Balancing the Scales, part 6
Log Info
- Title: Balancing the Scales, part 6
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Tawyse, Elyanna, Tae, Aimarra
- Place: Eldwyn Forest and Bendywine River
- Time: Thursday, August 27, 2020, 6:07 PM
- Summary: Glasha has stormed off, Tawyse rejoins the party and a new half-orc named Tae arrives. Tae has been tracking kobolds and is overjoyed to find their cave. The party remanents less so. They explore, discovering caltrops and a deadfall. As they are working out how to disable the deadfall, Tae sets off another stink stone, and is sick. After the rocks fall, with no one dying, they reach two doors, a Green and one with a Number 2 on it. Determining both are trapped, green with a thunderstone, #2 with Alchemical fire, Aimarra shoots Door #2 and successfully detonates the mixture. The door burns, beyond it is a chambre with a chest, and a crossbow trap. The crossbow trap is set off by rolling rocks towards it. The chest appears to have been waterlogged, dried out, and glued shut. This area is clearly lived in, with beds and kobold scents. Beyond is a chimney, with a door sealing it shut, with an 'X' across it. The other passage is explored, with Tae detonating the Thunderstone using a rock on string. Eventually... The passage behind the green door grows narrower, and eventually leads underwater into a tight space only kobolds or gnomes might get through. The party decides they aren't pursing. Examining the crossbow, Elyanna determines it Alexandrian Guard issue, and proof that Lt. Trygve is lying. She decides to hang onto it for now; Tae elects to wait in the cave and try to mend the books, in case the kobolds return, and the wagonier is told to return to Alexandria with the remnants of the party. Mourner Locien is found, still unconscious, guarded by his horse. Elyanna's has wandered off. The party is met by a large number of guards at the gate, who accept that they don't have the Thunderblecher, were overwhelmed by the Kobolds, and that the problem is more serious than initially appeared. Any other accusations are dismissed.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Tawyse 3'0" 33 Lb Gnome Female An orange-haired Gnome in green leather armor. Elyanna 5'11" 153 Lb Half-Orc Female An oddly complected woman in a raven feather cloak Tae 6'2" 135 Lb Half-Orc Female Female half-oruch, lean, black hair Aimarra 5'1" 128 Lb Half-Elf Female Brown hair and eyes, breastplate, leathers, pointed ears. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
The mission seems to have broken down...
The last words heard from the Kobolds were, "Yes. Talk more ideas, later. Going now. Too dangerous. Leave cave for you. Dare you see what behind Door Number Two!" Then they retreated inside and were lost from sight.
Inadvertantly, the kobolds enacted a version of Aimarra's plan. Vanishing and leaving the party to wonder what is in the cave. Are they still? Waiting behind a defensive array of traps? Did they absconded through some secret exit? Just how well prepared were they, could this be an elaborate set-up?
A lot of questions, no answers.
Especially as the group of adventurers splits further. Glasha stormed off, Aimarra seemed about to do the same. Elyanna's whips are whispering to her. There's been no sign of Locien, Joro, or Tawyse. Only the wind.
Kobold Cave Legend .clear 'scrub, *tree #rock
Each row/col, . etc, is 5'
-..A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H.I.J.K.L.M.N.O.P.Q.R.S.T.
01|*.......***''''''.....''''...*****'''''.
-.|..##**'''**...'''''.....'''...'''****''.
02|*'#...''.'...**'.......''..''**''..''**.
-.|......**''''***''.....**''....'''...***.
03|''''......*''''''***.......''##'''......
-.|''..'''....''...'''*''''....''#''.......
04|'...''....**''''''''.......'''**''....''
-.|'...''...'**''..'''''''.....'''..''''***
05|'''''......**''''''''...'''......''''***
-.|***......''''''''.......'''''...'''''''*
06|*'''''''''....................''''''''''
-.|##''...'''...''..............****###***.
07|####*****###''.......''****'''####*''**#
-.|#####**########\.\######################
08|################|.|#####################
-.|#################/./####################
Cave Entrance
The Gnome slowly moved along, atop her giant beetle, Chaucy. She squinted and peered into the underbrush, perhaps looking for dangers... or traces of her erstwhile comrades. Or both, best to be prepared. The recently toppled tree is discovered, and shortly afterwards, the cave. Tawyse peers into the darkness, and calls out, "Folks? Are you still with the living, or have the Kobolds eaten you?"
Elyanna takes in a slow breath, holds it for a few minutes with her eyes closed, then slowly lets it out through her nose. She takes three repeats of this before she can do it with baring gnashed fangs, then brings a hand to gently clasp over her face. What can the halfbreed really say but, "That went less well than it could have."
Generally speaking, there aren't a lot of people who go wandering the wilderness looking for trouble, but perhaps that is exactly what Tae and her panther are up to. Maybe that's what Druids do when they aren't slogging about in dungeons. It was the sound of a trap going that drew her attention to this particular area.
When Tae finds the trap, it brings a smile to her face, "We may have found what we are looking for!" she blurts out to the panther at her side. A quick run down an obvious trail and she notices the group at the cave entrance. "Hey there!" she calls out. "I have been looking for kobolds all day. Have you seen them? Are they peaceful?"
Aimarra stands next to Elyanna, at the very edge of the cave mouth. "Yeah. Whiny little-" She is about to say more when first Tawyse and then Tae greet them, but instead stops and turns around. "There you are, Tawyse. Yeah, they ran and hid in the caves. "Not sure I care anymore." When someone unfamiliar shows up, she looks them up and down - mostly up - but seems to accept her readily enough. "Yeah, they're in here. Little bastards are being armed by someone in Alexandria. They've got a thunder belcher."
The Forest noises provide a backdrop to the party's conversation. Birds, buzzing heat-bugs, the swish of the leaves as the wind blows through them. The cave is silent, no noises within.
Tawyse looks relieved to see the others, though she looks around curiously. "Where are the others? Wasn't there a Jotun woman? And a Half-Oruch?" She step closer to Aimarra, and nods. "Yeah, I heard the weapon being fired a number of times, thought I never got close enough, except once. And they hit me with a tanglefoot bag, I think. Had me stuck in place for a while. Damned annoying."
And a mourner. There was a mourner in the part.
"Are they?" says Tae. She laughs softly, "Clever little ones to get their hands on that. I imagine they have a rather good aim with it at targets our size." She makes a gesture to the panther at her side and the beast pads out of the area, finding itself something else to do for the moment. "I'm Tae, by the way. Did you get their names? Is a whole family here?" She is already peeking into the cave as best she can, rather focused on what she came here to do. Kobold lairs are rather impossible for her to fit in, generally, so her eyes will have to do for now.
"The wizard cut the prisoners loose and they led us here, and then she had a little snit and left," Aimarra explains to Tawyse, rolling her eyes to the heavens. "Good riddance, if you ask me. You trying to track them down?" she asks of Tae. "Persistent little buggers, they are, and smart."
Elyanna shakes her head, "They are going to get someone killed." It's a tossup who that will be, of course, but... As the bug rider comes into view, she turns and shrugs, "The oruch left. I have not seen the Jotun in some time. I have cared less.... but not often." She considers the new face for a moment, a glance at the beast with her, then, "They are different patterns. A red, a blue, a green and two more serpent colored. Jak and Trak."
"Kobolds are fascinating, aren't they? Do any of them speak our tongue? I haven't had enough time to learn Draconic yet, unfortunately. I do plan on remedying that as soon as possible, of course." She speaks quickly, her voice betraying her excitement. Tae frowns at the cave.
"So they led you here, yes? And I'm guessing you are viewed as.. unfriends." The news from Elyanna leaves Tae smiling gratefully, "Jak and Trak! I have not met them, unfortunately. And yes, there are many colors among their kind."
"Oh. Well, on the one hand, it was a good idea if this is their cave. Though, I take it the two prisoners ran deeper into the cave?" She cants her head slightly and blinks at Aimarra. "What caused her to have a snit?" Glancing to Elyanna, the Gnome looks a little concerned. "It would be upsetting if the two of them got lost in the woods. We should go and look for them, assuming we can get this bit done quickly enough." She rubs at a cheek and looks to each of the three others. "What is our plan, then?"
Aimarra folds her arms, decidedly not in a particularly good mood. "If she ran off in a huff, got lost in the woods, and had to live on bugs for a few days, I'd think it a good lesson for the little snot. The Jotun is good for little more than pointing out the enemy and pushing them in the right direction." The girl's braids are a mess and full of twigs, her clothes dirty. "We going in after them? Seems a bit like walking into the dragon's open mouth."
GAME: Tae rolls knowledge/nature: (17)+8: 25 GAME: Aimarra rolls knowledge/nature: (6)+8: 14 GAME: Tawyse rolls knowledge/nature: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL)
It's a large cave mouth. Open and inviting. Easy to walk right in. What could go wrong?
"I would see this done. Perhaps we can work something out, I have mostly not done them any injury." Mostly. Elyanna shrugs, "I will not drag you into the maw, ir you would rather be elsewhere." Sheseems to agree with aimarra's assessment of her fellows, "What happened to the mourner?" A glance is cast to the newcomer, then, "One has a harder time with this tongue than I do. The others do not speak it at all, it appears."
Poor Locien, lying unconscious by the side of the road. Who knocked himself out with a branch, whom no one has checked on. Lost in a dream of a battlefield wasteland. Fortunately he has a trained horse. A clever horse, the horse will know what to do. Check his pockets for snacks and loose change. It is an adventurer's horse, after all. And he is not forgotten after all.
"Well, a couple things. I'm guessing kobolds are not your area of interest," says Tae. She's downright delighted, still. Somehow the idea that the kobolds have gotten their hands on a powerful firearm pleases her to no end. "Judging by the lack of a considerable pile of waste, and the presence of a healthy bush or two, this is not a family home. I would guess it's something like an outpost, used on occasion. With an entrance of this size, it practically begs for us to just lumber in and be destroyed by their clever little traps. They have such a gift for them, honestly. But.. there are ways to tell."
GAME: Tae casts Detect Snares And Pits. Caster Level: 2 DC: 15
"I've a spell that I could use to allow one of them to speak a language of my choice.", the Gnome says, offering a shrug. "And my intention wasn't to go off looking for the two right now, lets get the job done and we can check after." She grins lightly at Aimarra's assessment, and shrugs once more. "Perhaps you are correct, though I think it best to find them, after, if we can. That's for after, yes?" Tawyse squints into the cave. "Any chance that they might venture out here soon, if we could hide? Maybe we could sneak in, hope that their traps are disarmed?"
The cave entrance is straight for a little bit, then twists to the right. Just enough to block some of the spell. What's immediately visible has no hazards.
GAME: Tawyse rolls perception: (6)+6: 12 <OOC> Concentration DC 6 GAME: Tae rolls 1d20+6: (9)+6: 15 (Concentration) GAME: Tae rolls perception: (2)+9: 11 GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (9)+10: 19 GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (11)+2: 13 <OOC> Cryosanthia pages: 1 on the d3 sets off GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d3: (3): 3 (not Tawyse) GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d3: (1): 1 (Tae)
Lighting up one end of her staff with a quickly worded spell, Tawyse slips into the cave. She moves her head back and forth, attempting to take in as much as possible, hoping to avoid setting off traps. She comes to a sudden half, and holds up a hand, prodding at something with the non-lit end of her staff. "Ssst. There are those pointed triangle things again. Watch your feet. And back."
Tae sighs as Tawyse enters ahead. Well, at least she isn't immediately crushed by a rockfall or something. Before she takes a step into the cave, she prepares. She pulls out her scimitar and casts it aside, followed by all but one of her knives. She does keep the hilt of her weapon, but nothing else.
Tae, now being fully prepared, steps inside and cautiously follows. When a corner is turned, she stops and mutters, "Danger ahead. As expected." She stands there, staring at a spot in the cave for a time. She doesn't call a halt. Honestly, if people ignore her warning and go on to disarm traps with their bodies it would save her a lot of time.
Aimarra trails behind the others, eyes peeled as they move into the gloom. The light helps, but she frowns at the mention of the triangular things again. "Clear them to one side, if we can. We might need to make a quick exit."
The cave entrance is rather featureless. The cave seems to be formed by a natural crack in the rock which has left a widened opening down near the ground. From the outside, there is nothing obvious. This is typical, Kobold nests do tend to be hidden, although the Kobolds aren't good with hiding their refuse, that is usually dumped nearby. After the first twist, things get a little tighter, then open up, the passage seems to split into an upside down Y.
Each branch is blocked by a hastily erected door which seems jammed in place. The south-eastern one is green, while the south-western door is plain, weatherbeaten. The paint on the green door is mostly worn off, the weatherbeaten one has a giant '2' painted on it. No hinges, they seem shoved in place, then nailed in place from both sides, and it's possible for a small person to climb through the gap at the top.
Kobold Cave Legend .clear 'scrub, *tree #rock Each row/col, . etc, is 5' -..A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H.I.J.K.L.M.N.O.P.Q.R.S.T. 06|*'''''''''....................'''''''''' -.|##''...'''...''..............****###***. 07|####*****###''.......''****'''####*''**# -.|#####**########\.\###################### 08|################|.|##################### -.|#################/./#################### 09|################|.|##################### -.|################\.\##################### 10|################/./##################### -.|###############|....|################### 11|##############/./##\.\##################
Hmmm. Elyana considers the gnome a moment or two, then, "How long does the spell last?" she wonders. Expecting the quarters to tighten, she reaches behind her back to pull her small, fanglike punch dagger. As the gnome and the kobold scholar start to cast she steps to one side to let them. As they venture in, finding more of her dear little friends, she does what she can to sweep them aside carefully with her feet.
"Hey umm.. whoever you are there with the light," says Tae, waving in Tawyse's direction. She raises her hand to point, "There's a rock fall there. I don't suppose you might have some way to set it off without burying us, do you?" The half-oruch loses herself in further concentration, "Just that one, it seems.. the doors are clear. Of course they know we are here. And apparently they will now think I'm on your expedition, which will make my own work all the harder. What do you want with them, anyway?" She sounds somewhat distracted, focused as she is.
Tawyse begins to swing her staff to and fro along the ground, shoving the caltrops towards the edges of the cave. "Watch out for wires and such too, don't trip over such things. And look for holes, stuff above. They're good shots when you can't duck or move out of the way." The Gnome looks to Elyanna, "About an hour. But I can pretty much cast it all day."
She looks to Tae and shakes her head. "How about we not do that? We have no idea how they will end up, they could block the passageway entirely." She pauses. "I could probably climb through the hole over the door..."
"But could you do that before the rocks crush you," murmurs Tae. "I don't think I'd like to be present to see that occur, honestly." She looks to the others, "Nothing else on how to address this little trap? I can only detect it, not see exactly how it works or how it might be avoided. Unless of course you mean to dig a hole around it."
"Funny that an expert in kobolds would know nothing of traps," Aimarra puts in, folding her arms again. "Perhaps we go outside, get a few large branches, trigger the trap and try to make the rocks go the other way?" she hazards. "I don't do that sort of stuff, really."
"Kobolds are no less capable than others," replies Tae. "If you would know, I do not pursue them when they don't wish to be bothered. I prefer to befriend them. Unfortunately, if I stand aside.. I have no confidence they will survive. Which brings me back to the earlier question. What are you chasing them for? They possess a weapon, but so do all of us. That hardly explains this. And it feels odd that you do not name yourselves. Should I be concerned about more than just this trap?"
"I want them to stop trying to set up tolls, perhaps steer them toward hunting for trade or somesuch." Elyanna replies, "They insist the Thunderbelcher was built by their hand, though we are of different thoughts about that. They have yet to kill anyone to our knowledge, but an overly ambitious whelpling in the Alexandrian guard is obsessed with having the weapon and no doubt will keep sending others after them for it." She draws up as the traps are noted and she shrugs, then looks to Aimarra's suggestion, "I don't have a better suggestion." The new girl's objections are addressed with, "Elyanna."
Aimarra rolls her eyes again at Tae's comments, but nods to Elyanna. "They're going to get bothered. If it's not by us, by half the Alexandrian guards. They're camping out on roads setting up false tolls. I could always go back to the Guild and tell them it's a bigger problem than expected and will need reinforcements," she suggests coolly. "It wouldn't be a lie. As for the names, you can call me Aimarra. I'd ask who you are, but I don't really give a rip. I've dealt with enough high and mighty people today." Oh, someone is _done_.
"Sorry, Tawyse is my name.", the Gnome offers to Tae, "Wish the circumstances were better." Her eyes narrow slightly. "Kobolds are not always friends of the forest. And when they attack people, they bring more city folk into the forest, which causes more trouble. This lot appears to be troublesome. While I do not believe they have manufactured the weapon, such an idea is a worry. Even if they are simply buying or stealing them, it spells trouble."
She nods to Elyanna, and then looks to Aimarra. "I am sure we can find a felled log we can use. With luck, the log will hold open a space for us crawl through." Looking back at Tae. "We've already tried talking with them, and they are not in the mood to do so."
Tae turns to focus on Elyanna for a moment. She nods her head, still sounding distracted as she maintains concentration on her spell. "Hmph. Alexandrian guard. Probably wants to steal it. As for the tolls, that can be corrected. By now they are likely convinced of just how dangerous it is. Still, you must understand, for creatures so used to being trod over, the thought of holding even that little slice of power is intoxicating. And yet, that seems an idea that they wouldn't have come up with on their own. Most suspicious, indeed. Oh, and as I said outside, I am Tae. I've never associated with the high and mighty before, though! I'm rather flattered." She gives a grin to Tawyse, "A worry to some, but it fits my plans. Still, there's really no hope that they build such a thing on their own. It begs the question of how, where, and why, though."
GAME: Tawyse rolls intelligence: (7)+2: 9 GAME: Tae rolls intelligence: (5): 5 GAME: Aimarra rolls intelligence: (20)+2: 22 GAME: Elyanna rolls intelligence: (15)+1: 16
"Exactly so." Elyanna replies to Tae with a shrug, "I honestly could care less about the weapon, it is more the origins and the potential for further mischief that is my concern."
GAME: Tae rolls survival: (1)+12: 13 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Tae rolls fortitude: (4)+5: 9 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "DC11 is what you're after. You maintain your spell while throwing up." GAME: Tae rolls 1d20+2+4: (5)+2+4: 11
"I'm going to see if I can find out where they stepped," murmurs Tae. "It isn't a perfect plan, bu-
The sentence is cut off by the sound of pellets and then a cloud of some quite unpleasant smoke that surrounds the half-oruch. For some time, she's left speechless. Perhaps the noises she makes mean something in some horrible language, but turning one guts out is never a silent activity. Especially when that person is as angry about the whole thing as Tae is. When she at last finishes her.. activities, she growls, "We never speak of this again."
"It does rather look like they have come up with it between the three of them.", Tawyse remarks, and covers her face with an arm as the smoke puffs out and Tae yarfs up yesterday's lunch. The Gnome makes a race and turns around, breathing in the 'fresher' air there. "Ewh!"
A twinge of sympathy tweaks Aimarra - after all, she did that not too long ago herself, and that stuff really is nasty. She relents, but as she watches the scenario, she too covers her nose and mouth with her cloak. She pauses suddenly, then looks around. "Any of you have a tanglefoot bag?"
GAME: Elyanna rolls reflex: (4)+8: 12
Elyanna edges back from the smoke as it engulfs their new companion, listening to her daintily purge in -not yrch-speak- but doesn't have a lot to add until Aimarra's question. "I do not."
Being the largest of them, Elyanna takes it upon herself to venture outside and... after some moments' search, drags a log into the cave. With the advisory to, "Stand clear." and enough hesitation to allow her comapnions to do just that, she tries to prod around the area with it.
While the druid is suffering the effect of an undiscovered trap, there is time to go out of the cave and collect a log. The air is fresher too. Hopefully it will clear, but few things have gone well so far today. Bringing it back, the controlled springing is attempted, Elyanna is successful and the trap is set off.
Rocks fall. Nobody dies. There is a rattling crash as a collection of rocks and stones come down, and some of them are stone bricks, from somewhere. Most are fist sized, human fist, sized stones with a few larger ones, and some smaller ones just to bulk out the falling mass. Some are held up by the log, the rest land, making a small pile in the cave's passage. Not enough to use for cover, but close. A slightly larger pile of rubble could serve as a barricade for small warriors.
It's easy enough to climb over, into the widened passage, where the party confronts two doors. A green one, and Door Number 2.
Doors. and enough room for you all to crowd in and examine them.
GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (5)+2: 7 GAME: Tae rolls perception: (16)+9: 25 GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (13)+10: 23 GAME: Tawyse rolls perception: (4)+6: 10
Tae uses the spare time of log handling to drink some water and clear the taste from her mouth. "No matter how many times that happens, it's just as bad as the first time," she mutters under her breath.
"That will also work," Aimarra nods as Elyanna drags the log in and sets off the trap, nodding as it crumples into a rockfall. "All right. Let's move on. They asked if he wanted to find out what was behind door number 2, so that's the one they want us to open."
"I do not.", Tawyse says to Aimarra. When Elyanna brings down the rocks with a log, the Gnome looks back to Aimarra, "Your first idea worked, though." She grins and gets to work looking at the worn out door. "They sure do like their pointed triangles, don't they?"
"nate bang burn nate" Elyanna grumbles under her breath, then aloud, 'It seemed more a dare, but, as you would.' she offers with a languid roll of her wrist toward the doors. <unknown>
"I've got half a mind to collect the things and jam as many in the thunderbelcher as it can hold," Aimarra answers. "There's a fire trap on that door, I think it's the alchemical kind. The green one has a thunderstone jammed in it, as well as the caltrops." She folds her arms again sassily, surveying both doors. "Whichever. Wonder if putting an arrow in the door in the right place would set off the fire trap."
"They are pretty inventive," murmurs Tae. "And.. remarkably, curiously armed. There's something else behind door number two, as well. Beyond even what you already mentioned." After waiting a bit to try and get a better idea of what is there, she steps back, not terribly interested in seeing this one close up. In fact, she's going to back up around the corner before this one is triggered.
Tae adds in some annoyance, "I can't get more detail about the extra surprise from here. There's too much in the way."
"Well, I am getting out of the way then, if we're going to be setting off traps that go boom.", the Gnome says, making her way to the entrance of the cave.
Elyanna hmmm's and starts to back up as it seems there's more fun to be had, "We have already had to trigger one rock fall. Will a thunderstone trigger another collapse?" Glancing around with some wariness at the idea of alchemical weapons going off in a cave.
"If I set off the fire, it shouldn't set off the stone, but if I set off the stone, it might set off the fire," Aimarra answers, unlimbering her bow and nocking an arrow even as she backs as far up the path as she dares and has line of sight to. "I say we _just_ set off the fire."
"Honestly, I see no other great alternatives. If it causes a collapse, it cannot be helped. It's very likely they have other ways out, but.. I didn't put in the time to carefully check the area. Damn my stupid haste and excitement!" Tae is not having the best of kobold hunts today.
Aimarra lowers the bow a little. "There might well be other exits from this complex? What if ... we set this off, make them think we are coming this way, and go another way?" She raises the bow again, but waits for comments before firing.
"I say just fire and we take what comes, yes?" The Gnome leans upon her staff, watching Aimarra curiously.
Tae grins, "Well, it's come to it. If they mean to leave, they will. It would take hours to do a proper check, and my ability to detect some of their tricks will be gone well before I even finish it. Like as not if there's one more, there's ten. They are clever. Our best hope on reaching them is to make them think we are dead or hope they are truly trapped."
A nod, then, "Agreed, we have already lost a great deal of ground chasing them at this point." Elyanna replies, but she holds back, "We could try it, hunter, if you feel it will work."
"Let's make them think that we are dead, then, and hold our silence once this is done, yes?" Aimarra raises the bow again, looking to see that the others are behind her.
GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon1+1: (19)+7+1: 27 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d6+2+1: (6)+2+1: 9 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d3: (1): 1 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "hits, does damage, trap goes off" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d6: (6): 6
Aimarra raises the bow, sights down the shaft, and looses, the rest of her body perfectly still. Her aim is unerring, her placement precise, and the entire door goes up in a *FOOM*, sending flying shards of door in every direction, caltrops everywhere, and leaving the entire mess to burn for several minutes. When it finally does die down, she lowers the bow, and prods a smoldering shard of wood that landed near her feet. Door #2 is no more.
GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (17)+10: 27 GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (5)+2: 7 GAME: Tae rolls perception: (18)+9: 27
As the fire burns down, more of the kobold's cave is visible. Where Door #2 was, a passage leads mostly south opening up into a wide room. There's a crack that could be squeezed through on the opposite side, but not easily. Just in front of it, is a treasure chest. A straight up, wooden and bound in iron, treasure chest. Details aren't clear at this distance, but almost impossible to miss, almost, is a heavy crossbow seated on top of it, pointed at the entrance.
Well, they did say the bolts would be free.
Even though the worn, green door is still in place, it's possible to look beyond it. The passage beyond continues in a south-east fashion, with caltrops on the floor, with the walls getting narrower and the ceiling lower, until there's some strange reflected surface at the end.
Kobold Cave Legend .clear 'scrub, *tree #rock Each row/col, . etc, is 5' -..A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H.I.J.K.L.M.N.O.P.Q.R.S.T. 06|*'''''''''....................'''''''''' -.|##''...'''...''..............****###***. 07|####*****###''.......''****'''####*''**# -.|#####**########\.\###################### 08|################|.|##################### -.|#################/./#################### 09|################|.|##################### -.|################\.\##################### 10|################/./##################### -.|###############|....|################### 11|##############/./##\.\################## -.|#############/./####|.|################# 12|############/...|###\....\############## -.|###########|.....\###\.../############## 13|############\.....|####|..|############# -.|############/..../#######\.....|######## 14|############/.T/##############\.\####### -.|############\.C|##############\......O## 15|##############|...|##################### -.|##############/O/#######################
After a time, it is clear that the kobolds are not returning. Tae looks through the ruinous remains of the trap and whispers, "Can you shoot that crossbow? I'd rather not reflect upon the skill of kobold's trapsmanship with a bolt in my guts."
Elyanna considers that and nods quietly, slipping the buckler from her arm before hanging it on her belt again. As the smoke clears, revealing the chest and the crossbow she arches an eyebrow. Hmmm. She eases forward a little, then "I do not see how it is fastened to the chest, nor triggered, do you?
"No, and until it's out of the way, I'm not going to be able to tell what other traps they have waiting there for us," replies Tae. "I must point out, this is a rather remarkably well-defended place. Clearly they are very eager to stop your pursuit and defend their claims."
GAME: Aimarra rolls dexterity: (12)+3: 15
"I'm sure they are, but sometimes, one sows the wind and reaps the whirlwind." Aimarra doesn't seem to much care what the kobolds want. "Hold tight, I'll be right back." She turns and dashes back up the passage, and true to her word, returns with a rock from the rockfall that is a little smaller than her head. This, she carries to the entrance to the open area, and rolls underhanded down the open area toward the chest and its crossbow. Once it is rolling, she immediately dashes back behind the rock wall and plasters her back to the other side, quite plainly expecting a bolt to come flying.
The rock rolls with a quiet rumble. It hits and trips the wire. There's a >TWHANG< as the crossbow fires, and the bolt ricochets off the nearby wall, making a 'thud' noise. A blunt impact, not the sound a steel-tipped bolt usually makes. Searching around, the bolt is recovered. It is missing its tip. Perhaps it broke off.
This widened portion of the cavern definitely has been lived in. It smells like kobold, a rough reptilian scent. There are a few others, mostly spoiled fruit and vegetables. There are a few flattened piles of leaves against one wall. There is also a bedframe, with the legs cut off so it's lower to the floor. No mattress, but a lot of compressed straw.
And the treasure chest, as before, clearly well built and iron bound. At one point. It has some strange warp to it, as if it was waterlogged, then dried out. Perhaps it's a mimic. It's also glued shut.
The crossbow, sits atop, and it's nice. Very new.
Tae steps out warily, using what's left of her magic to hopefully figure out at least what the next threat is before she simply runs out of time. "At this point I'd normally just leave, honestly. I mean, with the crossbow. That might be helpful for a more productive family of kobolds. Still.. a thunderbelcher? Perhaps a little longer.." Whatever her hopes are, she is at least going to hang onto this for a few more tries.
Well, that was interesting. Elyanna emerges from behind cover after the trap is tripped, then ventures to check out the chamber. Hmm, "What do you suppose did this?" she asks, consiering the warp in the wood.
The druid's spell draws her across the open space. The exit from the room is a tight crack that it's almost necessary to remove armour for. On the other side is a chamber, which has ceiling reinforcements and is scaled for medium sized humanoids. It ends strangely, with stone bricks, well fitted, on what appears to be a chimney that goes right up the wall. The bottom section has been broken open, the bricks are scattered about. However, it's also been sealed up again. Tightly sealed. A door is jammed over the opening, there are several spikes wedging and nailing it in, and any gap around it has been stuffed with small rocks, moss, then covered in some sort of glue to make an airtight seal. It has a big X across it. It's dusty, and all the spikes are hammered in from this side, making it clear it hasn't been used as an escape route. If anything, it's to keep something in.
Tae conveys what she observes to the others in detail. She punctuates it with the comment, "Whatever it might have been there, it's clear that it troubled them greatly. Not encouraging." She shakes her head, directing her attention to the others, "Perhaps it is time to try the other door."
Aimarra, meantime, is investigating the chest with Elyanna. "Maybe it went for a swim in the river?" she hazards. When Tae speaks, she listens, then nods. "Let's look at the other side."
Elyanna hmm's softly, "Perhaps, or... I wonder if it is the cover to a trap door, itself?" she ventures. A shrug at the druid's words, and she ventures over that way. They can always explore that after.
Immediately on the other side of the Green door, the one blocking the south-east part of the Y, are some caltrops. Like the others, they have dark tips suggesting some kind of unpleasantness. The passage continues, getting narrower and narrower. It's not a tunnel with two walls, a floor and a ceiling and reinforcement beams. It's more a crevass that has been widened a little, and still extends upwards and downwards as an impassible crack with ledges chiseled for feet. The crack below is dark, choked with stone chips. The sloped floor ends up tilting even more as the ceiling descends, getting very tight for an average sized person, and it would start to squeeze a small one. Then in it ends, in a puddle.
The chest is well and truly jammed shut. The locking mechanism had bits of wood broken off in it, then it's been filled with glue. There's a resin that surrounds the lip of the lid. There a couple nails that look like they shouldn't be there, holding it shut. While the boards it is made of are warped, there's some interior material that prevents seeing through any cracks between them.
"Well, green door it is," grumbles Tae softly. She sounds rather like she's pouting. If half-oruchs can pout. She busies herself drawing out a rope and tying one end around a brick. She tests the knot a few times, to ensure that it won't fall off when spun. She even throws it several times as well, experimenting. There's an alarming, mischievous glint in her eyes. "This might just do it. Now.. can I possibly put this on the other side of the door without setting off the trap. That's the real question."
"Maybe." Her search of the treasure chest concluded, Aimarra ambles after the others, to watch as Tae attempts to open the green door.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay, +roll dexterity please Tae" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "looking for DC15" GAME: Tae rolls dexterity: (9)+2: 11 GAME: Tae rolls dexterity: (12)+2: 14 GAME: Tae rolls dexterity: (2)+2: 4 GAME: Tae rolls dexterity: (8)+2: 10 GAME: Tae rolls dexterity: (10)+2: 12 GAME: Tae rolls dexterity: (15)+2: 17
Without much explanation of her plan, Tae begins attempting to cast the brick over the green door. From a safe distance. Her first few attempts range from sorta close to 'say a thing and I'll slit your throat' awful. In the end, it takes six attempts. Tae calmly proclaims, "Just like I hoped. Got on my first try!" And since one good tug will set off a huge explosive, she expects to hear no arguments from others on the veracity of this claim.
- >>BOOM<<
One good tug did indeed set off the Thunderstone. It's... a little loud, for indoor use. In cave use. Even at a safe distance there's a stinging and a ringing in the ears.
The green door flops open. The other passage is accessible. Elyanna pokes a pinky in either ear in turns after the thunderstone goes off. Her schooling often involved loud noises, so such things don't bother her quite as much as other, but still. Ow. She steps forward with a quiet, "Well done." and moves to exaine the wetness. It's her turn, anyway.
It's a tight squeeze, to get to the end.
Where, no. It doesn't end in a puddle.
It ends in a nightmare. The puddle is barrier to the rest of the passage, which is water-filled, heads downwards, and would be a tight squeeze for a kobold. It's an invitation to suicide, dying and drowning in the dark for any normal sized humanoid who can't breathe water. A good way to get stuck out of reach of help, squeezed in the bowels of the earth. If they left this way, and it seems the did, it's a hard tract to follow.
Tae is not used to that. You'd think she'd be used to explosives, but she doesn't hasn't worked with goblins, and kobolds aren't usually using thunderstones in her vicinity. Her reply is an almost roared, "THANKS! YOU KNOW I THOUGHT IT'D BE LOUDER!" Which to her sounds like a whisper.
Elyanna pokes the tail of her leather whip into the water once she reaches it, but, as it doesn't bubble, she presumes it's not acid and takes a knee, a breath, then sticks her head in the drink to look around to the limits of her dark vision for a few seconds before coming back up to whip her hair back. Someone may get wet, "They probably went this way, but I doublt we'd be able to follow."
Tae watches Elyanna dunk her head in the water and sighs. "You know, I'm rather surprised. This was a pretty brilliant way to take us. Though I wonder.. how do they keep their gun dry? Hopefully they didn't damage it in their haste to escape your party. I have no means to help us that way. I suggest we retreat from here. There seems to be nothing further to gain. I mean, other than the crossbow. Which at least is something."
GAME: Tae rolls survival: (6)+12: 18 GAME: Tae rolls knowledge/geography: (6)+5: 11 GAME: Elyanna rolls survival: (15)+4: 19 GAME: Aimarra rolls survival: (7)+11: 18
An extensive search is made outside the cave. There are a few cracks and holes in the ground which might get down to it, but nothing that looks like an entrance. The river is close, close enough that passage could lead to some sort of underwater exit. One couldn't be located however, the river is just muddy enough, and deep enough, that a small exit could easily be under or behind a boulder with none the wiser.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Prestidigtation could lower the DC a little, to DC17." GAME: Aimarra rolls strength: (15)+2: 17 GAME: Elyanna rolls strength: (8)+2: 10 GAME: Tae rolls strength: (6)+3: 9
The glue hasn't set, it's fresh. That makes the contents of the chest a larger curiosity. With everyone working together, the lid is pried back. The lock snaps, it was simply too jammed.
Inside, are books.
Leather bound books that are in very poor shape. Like the chest, they seem to have spent some time in water, then been dried out. They seem on the verge of falling apart, some of the covers are stuck together. They aren't easy to separate.
"I can't do much for these contents today," admits Tae. "But given a bit of time, I think I can fix the lot of them. It's not as if these quarters are worse than others I've been stuck in. The.. what was it? High and mighty generally prefer I stay away, anyhow."
Drat. All that effort and the contents are still of no use. Elyanna sighs, turning then to the crossbow and giving it a lookover, "As I live and breathe. The fool's crossbow, just as the man said." She looks to her fellows, "No one would carry a Thunderbelcher -and- an issued crossbow this size. The Lieutenant is not the owner of the firearm. Wait here, and I shall inform our wagonier he may return to the city with the others, then return."
"Color me shocked," observes Tae. She sounds smug about it. "No doubt most of the guard serves well, but a small group may be entertaining the thought of helping themselves to a bit of a bonus here and there. A pity your friend isn't out and about where something might befall him. An encounter with with him and that thunderbelcher might do everyone a great deal of good."
In part of her preparations for the rest of the day, Tae seeks out Shade, her panther. The plan is to camp together that night in the cave to protect the ruined books and in the morning, while Tae sets to work repairing them all, she will direct the panther to begin a great circuit of the area to hunt for the missing kobolds. She may be fairly easy to evade, but the nose of her companion is not so easily avoided.
The wagonier is informed that the mission is scrubbed and that he can return to Alexandria. Mourner Locien is found where he fell, his horse guarding him and eating his remaining treats. His head injury is serious, he is carefully laid in the wagon bed for the ride back. The rental horse has vanished, as has Glasha and Joro. The remaining party members decide to return to Alexandria, except for Elyanna and Tae, who will guard the cave, and attempt to mend the waterlogged books. The half-orc keeps hold of the City crossbow for now.
The mystery door with the 'X' will be left for people more insane. or brave. It's sealed, they'll leave it sealed.
It's very likely everything in the cave was intended to slow down pursuit.
The arrival in Alexandria is not a triumphant return. That one of the party members, and a riderless horse, returned before the wagon and a couple of the others was a clear sign that things did not go well.
There were a large number of guards turned out to meet the party, and a lot of their unit insignia's didn't match. In fact, none of the regular Phoenix Gate guards were present. The ones there had clearly been prepped by Lt. Trygve for some 'wild exagerations' by 'rich adventurers who think they're better than we are.' The freed prisoner validated his 'soft hearted kobold lovers' warning. The party was searched, physically and magically, to ensure 'the evidence' wasn't hidden in some extradimensional space.
Adding insult to injury, the second half of the payment wasn't supplied as the party was unsuccessful. However, they were willing to believe that the kobold problem was more serious than initially suspected. However, with no evidence to contradict Lt. Trygve's story, any accusations of mis-deeds are dismissed as 'lying rich adventurers taking advantage of priveledged information and trying to renneg on a contract'. A few don't seem to entirely support the Lietuennant, but it becomes clear that pushing and trying to expose Trygve right now might lead to gaol.
Keeping quiet and sticking to 'we got overwhelmed' seems much easier, and even engenders a little sympathy in Lt. Trygve. He understands, after all. So while it's not disgrace it leaves a bad taste.
That tastes like lying lizard.
'Murder hobo #1! If you were on a first date with a half-oruch beauty queen and you failed to compliment her smooth skin, how would you make up for it?'
'The correct answer is ROLL INITIATIVE, you can't.'
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "So, with no disable device, you'll have to risk setting them off. Door #2's Alchemical Fire, is a Reflex DC18, to get the flask out without it falling or going off. Worn Green Door, DC15 to get the Thunderstone out safely. Shooting from Range is also an option, where you hope you'll set them off safely"
<OOC> Aimarra says, "Well, can I with a well-placed arrow knock that crossbow out of position?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Hmmmm... that almost sounds like a ranged disarm attack, which requires a feat, but it's also more of a small target."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "So I think if you can hit AC25 you can hit it."