Month: November 2014

Session 34

24th of Laureldon, morning underground in the sparring training room.

Chuq examines the next door for traps or noises beyond. Even though he detects nothing amiss, Lamia’s obviously does since her teeth are bared as she follows us through the door. Taking point, Thorfus cautiously approaches several intersections found along a north to south tunnel beyond the training room. 

We search three rooms, two off western branches of the N-S tunnel and one eastern. We catalog 36 short swords with 24 hand axes in the first room, 20 javelins and 18 kobold spears in the next room and an uncounted number of crude clubs in the last. The compartmentalization stupefies us. We speculate the order was imposed by some other than the kobolds themselves.   

The second western branch and the southerly end of the main passage lead into two different cenotes. Each showing signs of artificial modification, most significantly each have sloping ledges spiraling along the outside edge with tangential branches roughly corresponding to cardinal directions. 

We decide to explore the southern cenote in force. Taking the first western branch from the ledge, we kill the three kobolds apparently guarding beyond a left hand turn to the south. These guards prompt us to follow this southerly route until we see daylight. Chuq scouts ahead silently until he finds an opening into daylight. We have found another natural cave entrance into the kobold warren. The party examines the adjoining clearing and surrounding forest from the cave entrance, then decide to return underground.

Returning to the south cenote, the next two branches off of the ledge seems to be abandoned nesting chambers similar to those we found off the great cavern. A lone kobold is surprised in the next southern branch. Killed quickly, we find his widow guarding two eggs further in the room. For her safe release, she agrees to escort us through the fighting room to the big room and then to the dragon temple to pursue her king. She says her king, Feldonmixis, smartly made plans to leave when the Starchie Boys and the Mercer Men invader their lair. Feldonmixis instructed his people to rally deeper in the woods so that they all can go to a “safer place”. 

She leads us from the cenote to a wooden door at the end of a 20’ foot passage along the eastern edge of the large cavern. When asked, she says the kobold’s prisoners can be found through the southern passage from here. Her side of the deal fulfilled, she leaves the way we came.

Chuq retrieve the two Mercers teams guarding the two intersections near the barracks room. He returns with 10 combatants. Using a 10′ spear we open the door to the temple. Assaulted by a foul smell, we find kobold and human corpses littering the floor. Obviously these individuals slew each other. Across the chamber from us is an impressionistic bust of a dragon’s snout on the wall. 

Orion aids the only survivor. Claiming he is from Vargen, he clutches a 5 inch metallic sphere. His name is Barnier Brocket. His tale is that he was sent by the Bargemen’s Guild to deal with the kobolds. Not explaining how his group made their way into the kobold’s inner temple, he recounts that his men fought the kobold’s here while he decided to grab the unoffensive sphere in the bust’s beak. His act triggered some sort of soporific. Which is why he can’t relate any other details about the combat. He suggests a reward from Rotho Waterman of the Bargemen’s Guild for the sphere and Barnier’s safe return. 

Looting the bodies, we find short swords, cloaks, torches (8) and a week of rations on the human bodies, 21 gp plus some silver. The kobolds have 19cp. Within the altar before the idol are 27sp and 47cp. 

The door to the south weakly resists opening. There is another door covered by arrow slits along the walls 20′ to the south. Thorfus looks into the slits and sees nothing of note. There is a modest wooden throne on the other side of the door. The throne is flanked on the eastern and western walls by breathtaking tapestries depicting a battle between dwarves and dragons. The tapestry to the east depicts Dragons overwhelming their dwarven foes. To the west the Dwarves are superior to the Dragons. Behind the tapestries are the arrow slit alcoves. Axel has to force the only door leaving this room. We find that it was barred from the other side. 

Similar to the temple, there is a carved dragon head on one wall of what is a bedroom . There are odoriferous furs on the walls and on the bed. Chuq can open one of the two locked iron chests against the east wall. Within are 2 transparent clear and 1 opaque crimson stones and 200cp. Two of the mercer men lug along the unlocked chest. 

Left to himself, Axel activates a movable tooth in the dragon carving. A door opens to a very small southerly tunnel which curves east. We have to crawl for 5 feet then the dwarves can stand with Chuq crouching. The tunnel ends in a wall. Thorfus opens a secret door he finds into a 20′ x 20′ room with table and chairs with two exits and a trap door. It is lower level tunnel that Asthon explored alone yesterday.

Chuq returns to the throne room to retrieve the Mercers only to discover Barnier is missing. Baewin does not have an explanation, she just shrugs demurely when pressed for an explanation. We leave with everyone and meet the dwarves in the trapdoor room. We all search the trapdoor tunnel and fine another cave entrance with a path going northwest into the jungle. It is now raining and we have no sense of where we are in relationship to our original entrance. We close the door and return to the trap door room. 

We choose to explore to the north from here where the path slopes down. Finding another intersection with options to go north to a chamber or NW to a sharp curve, we deduce where these passages end and turn around and explore pass the boulder trap.

Travelling to an open doorway, we find a finished 30 x 30 room. Within are a cold fire pit, straw mattresses and another open door to the west. To the west is 60′ hallway with two doors to the south at 20′ and 50′ distance. 

The first door way, enters a 30’ x 30’ room with rings on the walls with 16 dead prisoners shackled to the rings. There are 12 human corpses with the remaining all male dwarves. The furthest room has 18 dead bodies shackled to the walls. A woman elf is alive here. Crazed, she initially resists help. As we leave, she asks us to return. She explains the kobolds were not happy because of the waste but obeyed Barnier’s order to kill the prisoners. She was a member of Gundalsofus’ caravan to Midmark when she was captured. Thorfus had to break her free because Chuq could not unlock her manacles. 

Returning to the barracks room, we take Adelard on a tour of the kobold lair to attest to our completion of the mission. He agrees for the sake of the fugitives, we should  now return to Vargen. He shares our suspicion of Baewin’s alleged collusion with Barnier. The plan is to isolate her from her most loyal mercenaries lest she or they are Bargemen’s Guild agents. 

Session 33

23rd of Laureldon, evening underground.

As the band prepares to engage the kobolds to the north, a kobold voice is heard : “Show them your fangs boys”. Those we can see withdraw to the north passage, shortly a clamor can be heard from the direction they went. 

Axus and Ashton decide to inspect southwest tunnel while the room is held by the Boyz and Mercer Guardsmen. Following the downward sloping tunnel, the two enter a roughhewn room 20′ feet across littered with bones and straw. Axus retrieves his axe on the way down. Ashton notes heavy breathing to their left. Axus advances, Ashton covers his movement with his bow. Two terrified kobolds lacking the will to fight are comforted by Axus, he introduced them to his battle axe. They find nothing of worth in what is obviously the Dire Weasel’s lair.

Thorfal suggests we explore the NE passage when he learns the southern exits are secured. Chuq stays with the Mercer Men to keep their morale up while the Starchie Boys explores to the north. 

Looking NW at a three way intersection, two kobolds archers are seen on the far side of a four way intersection. Fadlspar foolishly goads the tough guys into charging the archers only to fall into a pit trap in the center of the intersection. Axus, Finkelmur, Starchie and Thorfal fall into the pit. The archers withdraw laughing and our friends are helped out of the pit. We decide to call it a day. 

On the way back to the Mercer Men, we are ambushed by two more kobolds archers lurking in the NE passage off of the three way intersection. Thorfal is fatally stuck and mimes Chuq. Faldspar covers our movements by casting wall of fog. Several arrows/bolts shot wildly at the ambushers kills another kobold. We stumble back to the Mercer Men and rest to replenish our spell power.

Watches are set. Near the end of his watch, Axus’s hears a kobold challenge “Done playing, yet?” from the north. Irked, Axus lets loose several arrows making the kobold withdraw. He finds a dead woman in the intersection and sees another pair of archers covering the three way intersection from the northwest. 

An hour and a half into the next watch, Mercer Men wake Axus reporting voices to the north. Axus kills another kobold as a man rushes pass him into the camp. This hostage says there are at least 30 more prisoners held in three separate pens in lower caverns. The rest of the watch is uneventful. 

Upon waking, Ashton heals the injured then decides to rest further for more healing spells. During Ashton’s rest, Axus rescues another prisoner when he kills her kobold guard. He charges a pair of archers in the four way intersection and slays them.  He orders a forward camp at the three way intersection. A single kobold is noticed during the preparations.

24 of Laureldon, morning

Back to full fighting trim, the boyz set out to explore the NE tunnel. Beyond the first three way intersection, we find a second three way intersection with northern and SE spurs. Taking the SE spur into a 20’ x 20’ chamber that features straighter, plumber walls and a level floor. A primitive table and a stool occupy the space. Chuq covers the NE exit as the room is searched. A questionable wall prompts a more thorough search which  discovers a hidden trap door. After a quick check by Chuq, Ashton elects to explore the dark small tunnel. After several turns and slight uphill climbs, Ashton returns and reports nothing found.

Rallying together, we leave by the NE exit as the slope rises. Ashton notices a side passage 10′ above the one we are traversing. He climbs above to investigate finding a simple boulder trap manned by a lone kobold. They come to blows and Ashton falls to his club. Chuq and Axus scramble up to help and the brigand gets intimate with Axus’s BattleAxe. We disarm the boulder by removing the pole lever. Ashton needs care, we return to the Mercer Men.

Planning to return to the boulder trap, Chuq espies two goblin archers NW of the first three way intersection. As Axus and Thorfal advance on the archers, two kobold spear wielders spring out from the flanking corners. Thorfal dispatches a spear wielder and archer. Finkelmur slays another spear wielder. Thorfal takes the last archer’s head as it tries to flee. 

We decided to collect all of the kobold corpses and create a demoralizing Hot Gate Wall south of the pit trap in the four way intersection. A couple of light crossbowmen and spearman Mercer Men are left guarding the wall. Returning to the boulder trap, all climb up to the higher passage. Walking west, this corridor connects to the four way intersection from the east. Continuing west beyond the intersection, we find the large water chamber we entered from.

Returning to the Kobold corpse wall, we assign some Mercer Men to cover the southernmost three way intersection while we explore northward from the corpse wall. First we encounter another three way intersection with a NW leg leading into a chamber and a NE leg sloping up. Choosing the NW leg, we hear wind coming from a very large high ceilinged chamber. A search of the main chamber and five side chambers leads us to conclude this was the kobold main living area that has been abandoned and stripped of everything worthwhile. A short hallway is found on the north western end with a well-made door leading to what appears to be a combat practice room. Specifically due to man sized dummies showing excessive damage in the groin area. There is another door exiting this room. We wonder what’s on the other side as we call it a night.

BTW – last gibe, honest. Except for Faldimur and Finkelspar!

(Totally hadn’t forgotten about this. Nope, not me)

Having successfully made the river crossing, Starchy’s Boyz set about rescuing thier stranded comrades. Chuq led Thorfus and three of Adelard’s guardsmen through the forest and onto the game trail where he’d left them. Initially missing the spot, hidden as they were in the underbrush, the party stumbles across Faldspar’s Phantasmal Scarecrow.

Unsure of its purpose, they wait, discussing a plan to get around it, with Chuq volunteering to lead it away, until it raises an arm and point’s to its master. It doesn’t react to Chuq’s distraction, and so they realise they it is probably a conjuring of Faldspar’s, especially considering its silent nature.

Seeing Ashton laid out unconcious, Thorfus breaks out a health potion, but is forced to use both the ones he possessed in order to return Ashton wakefulness. The Half-Orc remains weakened by his wound though.

Regrouping with the main force, the party loots and hides the bodies of the Kobolds they slew during the crossing. Axel had been arranging scouting parties, but upon hearing the information the forward group had gathered, they decide to move in force along the game trails and head east.

Leaving the wounded guardsmen under watch with the animals in cart off of the road, they advance through the jungle. Ashton and Chuq once more take up scouting positions, with the dwarves in front and the guardsmen bringing up the rear.

Passing through various intersections, the party tries to keep an easterly heading, as well as uphill. We then head south east at another intersection, Ashton working out the route with logic and amateur tracking skills. It bears fruit, with the path swinging around to the north after a little while, the trees thinning as the ground becomes more rocky. We happen upon a little stream crossing the path, where the trail seems to end.

The river flows out of a cave a little ways up, and despite the lack of obvious inhabitance, we decide to check it out, hoping for a back entrance to the Kobold’s warren. Leaving the main force at the stream, Chuq, Ashton, Thorfus and Finklemur head into the cave, wading through the stream by the light of Thorfus’ sword.

The stream slowly deepens, until the tunnel opens out into a wider room. Ashton and Thorfus spot a heat-signature across the room, moving slowly across a block of land as if sneaking. Unwilling to let it escape, they charge it, Ashton skewering it upon his sword.

Listening carefully, Chuq hears the sound of a conversation through a cave to the east. Thorfus is brought up to translate, and they learn that the Kobolds are aware of our presence, that we’d attacked the ford. Chuq heads back to bring in the main force whilst the Kobolds discuss sending a report to Faldin Mixis and setting a watch at the cave mouth. Ashton and Thorfus dispatch a Kobold heading thier direction.

Hearing the main party entering the cave, Thorfus decides to roll the Kobold’s head into the room where they heard talking, causing a commotion. Charging in, they find another large room, manually expanded with multiple exits, filled with refuse and straw mattresses. Around 26 Kobolds are rushing around inside, gathering weapons, with more running down side passages.

Ashton and Finklemur begin to cast, Thorfus beheading the nearest one. Finklemur’s darkness blankets the north-east corner, catching most of the Kobolds, and Ashton’s light blinds what looks like the leader of the group.

At this point, the main group catches up, and Axel and Chuq charge the blinded Kobold, who manages to avoid injury until Hengest, a guardsman, spears him. Thorfus approaches the darkness, killing three at the edge of it, Kottar and Finklemur accounting for more. Several Kobolds charge out, one knocking down Chuq.

With the sounds of panicked Kobolds quieting, the survivors run, escaping through the darkness into the northern tunnel. Noise from the western passage prompts Axel to check it out, where he is met by snickering Kobolds who sent a giant weasel forward. Getting bitten, Axel hits back hard, whilst Ashton flanks it and Starchie finally takes it down.

Yet again using Kobold heads with ingenuity, we use the blinded Kobold’s head to dispel the darkness and confirm the now empty cavern. Ashton checks the south-east door, finding it locked, and Thorfus breaks it down. A hallway with heavy barred doors is beyond, and Ashton checks it out.

A number of rooms hold human prisoners, man and woman alike, some who appear to have been imprisoned for a while. After clearing the confusion of the sight of an orc opening thier cells, Ashton sends them out to the main party. We arm those who wish to be with Kobold weapons, just in case. At the end of the tunnel, Ashton finds a bedroom. He slays the Kobold within, and takes the time to search the chests at the end of each bed, finding a mix of money, weapons and armour.

Gongs sound from the north, so they party gather around the two northern entrances, ready for an attack. Large numbers of Kobolds charge in at us. Axel and Baewin, cover the left most entrance, Thorfus and Wordric the right, backed up by archers and more guardsmen. We slay the frontline quickly, and dig in for a protracted fight.