although I find I like it best where the sky is vast.” At his mention of the sky, Primketh’s eyes find the nearest window and he cocks his head to peer out at the heavens.
A hooded, cloaked man sits at the table, oddly not ordering anything or eating anything ordered. He sits facing the window in such a way that the sun could illuminate his face simply by tilting his head upwards slightly. At Primketh's mention of sky he groans almost inaudibly.
Not this again.
"Keep yer 'ead outta the clouds, pussycat. Last time ye mentioned the 'eavens ye were conked out fer a good thirty minutes." The figure's head moves upward to meet Primketh's gaze, a beam of light illuminating just enough of his face to reveal the leafy greens that make up his "flesh." "The arrangements 'ere ain't permanent; best to not make this a steady stargazin' locale."
As Talia waves off Tabin's promises of repayment and tries to wrap her head around the idea of mixing milk and liquor, the walls of the inn suddenly rattle as though shaken by thunder!
Tabin stands and looks toward the nearest window.
"Are earthquakes a common occurrence around here?"
Boy stands and begins barking toward the front door of the inn.
Jaeqil continues his time, not even seeming to notice anything wrong.
"I feelt no storm when we arrived. What is theese thunder? Earthquake peerhaps, you are smart half-man. Or eelse maybe I eeat too much? Ha!" Rolf jests, patting his skinny belly.
"Talia, eis thees regular thing?"
"Oh, but I know as well as you that you're more than fond of a nice clear blue sky, my good plant! But you can have the sunny skies; I'll take the stars myself. But fortunately, I don't have to choose."
Primketh's ears twitch and his expression becomes serious. "That was not an earthquake exactly, but may have been caused by one; If I'm not mistaken, that was a landslide!" Primketh hops to his feet and hustles to the main door, opening it and looking around.
Rolf turns to see Talia's reaction, but she is nowhere to be found. As Primketh steps outside and Tabin looks out the window, they both notice Talia - along with several other townsfolk - running towards the northeast where a huge plume of dust is rising.
Rolf pops up out of his chair, his curiosity taking over and following the crowd, namely his new companions, toward the commotion.
"Who eis in charge? What is happening? Eif you don't know, then may I suggest peerhaps hiring someone to investigate? I happen to know someone who eis looking for work." Rolf raises his eyebrows up and down several times, a grin on his face while pointing both thumbs back into his chest, all while hustling along to see what has happened.
"Oi. I hope no one was under that sliding of land."
Jaeqil shoots up from his seat and runs towards the nearest window.
"Did ye say 'landslide'?!"
Seeing Talia and others running towards a plume of dust in the distance, Primketh follows.
As the four travelers follow the crowd, they occasionally hear murmurs from the townsfolk.
"...the Witch Tower?..."
"Yeah, bet it was..."
"...can't really think that, can you?"
"...hear? Dozens of kobolds in the ruins..."
The crowd gathers around the remains of a stone tower on the eastern side of town, buzzing with excitement and nervousness. Two people stand between the rest of the crowd and the tower - one wandering aimlessly and occasionally scratching her head, the other standing with his hands on his hips chewing on a stalk of grass. The crowd continues to chatter as they mill around, not getting too close to the remains while the dust still hangs in the air.
"...think we should investi..."
"Don't you dare..."
"...Hunclay? His manor's right over there..."
Tabin strolls up to the crowd.
"I can tell that you are all mighty busy here in town, so how about I save you the trouble and go take a look for you?"
Rolf walks up to some of the townsfolk he is overhearing to ask them directly some of the questions in his head. "Theis is strange happening, no? Can you healp me out leetle beit? Why for you say theis man should not investigate? And who is theis Hunclay pearson you speak of? And maybe most eimportant question, theis was witch tower? So witch used to live here? We want to healp. Maybe earn our keep for couple days?"
Primketh tries to listen more closely to the townsfolks’ murmuring speculations and also to any answers that might be given to Rolf’s questions.
Jaeqil, ignoring the rambling crowd, continues to look out the window at the landslide.
"...who they are?"
"...anything to do with this, do..."
"Oh, that's nonsense! They just arrived..."
A few people in the crowd take notice of Tabin, but his offer to help is quickly dismissed. Rolf attracts a bit more attention (as does Primketh standing beside him), but everyone tries to answer his questions all at once and individual voices get lost in the cacophony.
"Oh no, we have towers falling down every..."
"...if he fell? Or more kobolds..."
"...a damned nuisance is what he..."
"No! he's a wizard with terrible dark..."
"...remember any witches. Do you?"
"Always been called the..."
Back at the inn, Jaeqil remembers that landslides are indeed naturally-occurring phenomena, but isn't sure if this particular region is prone to them.
As the two folks between the the tower and the crowd continue to bicker, a woman throws up her arms in exasperation and yells, "Fine! If neither of you deputies will do something useful, I guess I will!" and marches off towards the nearby manor. A few seconds later, a piercing scream silences the crowd for a moment.
"Another kobold - burned to a crisp!" the woman yells through the sudden silence. The two deputies stare at each other for a few seconds, then march off towards the manor as well. The crowd follows, eager to see what happens next.
Kobolds?!
Jaeqil sprints alongside the crowd towards the manor.
"Lets go see theis kobold burnt to crisp. Eis anyone even in charge around here? Maybe we take charge. Earn leetle beit of keep."
Rolf follows the deputies towards Hunclay's manor to investigate.
Primketh shrugs and smiles. ”Rolf my good man, you’re obviously a take-charge kind of fellow. So I’d say: you’re in charge!” Primketh walks with Rolf towards the manor.
Despite Primketh's assurances, none of the villagers seem to pay attention to Rolf beyond some curious looks and hushed muttering. As Jaeqil catches up with his recent companions, one of the deputies bangs on the door to the manor. When there is no reply after a few seconds, the other deputy reaches for the door handle. The first deputy catches her wrist before she can touch it, yelling, "Wait! Whatever magic did that kobold in might still be active! Best not find out right now." The crowd murmurs in response - some approve of sensible caution, some exasperated at another excuse to avoid doing anything.
The crowd suddenly falls quiet as a well-dressed woman, accompanied by a younger boy in equally fine garb, rides up the hill to the manor. As she dismounts and calls the two deputies over to her, the murmurs begin again.
"...she doing here?"
"Dolt! As if Lady Origena Devy would..."
"...think she's responsible..."
"...to ask her and find..."
With an exasperated sigh, Lady Origena stands and looks over the crowd. As her eyes pass over the strangers, she pauses. "You there," she calls, "outsiders - who are you?"
"We are travelers. Was on way to Absalom, thought maybe take job as caravan guard and earn a leetle beit of coin. Turns out, merchant was not a nice man. Now we are stuck here in this town of wonderful hospitality." Rolf smiles and bows to the woman.
"I am Rolf. I am thinking that we can healp each other. We would like to do leetle beit of work, you seem to have leetle beit of work that needs done. Watch, I can even healp to see if magic kobold cooker still working."
Rolf murmurs a simple incantation, detecting magic in the area as he concentrates.
"My name is Tabin. I was displaced from my former community by fire and decided to wander for a spell before finding a place to settle down. I used to kennel and raise dogs. Boy here is my last pup that made it out alive."
Tabin gives Boy a gentle scratch behind the ears.
The ghoran keeps his head down and tries to not show his leafy structure.
”Jaeqil,” he says simply.
”Primketh Noctua, at your service, m’lady!” Primketh says with a smile and a bow. ”As my friend Rolf here—” Primketh gestures at Rolf, ”...our leader mentioned, we’ve found ourselves in your fine town after the caravan we were recently hired to accompany ran afoul of some local smuggling ordinance. Anyway, perhaps we can investigate this strange occurrence.”
Rolf does not detect any magic on the door as Lady Origena stares a bit at Jaeqil and Primketh, then quickly collects herself. "Well, today's your lucky day," she states. "Mulle and Hodd here can't handle this without the Sheriff to hold their hands, and I want to know what happened here. You seem to be a capable bunch. If you go in there," she points at the collapsed tower, "and look through the rubble - find out what happened and why there are kobolds in my town - I'll pay the lot of you 500 gold pieces. And while you're looking around in the ruins, keep an eye out for any signs of our local eccentric, Hunclay. It seems somewhat suspicious to me that he's not answering his door. Let me know what you find."
Jaeqil nods and waits for Rolf’s lead.
Rolf thinks for a moment, pursing his lips before opening up into a wide smile. "You have deal!" he exclaims exuberantly, reaching out to shake the woman's hand and clapping her on the shoulder.
Were he even a fraction of his kin's strength, he might have shaken the poor woman off of her feet. Instead, he grits his teeth, pretending that her grip isn't actually crushing his hand.
"Maybe good idea to search rubble first. I would not be liking to walk einto wizard traps. Kobolds ein rubble, and kobold here. Maybe from same tribe?"
Excited, Rolf claps his hands together twice, ruffling his robes in the morning air. "We have work!" he says to his companions as he kneels down over the kobold to get a closer look.
Jaeqil, To many’s Surprise, interrupts Rolf. ”We should look for the kobolds.”
Hm, I wonder what’s up with the strain in her voice. ”M’lady, is aught amiss? Besides the obvious, of course.” Primketh gestures at the collapsed tower.
After waiting for an answer from Lady Origena, Primketh smiles and looks at Rolf. ”Rolf, my good man, 500 pieces of gold sounds like more than a...” Primketh exaggeratedly but good-naturedly imitates Rolf’s accent, ”...leetle beet of keep!”
Primketh looks at his companions and says, ”Well, let’s get to it. There’s no time like the present!” And starts walking toward the collapsed tower.
When within sight of the rubble but still a short ways back, Primketh stops to meticulously examine the scene, intently looking for anything interesting, out-of-the-ordinary, or otherwise notable.
In response to Primketh's question, Lady Origena sighs. "My fool husband lost his life poking around that damn tower," she explains tersely. "I guess I'd come to think of the place as his memorial. And it's not really a surprise the old thing finally fell - Hunclay's been pestering me for as long as he's lived here for permission to knock it down. And now he's nowhere to be found. Suspicious, no?"
------------------------
As the group approaches the remains of the tower, Primketh observes that the tower's ancient iron front door remains in place, but it is skewed out of place from rubble inside the tower trying to force its way out. Another entry point will have to be found.
An enormous heap of cracked stone and splintered wood from the tower lies in a low mound, tumbled partially down the hill to the southeast. The mound of rubble forms a natural ramp that leads up to the now-exposed second floor of the tower above.
"Haha! That eis good Preimkith! Sound just like me." Rolf laughs a full and hearty laugh, punching Primkith in the shoulder good-naturedly. He hides his grimace when his wrist folds in half, hardly moving the catfolk's fur out of place.
"Wait a single moment comrades. We need way to talk in case someone gets not-so-bright idea to split party." Rolf reaches deep into the folds of his robe, pulling out bits of lint, a dessicated mushroom, and a handful of copper bits. He hands a piece of copper to each of his companions while waving his other hand and mumbling some unintelligible words.
"There. Now you just whisper to me and I'll hear you, even if you are long ways away. Ok, now who weill be climbing? My people are great climbers. Theis like second nature to me, but I have leetle beit of bunyan on left toe. Someone ealse should have spotlight." Rolf plans his hands on his hips, arching his back and looking up towards the exposed second floor, making exaggerated motions of sucking on his teeth, contemplating.
"Maybe I'll check around for kobold evidence until someone can throw rope down."
”A little help here?”
”Oh, you have my sincere condolences about your lord husband, M’Lady. Should we come across his remains, would you prefer they stay where they now lay? And this Hunclay; what can you tell us of this person?”
--
”Ah, excellent idea, Rolf!” After receiving Rolf’s message spell, Primketh runs a short distance away, points his finger at the Ulfen man, and whispers, ”Slim, this is Easy-P; do you copy? over.”
Primketh then comes back by the group and assesses the rubble. ”Hm. I’m not much of an expert in collapsed towers. But I might make a reasonable assumption that it is less-than-stable. I’ve had a lot more experience climbing trees than rubble. But perhaps if I take my time I can get up there and secure some ropes."
Primketh will carefully ascend the rubble pile. If/when he safely reaches the top, he’ll secure his silk rope to anything that looks conveniently stable. He’ll then climb back down with the loose end of the rope and recite a short incantation, waving his paws, and touch each party member. (guidance)
"Good idea Primketh. Everyone assumes us small folk are adept at climbing, but I've never shown much knack for it."
The halfling waits to see if the catfolk makes it up the structure. He prepares to set Boy to guarding the tower, to make sure no one else gets too close.
Lady Origena dryly tells Primketh, "Should you encounter my husband's body in there, you might have bigger problems to worry about since last I checked he was buried in the cemetery. And Hunclay... just let me know if you find him."
--------
Jaeqil barely manages to avoid being hit by falling debris as he tumbles down the ramp. Primketh deftly scales the ruins, and with the help of his rope and spell, the rest of the group makes their way to the remains of the second floor. Open to the sky above, this exposed upper floor contains only some smashed furniture and a sprinkling of rubble. A trap door is set in the floor against the northwest wall, but a stout timber has fallen across it. Working together, Jaeqil and Tabin are able to move it out of the way and open the way down.
This room is dark save for the light filtering in through the open trapdoor above. The tower's large ground floor has mostly collapsed under the rubble, but along the western portion of the room a section remains clear of debris. An iron trap door set in the floor is directly below a companion door in the ceiling above. Shattered wooden furniture lies scattered around the corpses of two small, green-scaled creatures.
"Three! Three dead kobolds so far. Ah ah ahhh!" Rolf chuckles as he walks over to the bodies to inspect them closer.
Wanting to make sure they don't miss anything, Rolf repeats the incantation for detect magic and scans the room before kneeling down for an up close inspection of the dead lizard-kin.
"Yup, kobolds for sure. I wonder what they've been getting into in here. Maybe they've been doing something that caused the landslide. Perhaps we should try to move the rubble and look for clues. They might have been using tools or something."
"Maybe we can get Boy to poke is nose around. Maybe he can sniff out more bodies."
But Boy was trained more as a riding animal than as a hunting hound, so he wasn't really sure what Tabin was trying to get him to do.
Where there's kobolds, there's likely...
The lack of a steady light source makes investigating difficult, and neither Rolf nor Jaeqil can find anything of interest or any tracks under all the dust and debris. The only ways out of the room look to be either up the way the group just came, or further down into the darkness of the lower floor.
"I am not finding of useful things. Pearhaps we should head down below?" Rolf suggests. He walks over to the trap door, spits on his hands, rubs them together and grabs the handle.
After several moments of straining and grunting, he proclaims, "Definitely stuck. Pearhaps there is shift in frame."
With Boy wandering around, Rolf checks a wriggling pocket in his robes. A skinny hare, with white and brown speckled fur pokes his nose out, then ducks back inside the warmth of the folds.
Tabin decides that carrying Boy through the ruins is too dangerous, so he sets him to guard from the outside.
"I have gear to make a campfire, but if we are going to descend into the darkness, I'd need a proper traveling light source."
At Tabin’s comment about a light source, Primketh speaks up: ”Ah, I can provide magical illumination. Who’d like to be the source of my light spell?" Primketh looks over each of his new companions. "Jaeqil, perhaps?” Primketh recites a quick incantation and touches Jaeqil's greatclub, causing it to shed light like a torch.
Jaeqil looks at his newly-glowing club.
"Better than a torch, I guess. Let's go."
Jaeqil begins to descend the ladder.
As the group descends, they see by the light of Primketh's spell that the walls of this lower chamber have buckled precariously in several places, and masonry and dirt are scatered across the floor - the collapse above plainly caused this structural damage. The dry-rotted frames of five simple beds lie against the north and south walls. To the southwest, the room broadens into a larger chamber. A rusted, grinning iron statue stands in an alcove in the north wall between the two wings of the room itself, and in the wall to the south is an old iron door. However, the adventurers quickly discover they are not alone as two large insects emerge from the shadows and clack their mandibles eagerly!
These are giant centipedes, a type of vermin with a poisonous bite. Unfortunately, they don't have much in the way of a brain and are immune to mind-affecting effects .
These are giant centipedes - their bite is poisonous and they can climb walls as easily as the floor.
Round 1! Bold may act!
Tabin
Rolf
Primketh
Jaeqil
Red
Blue
Readying his longbow as he moves, Tabin takes a shot at the lead centipede.
But the shadows throw off his shot just enough.