Delvers in the Dark

Astaban and Karn lead the group through the door, the flickering light of the torch carried by Sofia illuminates the stone hallway. In the dust, you can see two sets of human footprints leading back into the entry chamber, and also several sets of smaller tracks leading west to east. The passageway extends about sixty feet to the east, and in the shadowy reaches you can see there is a door about halfway along in the southern wall--this is where the tracks disappear. The passageway leads west beyond the light of your torch.

Layna stops and looks at the tracks, trying to ascertain what type of animal they may belong to.

Frowning she says, "The dust was undisturbed here when we came out the other day."

You are nearly certain that these are kobold tracks.

"Any idea how fresh those tracks are?" Sikhandyn asks in a low voice.

"Kobolds," Layna mutters.

When Sikhandyn speaks she stares at him incredulously and says very slowly, "Well, when I said the dust was undisturbed when we left a day ago, that would mean they are less than a day old."

At the sound of more kobolds, Wyngrad feels a little more excitement. That last attack bolstered his confidence. The kobolds wouldn't be a problem, he figured. The dragon, though....

Astaban examines the room, looks down at the tracks, and attempts to listen for any sounds coming from the door, but examines the door first.

"Hmm... A more precise estimate would have been great, but if our best order of magnitude is 'day', then that will have to do." Sikhandyn whispers, visibly disappointed.

"Well, if we were dealing with dirt and grass it would be easy," she says lightly.

"Now, maybe a dwarf could determine how much the stone on the floor had been compressed and bounced back or the rate at which dust settles in this cave and how much had fallen on our footprints compared to these kobold prints, but seeing there is no dwarf present, a day is what you've got," she adds a bit sarcastically.

"If you still need an arbitrary precise number, go with a couple of hours, unless of course you can do better yourself. It doesn't change the fact that somewhere through that door there at least a couple of kobolds."

"Very funny. Well, I am sorry if my request did not make sense to you. That information could have made the difference between kobolds sent after you yesterday, kobolds sent after their friends last night, or kobolds sent to ambush us this morning."

"At any rate - let us try to work together you and I until the end of this mission. Then, I will talk to the Hood, and he will decide who stays and who goes in the party. As far as I am concerned, I cannot tolerate your obnoxious attitude, and the way you have reciprocated our offers of food, shelter, and equipment." Sikhandyn concludes coldly.