Chapter 2: First Foray

[Cirlot]

Tala Silvergrave

Tala watched as Golon, Dejrik and Stoyan proceeded to play good watchman, bad watchman, worse watchman with the sole surviving kobold; cleaning the last bits of kobold goop from her mace the cleric shook her head to herself before looking to Ashera, the elfess also seeming to stand back from the interrogation.

 

"Oi - " slinging her mace, Tala lifted her hands and wiggled her fingers in a childlike pantomime of wizardry before nodding to the kobold - once asleep, now sundered and still - at her feet.

 

"That was you, yeah?  Owe you a drink for that.  Didn't fancy a long walk in the clear into bolts and quarrels . . ." the remaining gratitude and the intended offer of dinner was lost as Tala's ears twitched, picking out a single important word from the kobolds growling, yapping common.

 

Money.

 

***

 

"Hey - " Tala lilted her voice, a firm but kind pitch as she settled onto her haunches, putting herself in the eyeline of the kobold, albeit behind the mass of bodies offering sympathy and or violence.  " - small one.  If you're smart enough to offer coin, you're smart enough to know the fix you're in.  If'n you can swear that you had naught to do with the fate of my sister at your bosses hand then you and I have no quarrel past what's past.  Answer their questions and I'll see to convincing 'em to let you live, an' if you make good on that gold and show us what traps you and yours set up here in defense I'll put my hand to seeing you set free." she expected a howl from her companions at that, but she pressed on, dulling the edge of that particular blade with the truth as she saw it. 

 

"I know that's no great kindness, as you'd not be welcome in these lands on pain of well - " she jerked a thumb to Dejrik and Stoyan, their maces and axes too near for the creatures comfort. " - an absent your fellows life's apt to be nasty, brutish and short for want of friends, but the Fates and Freya be gamblers so I'll spot you the chance if you've the will to take it." 

 

[Scarecrow71]

Ashera Grequinal

Ashera had nodded to Tala when asked in a not-so-subtle way if she was responsible for putting all the Kobolds to sleep.  She was about to dive into a lengthy diatribe about safety and being overmatched and needing to get out of the current pickle, but she quickly decided against it when Tala's attention turned to the Kobold who had mentioned coin.

 

"All things always come back to coin, don't they?" she questioned to nobody in particular.  It was the way of the world; coin made the globe spin, as it were.  And she was no different; she was here on this mission or quest or whatever you called it simply for the promise of coin, and she certainly wouldn't hold it against the Kobold for wanting to make whatever way in the world he could.  But that didn't excuse him from having launched several missiles at their group.  This turned Ashera's face dour, her attitude getting worse with each passing moment.

 

"You," she stated, very angry and looking mean, "will answer every question put to you.  Truthfully.  If you lie...,"

 

She wiggled her fingers as if casting a spell, then pointed to all of the dead Kobolds lying about the place with their innards now being their outards.

 

"If you lie, we'll kill you.  If you hold anything back, we'll kill you.  If we think you're not being on the up-and-up, we'll kill you.  In fact, you're going to have to work very hard not to die.  Now, what's it going to be?  Answering questions, or being run through while dreaming of a better life?"

[Eric]

The kobold seems grateful to have someone--anyone--who isn't immediately threatening to kill him. He casts his attention between Tala and Ashera, trying to think of anything he knows that might save his hide from this jam. He doesn't know much about the boss other than he invited the tribe to camp out in the basement of the ruins and keep watch for anyone trying to get in. The boss "wears a black robe and commands the respect of fearsome beasts," but never shows his face to the tribe. The kobolds are never allowed onto the upper floors, or the lower--by which the captive implies with some certainty that there are at least two basement levels.

 

"I will still show you the treasure. We found it in the basement and hid it here so the boss would not know about it or give it to any of his other friends."

[LarsWester]

Golon

Golon look appreciatively at the Kobold for providing answers and proving that his idea of keeping the creature alive was correct.  "Lead us to this treasure then and what is your name little one?"

 

[Eric]

"I am Yorp, right hand of Gur, third-born of Elkebuhz the Dragon." The creature mouths the proud titles even as it ingloriously tries to stand while tied. "Come, this way, it is not far." He leads the group across the courtyard to the southeast turret, around a misshapen clump of rock that had fallen years ago, and points to the hard-packed dirt. "Dig down here, it will not take you long."

[hoverfrog]

Stoyan Barakovsen

"You dig!" Stoyan growls, "You didn't answer my question. When is your boss returning?"

Show Stats

STRENGTH 14 +1 to hit and damage

INTELLIGENCE 9

WISDOM 11

DEXTERITY 7 -1 AC, and range attacks

CONSTITUTION 13 +1 hit point

CHARISMA 12

 

Hit Points: 7/7

Armour Class: 3 (Plate Mail (3), Shield (Bonus of 1), DEX (Penalty of 1))

THAC0: 1d20+1 Battle Axe 1d8+1, 1d20-1 Crossbow16; 6 1d6

Actions

 

 

[LarsWester]

Golon

Golon looks at Stoyan incredulously.  "He's got his hands tied Stoyan how do you expect him to dig.   Does anyone have a shovel or something else to dig with?"   The redhaired youth searches over the pile of rocks and rubble for a sign of a possible trap.  He didn't trust this Yorp anymore than the others.

 

[trulyElse]

Dejrik Garraksen

Dejrik winces, realising the party that's half Dwarf may have no equipment for digging between them, and that the Elf could point this out at any time.
Upon realising that he was being a little racist in order to pre-empt racist comments, he shakes his head, returning to the much more tolerable anti-kobold racism.

"We're not going to have to use their equipment, are we?"

[Scarecrow71]

Ashera Grequinal

 When it became known that the group had no equipment with which to dig, Ashera picked up one of the swords the Kobolds had held, thrusting it into the ground to use as a shovel.

[Cirlot]

Tala Silvergrave

"Freya never was much for swords into plowsheres - " Tala remarked, tossing her mace to Golon and unlimbering her shield as walked around opposite the elf. Slidiing the shield out of it's straps, she grasped it upon either side before lifting it high and then striking the earth with the point, wedging it into the dirt like the goddesses own trowel.  " - but I've some prioress who'd approve of your impulse.  Me?" bracing the back of the shield with her foot she pulled with her hands, letting her mail clad boot and legs act as a fulcrum as she levered up the dirt freshly struck.

 

"Always thought it a bit of a wedge issue within the faith, to be honest. . . "

OOC

Tala is handing her mace to Golon, taking a spot next to Ashera and is gonna use her shield to dig.  STR 13/+1 if it matters for the digging. 

And no, I'm not sorry.  😏

 

Edited November 30, 2022 by Cirlot (see edit history)

[Eric]

Through unconventional means that probably cause dwarven ancestors to roll in their graves, the elf and cleric dig for about a minute until one strikes something hard. The excavation produces a small metal box with a hasp and no visible lock.

 

"He comes and goes!" the kobold protests. "Probably once, twice a moon at most. But we never know until we're suddenly scurrying out of his way. He was here six suns ago, I know that much."

[Powderhorn]

Astrid watches as people try to figure out how to dig the hole, and not really having a shovel herself, nor any experience in adventuring, at this point she is essentially "taking notes."  In an academic spirit, she asks, "Why did you use a shield to dig instead of simply having the wretch dig for it?  If there was no treasure, it would have been reluctant to do so, while being that there was indeed treasure to be had, such digging would have been enhanced by its desire for freedom.  Of course, I am but a simple farm girl, unversed in the ways of mercenary-craft."

[Cirlot]

Tala Silvergrave

Tala glanced down at the kobold then lifted her shield up from it's spade-like rest in the dirt; it was at least half again taller than their captive and the cleric set it down beside the kobold as though to underscore the point.

 

"I mean - " she shrugged again, giving Astrid's point actual consideration before answering.  " - t'was faster work for large hands than small, and we barely came to terms amongst ourselves to let him bring us hither.  I can't see us agreeing down to a woman to loose his bounds long enough to be useful."

 

"Were I cleverer I might suggest that having the small one do the digging and thereby delaying us here would give rise to a better chance to ambush but truth is I had no thought of it at the time; if'n an elf saw fit to outdig the dwarves I'd not doubt her or be the last to strike the earth." another shrug.  Sometimes reasons were just reasons, after all.  They needn't all be GOOD ones.

 

"So . . . we're just standing around the box then?"  The cleric looks to the party for a long second, waiting for someone to step up before sighing and doing so herself.

 

"Best all stand behind me then."

 

And with that she raised her shield and looked to come down with it on the hasp, attempting to smash it open . . .

Out Of Character

Unless someone steps up to play the thief, Tala will open the box - battering open the lid with her shield on the wildly misguided theory that it would offer some protection were it trapped.  I have no concerns about this plan.  😑

 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Cirlot (see edit history)

[matt_s]

Thoridin observes Tala battering on the box. He is willing to help, but assistance offered without request is an insult, in Dwarven and most other cultures. He muses on what their captive said.

 

So there is some more to this courtyard it seems on the other side from where we came in, but any enemies would have been lured to the sound of all this commotion - he vaguely waves at the variously eviscerated, bludgeoned, and decapitated kobolds - so I doubt there is any more danger besides the chance of traps and pitfalls.  The kobold did mention several lower levels and upper levels.

 

I say we open the front gate from the inside as having an easy exit is always welcome. Hard lesson from years of mining and dealing with cave ins, that. Then, well as a dwarf I am more comfortable below ground than above it, so my vote is to scope out this courtyard and then head down down down into the depths.

[hoverfrog]

Stoyan Barakovsen

"From what this hound has told us their master doesn't care about them. If they up and left he'd be indifferent," Stoyan grumbles, "So if they all left, he wouldn't care."

 

"We have a hole, big enough for one body. Let's make it bigger and put all the bodies in. As long as this one doesn't go straight to his master and tells all we'll have a small advantage."

 

"I agree about the gate," he adds, "Dogboy, whatever your name is, is it trapped at all? Go and push it open for us."

Show Stats

STRENGTH 14 +1 to hit and damage

INTELLIGENCE 9

WISDOM 11

DEXTERITY 7 -1 AC, and range attacks

CONSTITUTION 13 +1 hit point

CHARISMA 12

 

Hit Points: 7/7

Armour Class: 3 (Plate Mail (3), Shield (Bonus of 1), DEX (Penalty of 1))

THAC0: 1d20+1 Battle Axe 1d8+1, 1d20-1 Crossbow16; 6 1d6

Actions