"What?" snaps Anarath, looking in the direction the Kender pointed.
"Euurgh," mumbles Corvin as he scrapes gore from his armor, "I'm growin' to hate these little scaly f&*#ers more and more..."
He suddenly pauses, a mad gleam in his eyes.
"I'm f%$%ing PISSED OFF!"
He turns, slowly, then suddenly grasps the doors' iron handles, tugging with all his might, ready for whatever's behind them.
"COME GET SOME, YOU BLOODY BASTARDS!"
"Under the table silly!" He says, laughing.
The creature under the table seems to realize that you've seen it and it emerges, arms held high to indicate surrender. "In broken common it says "Please. I not mean you harm. I surrender. I have not any weapons. I not enemy." in a high pitched squeak. It looks around hopefully at you, seeming unsure if you understood it's message and raises its arms further into the air to further make its point.
Scrumble walks up to it. "Well then what are you?"
"I is not one of them. I worship Her so they hunt me. They sent other beleivers to get dead by strangers like you. I help you, if you help I get rid of them. Hmmm? They coming to kill you now. I help you hide." It says in its high pitched voice. It seems to be being honest and as you look more closely you notice a small pendant with the same symbol as the one you found on one of the kobolds who ambushed you in the forest. The symbol of Tiamat, evil dragon god of the kobolds.
He scampers eagerly over to a rotting tapestry hanging from one of the stone walls and beckons urgently for you to follow.
Corvin, you neither see nor hear anything in the shadowy corridor.
Spot DC 14, if you're near the door
"Corvin - they seem to be massing their forces. Let's follow this little freak - that's the kobold, not Scumble - as there seems to be some sort of civil war among the scaly ones. We can maybe find out what lurks beneath this manor."
"Hey look, even more kobolds!" He says, pointing down the corridor.
He begins to run after the small creature.
"Corvin - they seem to be massing their forces. Let's follow this little freak - that's the kobold, not Scumble - as there seems to be some sort of civil war among the scaly ones. We can maybe find out what lurks beneath this manor."
"Fine. But if the little bastard puts one claw outta line, he's JELLY."
"I will assist you too, I just need to find a weapon!" I say, reverting to common. As I look down the corridor and see the kobolds sneakin up on us, I give a frightened squeak and hurry after the others.
The kobold who was hiding under the table lifts up a corner of th massive tapestry and knocks on the stone, muttering something in draconic. After a moment the bricks seem to melt and flow like water and then a door is revealed. The kobold pulls out a key and and the door clicks open, revealing a dark stairway twisting down into the darkness. He steps down a few steps and then gestures for you to follow, saying "Hurry! Before more come!" and scurries down the stairs.
Anarath looks hard at this “friendly” kobold, but is unable to read it.
“I don’t know that we have much choice,” he mutters. “I’m almost out of spells, and with our healer gone we won’t survive too many more battles.”
He looks to Dohrlok. “Yes, it seems like this one serves Tiamat – probably some traditional, tribal diety – and the others serve the presence in the tower.” He then looks to Corvin as he moves to follow the kobold. “Yes, you can be the first to kill it if it betrays us…”
As he moves to the newly revealed secret passage, he says, “Mithalvaris, I have some spare weapons – you may use them until you aquire some of your own.” He passes over his shortbow and his quarterstaff to the other elf, hanging on to Segwin’s sword and bow.
He then ducks to follow the kobold into the secret passage.
Dohrlok follows Anarath.
Knowledge, religion: 17+6 = 23
Anarath looks hard at this “friendly” kobold, but is unable to read it.
...
He then looks to Corvin as he moves to follow the kobold. “Yes, you can be the first to kill it if it betrays us…”
"Heh. Only reason I'm not killin' it right now is you 'n Dohrlok Stone-Head want it livin'. Can't 'magine why..."
The fighter is barely able to restrain himself, clenching and unclenching his fists in anger.
The stairs wind down a long way and you are soone engulfed by complete darkness. After a few minutes in the darkness you emerge into a dimly lit chamber. The flickering light only illuminates a small area of what seems to be a part of a much larger chamber. In the darkness you can here the sounds of whispering and of many small creatures moving about. A kobold, slightly larger than the others, clad in fine chain mail steps forward, followed by a kobold bearing an elaborate holy symbol of Tiamat and several guards. "I wasz in formed of your coming. What iz your buiznesss here?" He asks in deep, accented common, his sword raised in challenge.
"Our business?" He turns to the rest of you."Do we have business here?"
"Your little friend isz not giving uss a reazon not to kill you. If one of you otherss hasz ssomething more helpful to you continued survival then speak quickly." the leader says, raising his sword slightly.
"We seek the mystery that lies beneath Grimmbold Manor."
You hear movement in the shadows and the kobold leader, who seems to be getting angry, says "There are many myzteriez under the Manor, and many more in it. What does your pitiful group seek? Surely you're not going to tell me that you all chanced upon this remote place. I can assure you, I would be mozt skeptical of such a far-fetched tale."
"I'll show you pitiful, you... pitiful-er... WHO YOU CALLIN' PITIFUL?!"
"Threatening me isz a very bad idea, of that I can assure you, puny human. Kazzak brought you here thinking that you might be of some aid to usz who are still faithful to our old gods. I pray for your sake he was right. Tell me, and tell me quickly, why you are here and of what use it is to usz or you will find how precise my archers are." he says as he looks at each of you in turn. Despite his small stature he seems to radiate power and menace. The rest of the massive cavern has fallen silent, waiting to see how the scene will unfold.
Anarath steps forward, and begins to speak – in Draconic:
“Forgive my stupid companions, oh favoured one of the dragon goddess,” he says. “We have suffered somewhat at the claws of your wayward brethren upstairs, and they speak without thought… as usual. Our goal here is to rid this place of the alien presence in the tower.”
He’s taking a gamble, but hopes he’s saying the right things…
Draconic
Then in common he says "Come my brethren. Let uss feast in celebration of thiss day. Thesse mamilia sscum wants to help us defeat our foe in the tower and destroy the betrayerss." in a loud booming voice that echos throughout the cavern.
There is a sound of cheering and then a path of torches lights, leading towards the shadowy shapes of a many small tents. The kobold leader starts along the dimly lit path and beckons you to follow.
"Threatening me isz a very bad idea, of that I can assure you, puny human. Kazzak brought you here thinking that you might be of some aid to usz who are still faithful to our old gods. I pray for your sake he was right. Tell me, and tell me quickly, why you are here and of what use it is to usz or you will find how precise my archers are." he says as he looks at each of you in turn. Despite his small stature he seems to radiate power and menace. The rest of the massive cavern has fallen silent, waiting to see how the scene will unfold.
Corvin falls silent, strangely intimidated by the small creature.
Scrumble turns to Anarath. "What on earth just happened?
Tsiilmas looks to his fellow adventurers about to say something, then to himself he says "So THAT is what I was feeling, I guess the trees never lie!"Then, shaking his head he turns to the others and says "Whew, We squeaked out of that one by a hair! Thanks Anarath again!"
Anarath turns to his companions. “I think I have averted our death at the hands of dozens of kobolds,” he says dryly, “by convincing them of the stupidity of certain of our party. Incidentally, I have told them that we are seeking to get rid of the presence I felt in the tower. The kobolds call it ‘Wer Yrev Daar’ and apparently there is a civil war going on between the ones we faced upstairs – who worship this thing – and these ones who follow some traditional deity called Tiamat. It seemed the lesser of two evils, and in this situation,” he gestures at the horde of kobolds, “it seemed we had little choice. And that thing is definitely evil.” He shudders slightly.
“It is strange though,” he continues to Corvin and Dohrlok. “I had thought that maybe the presence in the tower was responsible for what happened to the Manor, and Sedgwin’s madness, but it seems that the thing – and indeed the tower itself – have only been here for some three months.”
"Odd indeed. Perhaps the worshippers of the thing are relatively new, and perhaps have elevated it whereas before it lay undiscovered. There are strange, dark things that lie in the earth for millennia before finding debased allies."
"Oh, and good work with Corvin," whispers Dohrlok to Anarath, "I was getting ready to trip him up and leave him for the kobolds while we ran. However, he seems somewhat restrained now."
"Nothing much I did," mutters Anarath. "I think he finally figured out that hitting things wasn't going to do him much good against several dozen armed kobolds. Serious anger issues that one..."
The kobold king leads you through a large section of the massive chamber. In the darkness to either side you hear the sound of many creatures moving around. Soon you reach a fairly well lit area surrounded by a few tents. Several tables laden with seared venison and mushrooms and other subterranian flora and fuana. "Ssit and enjoy a meal with uss before we begin planning the assault of our heretical brethern and their foul prophet." He says and sits on one of many small rock stools surrounding the area and a smaller kobold emerges from the darkness and serves him a platter of food.
Tsiilmas daintly nibbles at one of the mushrooms and takes a few sips of the porridge stuff. That is all he can take. He makes a disgusted face whispering to himself "Bleck, not only are they ugly, they can't cook worth a hoot. Hrmph."
"Oh boy!" Scrumble dives into the food not caring what he eats.
Corvin just stares at the food, not daring to touch it, nor daring to say anything.
"Aren't you going to eat?" The king says, looking at Corvin and sounding amused, "Surely your hungry, itss been hourss since your lasst meal and you've been through several battelss. Do you dare refuse my hosspitality or perhaps you think the food to be poisoned?"
"I don't eat no food I don't cook myself. Old habit."
The king smirks and says "Of coursse." and his followers, who have emerged to eat, laugh.
After you are finished eating (or not eating, as the case may be) he stands and says "Come, we musst plan our battle with the hereticss above uss and pray to the Dragon Godess for favor." and begins to walk off towards a large tent that can only be seen dimly in the shadowy lighting.
He bounds after the guy. "Oh wow, we get to make a battle plan? What fun!"
Corvin whispers darkly to Anarath,
"I swear, one damn wrong move and I'll take the lot of 'em with me to the Hells. If we get outta this, remind me to tell you... aw, f@+* it."
Anarath draws close to the human warrior. “Have patience Corvin,” he breathes quietly. “There still may be reason for us to battle these – we shall see. But that time is not now. There are too many of them, and without my spells or a healer, I do not think the battle prowess of you and Dohrlok alone would see us prevail. We must choose our battles.”
“Now,” he says more loudly, addressing the kobold leader. “Before we can face the thing in the tower, we need to plan and rest. What can you tell us of the thing, and how do we get to that tower?”
The king leads you to a large tent set up in the middle of the cavern. Its dimly lit and looks to be constructed of leather and iron poles. Two heavily armed kobolds in plate armor stand guard by the door, and lift aside the flap at their king’s approach. Inside the tent, which is barely tall enough for you to stand upright are several more kobolds. One wears simple robes and leans heavily on an ornate staff carven with arcane sigils and the other looks to be some kind of priest, the symbol of Tiamat wrought in gold around his thin neck. A table, much shorter than you’re accustomed to, is spread out on the table, pinned down with daggers. It shows the grounds of the manor and the first floor.
“The basics of my plan involve the five of you attacking the thing in the tower, since my warriors aren’t up to the challenge. We will attack the betrayers, keeping them from harrying you. I think that once we start attacking the betrayers the foul creature in the tower will come out to assist itss followers so that it can exterminate uss once and for all. A few of my mages and priests may be able to assist you with healing and such when you battle the creature. We’ll need to sstrike suddenly. When they gather for feeding in the morning we can ambush them, exorcising their stain from our clan. You will be waiting near the tower, so that when it emerges you can attack it before it reaches my men. Do you have any suggestions?”
“The basics of my plan involve the five of you attacking the thing in the tower, since my warriors aren’t up to the challenge. We will attack the betrayers, keeping them from harrying you. I think that once we start attacking the betrayers the foul creature in the tower will come out to assist itss followers so that it can exterminate uss once and for all. A few of my mages and priests may be able to assist you with healing and such when you battle the creature. We’ll need to sstrike suddenly. When they gather for feeding in the morning we can ambush them, exorcising their stain from our clan. You will be waiting near the tower, so that when it emerges you can attack it before it reaches my men. Do you have any suggestions?”
Some of Corvin's old fire returns.
"How's about we go back to the part where you ain't helpin' us. You ain't riskin' your scaly necks, you're riskin' ours. Why haven't you killed the... whatever it is in the tower yet? I 'sumed y' all were fighters, not... no... don't fight none."
"What's the thing in the tower?" He says, somewhat shadowing Corvin's doubts.
"Yes, some idea as to what creature we face would be useful, so we can determine the most appropriate tactics against it."
"We don't know what inhabitss the tower. All that we know iss that it is a foul abomination of nature. It appearss as something out of a nightmare, hovering over the ground though it hass no wingss. It hass a beak like a bird that devours the loyal servantss of the Dragon Queen and two long tentacles. We've only seen it while it wass under a cloak. That iss all I can tell you about it, I'm afraid."