The kobolds refused to say much more, their nervous glances and clipped yips making it clear they were too terrified to speak further. Kasi say it is how loyakty for a dragon works.
Merkas suggest to go and negotiate. They traded before. Before yes. Not now.
Sera exhaled slowly, her grip tightening on her sword hilt. The idea of finding the kobold princess made sense—perhaps she held some authority, some way to turn this situation in their favor. But… what authority did she even have if these kobolds were already under the command of something worse? And if they had been willing to slaughter the caravan, what made her think they’d be open to negotiation now?
She hesitated, glancing at the others. Was she overthinking this? Or not thinking it through enough?
“I don’t quite understand how walking straight into their stronghold helps us,” she admitted, her voice quieter than before. “They already followed orders to kill—why would they stop for us?”
Her stomach churned as she tried to sort out the best course of action. She wanted to be sure, to be decisive, but doubt nagged at her. She wanted to believe there was a peaceful way forward. She wanted to believe they could avoid more bloodshed.
She looked between her companions, searching their faces. “Am I wrong?” she asked finally, her voice uncertain. “If we go in like this… aren’t we just handing ourselves over?”
Sharn closed his eyes and took a deep breath, a brief moment to center himself. Stars, he was staring to hate the stubborn kobold, but it made nothing but sense. They were terrified by overwhelming rulers. He wondered how she was handling her own subjects.
"Stars and soil have told me to help you, not to lead. If you want my opinion, we should probably search for a different entrance or perhaps evidence of this dragon. Perhaps even an ambush. I forget how much time we have in our hands. If we take a dragon's meal, they will definitely chase us, if only for our audacity.
"That would be of course the smart and prudent course of action, but a part of me thinks the wisest would be defeating the princess right now. To rush in, knocking down everyone but the princess. If only we knew where she was.
"I say we make a temporary retreat. I haven't been touched by the traps, and my focus is unshaken, but it is not the same for the rest of the group."
Hastos listens and watches carefully. He sheathes the sword and stows his shield across his back. “The gray one is standing in the way of us getting information. I propose I take him out of earshot and see if the others are willing to talk. You can also ask them if the gray one should…” Hastos searches for a soft delivery.” …return. They can choose to help or not. Not helping leads to them, their children and grandchildren living in servitude. Cooperate and our goals align and they’re people stand a chance at freedom.”
Hastos listens and watches carefully. He sheathes the sword and stows his shield across his back. “The gray one is standing in the way of us getting information. I propose I take him out of earshot and see if the others are willing to talk. You can also ask them if the gray one should…” Hastos searches for a soft delivery.” …return. They can choose to help or not. Not helping leads to them, their children and grandchildren living in servitude. Cooperate and our goals align and they’re people stand a chance at freedom.”
Kasi misses the meaning of Hastos's implication, and remains focused on the conversation. She doesn't feel like it's her place to make decisions, but she offers a bit of insight. "Kobold culture different from petissethric," she gestures toward each of you, as if the term applies to any species that isn't kobold. "It great honor to serve, even be eat by, dragon. Princess Harkail be kobold scale sorcerer, special breed. Born to serve dragon. If dragon down there, Princess Harkail spend whole life serving dragon, and final honor to be food for dragon. Masters not win over Letni Inhelk with promise of freedom. Special place after death for kobold who forsake dragon lord." Kasi shudders at the thought of what could only be described as "kobold hell".
"..honor to be eaten by a dragon..." Sera turns to Hastos. " we have nothing to offer them have we?" She let the question be unanswered. "It will be their greatest wish to serve it....we never get them as allies" She not say loud her worry how Kasi would react in the presence of a dragon. A troublesome thought.
"Agreed, fear is overshadowed by devotion, specially in a group. Lets retreat for now, gather, plan. I think that was enough to quell the voice that wanted to continue."
Hastos nods at Sera and Sharn, his face grim. “ There’s usually one outcome for this level of fanaticism. We have a choice before we leave. If we leave these alive, they will prepare the others for our return and we’ll have to fight them all over again, any advantage will be lost.”
Removed the comment to Kasi as it’s coming off as a threat right now.
Sera heard what the kobolds said... they had a dragon master and considered it an honor to be eaten. There was no hope of gaining them as allies. The party seemed to think retreating was the best option.
She went over and placed a hand on a Hastos shoulder, her voice steady but firm. "They made their choices. Do not give your soul such dark stains Hastos. Yes, they will rat on us and rebuild the traps. Next time we meet, it will be as mortal enemies. I am sorry Kasi. Let us not linger here any longer... we have nothing to offer them, and they have nothing to offer us either. Not cooperation. Not any crates"
With that, Sera pulled out her rope and turned to Kasi. "Kasi, we will tie them up and hide them so we can get a head start before they rush off to warn their master. Tell them that." she hesitate when she go to tie up the old Kobold. Wiser about the kobold way but also a bit disencouraged about saving them.
She got to work, securing the kobolds as quickly as possible while keeping an eye on the others. Time was running short.
Kasi is lost in thought, and doesn't initially acknowledge that Sera, Hastos, and Sharn have come to a decision. "Dragon no attack. No... dragon can not attack. Let Kasi try something."
Kasi sits down, cross-legged in front of Kobold Warrior Gray, and sits with him while Sera ties up the kobolds again. Kasi lets the visual of Sera gently binding the prisoners sink in before talking. Her tone is motherly... kind. Ending in questioning tones. She nods at the end of each question, as if already knowing the answer. Kobold Warrior Gray narrows his eyes and keeps his mouth shut, but she persists, grabbing his snout and pointing his gaze back at hers whenever he tries to look away. Eventually, Kobold Warrior Gray starts to soften and relax. Then, as Sera is nearly done with her work, Kobold Warrior Gray starts to open up. Short words at first, and he is clearly thinking about every word, using caution to give as little information as possible.
Kasi looks confused by the response. She begins asking more questions. You hear the words Dawnbound, Santekh, Letni Inhelk, and petissthrik used frequently. The back and forth seems to be making progress, but Kasi's expression shows that she has more questions than answers as the dialog goes on.
She looks at the group. "If Dawnbound go, Letni Inhelk not attack. Letni Inhelk no want war with Santekh. Letni Inhelk steal crates, yes. Letni Inhelk no kill merchants. Killing merchants being trouble for Letni Inhelk. Left knocked out and bound. Jamada," she gestures at the kobold warrior she was looking at, "fight in raid. Use exploding bullets in sling that make sleep."
Kasi groans and her knees and hips pop as she stands back up. "Look. Narrow tunnel. Small ladder. Dragon no escape to surface. Maybe small dragon... baby..." she searches for the word in common, "Wyrmling. Jamada refuse to talk about dragon. He say no nothing here. But Letni Inhelk guard something precious to Letni Inhelk. Much much precious to risk war."
Jamada looks at Kasi suspiciously, with obvious concern in his eyes. He may not speak common, but he seems to be drawing some conclusions about the party's plan from their look of resolve. He begins to speak, desperate, whining tones.
Kasi looks to Jamada and shrugs helplessly, then continues speaking with him.
Hastos gives Sera a weak smile as she tries to convince him to leave them alive. He takes a deep breath. It’s a mistake. He knows this, but complies regardless as he knows it’s important to her, to Sharn, and Merkas. And how would Kasi view them, view him?
Kasi’s conversation with the gray kobold strikes back up again. If the dragon can notattack, maybe that changes something. There might still be a chance that this can work out.
"Well, There you have it! No big dragon, and we have these kobolds that we didn't kill either, just like they didn't kill the merchants, which we'll have to find out the truth of later. So we take them in and talk to the queen, explain that these crates need to go back or Santekh will have many deaths, and those deaths will be blamed on the Letni Inhelk, and start a war. If we go back and tell Santekh that a dragon is building lair in the hills nearby it will start a war, and if we don't come back alive it will start a war. Only option is to find out if there really is a dragon or get the crates" Merkas stands next to Kasi as he speaks"I am going to talk to the queen, Kasi can come with me and we will take our older friend here and Jamada to show that we did not come to make war but only gain our things back.
Standing straight, arms crossed the kender strikes a pose of firm resolve, it would be imposing if he wasn't barely taller than his companions knees.
Sharn paused, stroking his bushy mustache. Merkas and Kasi did make a lot of sense. And if they were protecting a small dragon. He hummed pensive, but if two of his companions were about to walk to the heart of danger, even if to parley.
"Well then, you make great points. All the more important to note why the fate of a whole group shouldn't be relinquished to one person. Hmm, yes
"I'll join you two, if you let me. There were holes, in my conjectures big enough for a family of moles to live in. Wisdom has caught up to you while I managed to outrun it, if only by a few steps."
Kasi stands beside Merkas in solidarity. Walking right into the queen's lair was a big swing, but she's done it before and came out alive. If there's a peaceful resolution to this, Kasi clearly wants in. Her bow is now over her shoulder, and her arrows away. This is not a battle that she thinks should be fought with weapons.
Extrapolating from context in the OOC that Dawnbound wishes to head down to the third floor. If anyone wishes to split the party, I will retcon as needed.
Kasi helps the elder kobold to his feet and pats him on the shoulder reassuringly, then asks a question in Yip-yak. The elder kobold responds, and she nods and winks. "This one name Ipmeerk. Good name. Mean Silent Stalker. Ipmeerk no want Dawnbound speak of what Masters see below. Big... important... secret."
When the party is ready, Kasi leads Dawnbound back to the ladder, with Ipmeerk and Jamada in tow.
The Queen's Hall... (those who do not wish to join the rest of the party shouldn't read any further. But I won't deny you access to the story. If you do decide to read it, pretend your character doesn't know any of it.
Once you descend the ladder. You see the small chamber that Merkas was talking about, complete with a detailed blueprints of the queen's throne room. The chamber is going to be a massive round den, about 200' in diameter with high arching ceilings and a spiraling dais that extends half the height of the room. That spiral staircase is where the queen's throne is, and likely where you will find her holding court. The front half of the chamber will be designed to be chiseled out and flat, with plenty of room for treasure, food, and railways for carts to be brought to the back. The back of the chamber looks to be more garden-like, with room for mushroom and algae groves, braziers and fire pits are included for light and warmth. And there are pools for spring water surrounding a central depression. If you had to guess, it looks like a nest.
Beside that, there is a current layout of the throne room. It's significantly smaller, with a long hallway, about 15' wide that extends into a cul-de-sac about 30' wide with a dais towards the end of it. Torchiers run along the length of the hallway towards the dais. There is some evidence of digging already within sight. Step ladders lead down onto the main hallway, which are already about 10' lower than the chamber you're currently in, and there are visible rail paths leading from the hallway into the dim light towards the dais.
Sera clenched her fists as the realization hit—this had been a setup from the start. They’d been tricked, used like pawns in someone else’s game. Her blood simmered with frustration.
Merkas, Sharn, and Kasi headed inside with the kobolds to meet the so-called "princess," and Sera just gave a short nod, her voice tight. "...Okay... I wait outside. If you don’t give a sign in a short time, I assume the negotiations went bad..."
No one really responded. No one stopped to question what happened if things went wrong.
"...And I’ll be back... after warning Santech..." Her voice trailed off into the dimly lit tunnels, unheard by the others.
With a sigh, she turned on her heel and started walking toward the exit. If a giant fire-spitting chicken had eaten the horses, it would’ve been the perfect end to this godsdamned day.
Kobold Commoner Yellow yips at Sera as she heads toward the ladder. Then gestures up with his snout, up towards the ladder. Bound, he can't do much, but he struggles to his knees, and keeps gesturing up into the dark.
Next to the ladder, you see a stone with draconic runes on it and an engraving of a kobold's mouth. Further up, at the top of the ladder, near the dragon facade, you see a small button. Kobold Commoner Yellow seems to be gesturing not to the stone at the base of the ladder, but to the button on the wall next to the stone.
Kasi helps the elder kobold to his feet and pats him on the shoulder reassuringly, then asks a question in Yip-yak. The elder kobold responds, and she nods and winks. "This one name Ipmeerk. Good name. Mean Silent Stalker. Ipmeerk no want Dawnbound speak of what Masters see below. Big... important... secret."
“Cross my heart and hope to die” Merkas spouts the childs rhyme for keeping secrets as he moves along with Kasi “Hey Gramma? Who told you about the shipment in the first place? Been going over all the people we talked to in Santekh and they all only seemed to know that the shipment was attacked but none had real information about the caravan itself”
Basically ignoring the room with the blueprints as he’s seen it already the kender merrily follows the kobold as they lead the way before asking them in common “So Ipmeerk? You have lived some years now, you didn’t learn common? Silent Stalker is a really cool name, wonder what kind of kobold name I could get? How about you, Jamada, being a soldier you don’t speak common either? Or maybe it’s to much of a nasty language for you guys cause so many people that speak it have been mean to you all?” The kenders eyes are always roaming as he walks the halls, watching for hidden alcoves, hiding spots, useful items, and possible traps. (Perception- 7)
Hastos walks at the real of the column, protecting the flank and listening to the barrage of Merkas’ questions and commentary. Trying to maintain a serious mood despite Merkas’ light-hearted and jovial attitude which was pleasantly distracting to say the least.
Sera pressed the button as the kobold hinted, deactivating the cruel dragon breath trap. She peeked back, giving a short, almost reluctant, "Thanks..." before climbing up. Her shining sword cast long flickering shadows against the rough stone as she retraced their path, carefully leaping over every tripwire and avoiding the treacherous pressure plates.
Then, at last—warm, dusty desert air.
She stepped out into the desert, the dry wind kissing her face, carrying the scent of sand and distant spices. The sun was sinking behind the mighty Khalkist Mountains, their jagged peaks like the fangs of a slumbering beast devouring the light. Hues of deep crimson, soft lavender, and molten gold painted the sky, stretching across the dunes in a breathtaking display. The sand beneath her boots glowed warm, reflecting the final embers of daylight.
For a moment, despite everything, she just stood there, letting the beauty of the desert sunset steady her heart.
Sera stood still for a while, her gaze lost in the horizon where the sun was devoured by the jagged peaks. A dry wind rustled her cloak, but the storm inside her was louder. Had she made a mistake by being the one to wait outside? Should she have insisted on staying with them, just in case?
The betrayal in Santech gnawed at her. Someone—maybe more than one—had set them up. It wasn’t just frustrating; it was disappointing. She had wanted to believe in the settlement, in their cause, but now she wasn’t sure who to trust.
And then there was Hastos. She had hoped, foolishly maybe, that he would have followed her. But he had chosen to stay, likely to keep an eye on the kender—which was wise. Yet, he carried secrets too. Dark ones. The Dragon Army was part of his past, and he hadn't trusted any of them with the full truth. Not even her. That was not something to build any future relationship on.
A pang of regret twisted in her chest. She shook her head and exhaled sharply. No use dwelling on it now. All she could do was be ready—ready to act if things inside went south, ready to warn Santech if their mission had truly been a fool’s errand.
Kasi helps the elder kobold to his feet and pats him on the shoulder reassuringly, then asks a question in Yip-yak. The elder kobold responds, and she nods and winks. "This one name Ipmeerk. Good name. Mean Silent Stalker. Ipmeerk no want Dawnbound speak of what Masters see below. Big... important... secret."
“Cross my heart and hope to die” Merkas spouts the childs rhyme for keeping secrets as he moves along with Kasi “Hey Gramma? Who told you about the shipment in the first place? Been going over all the people we talked to in Santekh and they all only seemed to know that the shipment was attacked but none had real information about the caravan itself”
Reminded of her shameful act of betrayal, her face droops. "Kasi hired to make special crossbow bolts for troops by Councilor Rhyana. Councilor Rhyana and Piruz speak of caravan while Kasi retrieve arrows from chest. Kasi overhear. Rhyana say better if Santekh trade with Letni Inhelk, but no can find no one brave enough to ask, so Santekh forced to rely on distant trade, so people suffer. They get quiet when Kasi come back. Say Kasi allowed to stay as long as needed until find clan, but must not stay long in Santekh. Is much dangerous for kobold in Santekh." She nodded and pursed her lips, understanding the truth of that statement. At the time, it may have sounded like Rhyana was trying to protect Kasi. "Then, Kasi get idea when they leave. Kasi could make trade agreement with Letni Inhelk, join clan, and have strong home. Be hero in Santekh and Letni Inhelk. No more be alone no more."
Basically ignoring the room with the blueprints as he’s seen it already the kender merrily follows the kobold as they lead the way before asking them in common “So Ipmeerk? You have lived some years now, you didn’t learn common? Silent Stalker is a really cool name, wonder what kind of kobold name I could get? How about you, Jamada, being a soldier you don’t speak common either? Or maybe it’s to much of a nasty language for you guys cause so many people that speak it have been mean to you all?” The kenders eyes are always roaming as he walks the halls, watching for hidden alcoves, hiding spots, useful items, and possible traps. (Perception- 7)
Ipmeerk and Jamada look surprised that Merkas calls their names. Then, they look to Kasi to translate. Amused by the kender's inquisitive nature, she gladly obliges. The kobolds look at the little blue fella, about the height of Ipmeerk. Jamada points to your blades, Splinter and Shard. "Neerak." Ipmeerk, shakes his head in disagreement and chuckles, then offers, "Yabbak."
Kasi covers her mouth to hide the smile. Then nudges Ipmeerk playfully. She utters a short sentence with the work Yabbik in it and the three kobolds look at you evaluating the decision.
"Yabbak," Kasi explains, "mean Chattering Spy. Master Merkas good talker. Much good sneak. Quick hands," she says with a wink, and as a compliment.
Sera pressed the button as the kobold hinted, deactivating the cruel dragon breath trap. She peeked back, giving a short, almost reluctant, "Thanks..." before climbing up. Her shining sword cast long flickering shadows against the rough stone as she retraced their path, carefully leaping over every tripwire and avoiding the treacherous pressure plates.
Then, at last—warm, dusty desert air.
She stepped out into the desert, the dry wind kissing her face, carrying the scent of sand and distant spices. The sun was sinking behind the mighty Khalkist Mountains, their jagged peaks like the fangs of a slumbering beast devouring the light. Hues of deep crimson, soft lavender, and molten gold painted the sky, stretching across the dunes in a breathtaking display. The sand beneath her boots glowed warm, reflecting the final embers of daylight.
For a moment, despite everything, she just stood there, letting the beauty of the desert sunset steady her heart.
Sera stood still for a while, her gaze lost in the horizon where the sun was devoured by the jagged peaks. A dry wind rustled her cloak, but the storm inside her was louder. Had she made a mistake by being the one to wait outside? Should she have insisted on staying with them, just in case?
The betrayal in Santech gnawed at her. Someone—maybe more than one—had set them up. It wasn’t just frustrating; it was disappointing. She had wanted to believe in the settlement, in their cause, but now she wasn’t sure who to trust.
And then there was Hastos. She had hoped, foolishly maybe, that he would have followed her. But he had chosen to stay, likely to keep an eye on the kender—which was wise. Yet, he carried secrets too. Dark ones. The Dragon Army was part of his past, and he hadn't trusted any of them with the full truth. Not even her. That was not something to build any future relationship on.
A pang of regret twisted in her chest. She shook her head and exhaled sharply. No use dwelling on it now. All she could do was be ready—ready to act if things inside went south, ready to warn Santech if their mission had truly been a fool’s errand.
Nearly a whole day gone. The warm, stagnant air was gently being carried away by the coming cool of dusk. The horses seem unbothered, if still a bit uncomfortable standing so close to Barkly, who has captured (and torn nearly to ribbons) a rabbit with her beak. She was playing with the scraps, shaking the ragged hide and bones, then tossing them onto the ground with a dusty thud when she notices Sera. Barkly cocks her head to the side in snapping motions. She blinks a few times, deciding if you're here to finish the job or just stand there. Finally, she scratches the ground a few times and returns to her play.
and Jamada look surprised that Merkas calls their names. Then, they look to Kasi to translate. Amused by the kender's inquisitive nature, she gladly obliges. The kobolds look at the little blue fella, about the height of Ipmeerk. Jamada points to your blades, Splinter and Shard. "Neerak."Ipmeerk, shakes his head in disagreement and chuckles, then offers, "Yabbak."
Kasi covers her mouth to hide the smile. Then nudges Ipmeerk playfully. She utters a short sentence with the work Yabbik in it and the three kobolds look at you evaluating the decision.
"Yabbak," Kasi explains, "mean Chattering Spy. Master Merkas good talker. Much good sneak. Quick hands," she says with a wink, and as a compliment.
Merkas smiles, glad to see some other expressions than pain and anger from those they had previously fought with. “YAbbak, yAbbak, yabBAK, Yabbak.”He works at the proper pronunciation. “Is this a name that only noachi use? I like it, Gramma I will be honoured if you call me Yabbak.” Already living ip to the name he has been given he asks “What does Neerak mean? Daggers or something? I have them but don’t always kill with them. Really just tools for right moments”
Moving closer to the throne room, Merkas quiets down, despite his nature he does understand that there is some decorum needed when meeting leaders and royalty. Watching the work happening he marvels at the focus of the workers, the carts moving through, and the crates….wait the crates for Santekh, they are muvh larger and look to heavy for the group to have attempted to sneak them out. If someone had sent them here knowing there was no way for them to get these back he was going to be a little perturbed
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Loyalty Begets Honour
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The kobolds refused to say much more, their nervous glances and clipped yips making it clear they were too terrified to speak further. Kasi say it is how loyakty for a dragon works.
Merkas suggest to go and negotiate. They traded before. Before yes. Not now.
Sera exhaled slowly, her grip tightening on her sword hilt. The idea of finding the kobold princess made sense—perhaps she held some authority, some way to turn this situation in their favor. But… what authority did she even have if these kobolds were already under the command of something worse? And if they had been willing to slaughter the caravan, what made her think they’d be open to negotiation now?
She hesitated, glancing at the others. Was she overthinking this? Or not thinking it through enough?
“I don’t quite understand how walking straight into their stronghold helps us,” she admitted, her voice quieter than before. “They already followed orders to kill—why would they stop for us?”
Her stomach churned as she tried to sort out the best course of action. She wanted to be sure, to be decisive, but doubt nagged at her. She wanted to believe there was a peaceful way forward. She wanted to believe they could avoid more bloodshed.
She looked between her companions, searching their faces. “Am I wrong?” she asked finally, her voice uncertain. “If we go in like this… aren’t we just handing ourselves over?”
Sharn closed his eyes and took a deep breath, a brief moment to center himself. Stars, he was staring to hate the stubborn kobold, but it made nothing but sense. They were terrified by overwhelming rulers. He wondered how she was handling her own subjects.
"Stars and soil have told me to help you, not to lead. If you want my opinion, we should probably search for a different entrance or perhaps evidence of this dragon. Perhaps even an ambush. I forget how much time we have in our hands. If we take a dragon's meal, they will definitely chase us, if only for our audacity.
"That would be of course the smart and prudent course of action, but a part of me thinks the wisest would be defeating the princess right now. To rush in, knocking down everyone but the princess. If only we knew where she was.
"I say we make a temporary retreat. I haven't been touched by the traps, and my focus is unshaken, but it is not the same for the rest of the group."
Hastos listens and watches carefully. He sheathes the sword and stows his shield across his back. “The gray one is standing in the way of us getting information. I propose I take him out of earshot and see if the others are willing to talk. You can also ask them if the gray one should…” Hastos searches for a soft delivery.” …return. They can choose to help or not. Not helping leads to them, their children and grandchildren living in servitude. Cooperate and our goals align and they’re people stand a chance at freedom.”
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Kasi misses the meaning of Hastos's implication, and remains focused on the conversation. She doesn't feel like it's her place to make decisions, but she offers a bit of insight. "Kobold culture different from petissethric," she gestures toward each of you, as if the term applies to any species that isn't kobold. "It great honor to serve, even be eat by, dragon. Princess Harkail be kobold scale sorcerer, special breed. Born to serve dragon. If dragon down there, Princess Harkail spend whole life serving dragon, and final honor to be food for dragon. Masters not win over Letni Inhelk with promise of freedom. Special place after death for kobold who forsake dragon lord." Kasi shudders at the thought of what could only be described as "kobold hell".
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My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
"..honor to be eaten by a dragon..." Sera turns to Hastos. " we have nothing to offer them have we?" She let the question be unanswered. "It will be their greatest wish to serve it....we never get them as allies" She not say loud her worry how Kasi would react in the presence of a dragon. A troublesome thought.
Sharn nodded along with Sera.
"Agreed, fear is overshadowed by devotion, specially in a group. Lets retreat for now, gather, plan. I think that was enough to quell the voice that wanted to continue."
Hastos nods at Sera and Sharn, his face grim. “ There’s usually one outcome for this level of fanaticism. We have a choice before we leave. If we leave these alive, they will prepare the others for our return and we’ll have to fight them all over again, any advantage will be lost.”
Removed the comment to Kasi as it’s coming off as a threat right now.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Kasi is lost in thought, and doesn't initially acknowledge that Sera, Hastos, and Sharn have come to a decision. "Dragon no attack. No... dragon can not attack. Let Kasi try something."
Kasi sits down, cross-legged in front of Kobold Warrior Gray, and sits with him while Sera ties up the kobolds again. Kasi lets the visual of Sera gently binding the prisoners sink in before talking. Her tone is motherly... kind. Ending in questioning tones. She nods at the end of each question, as if already knowing the answer. Kobold Warrior Gray narrows his eyes and keeps his mouth shut, but she persists, grabbing his snout and pointing his gaze back at hers whenever he tries to look away. Eventually, Kobold Warrior Gray starts to soften and relax. Then, as Sera is nearly done with her work, Kobold Warrior Gray starts to open up. Short words at first, and he is clearly thinking about every word, using caution to give as little information as possible.
Kasi looks confused by the response. She begins asking more questions. You hear the words Dawnbound, Santekh, Letni Inhelk, and petissthrik used frequently. The back and forth seems to be making progress, but Kasi's expression shows that she has more questions than answers as the dialog goes on.
She looks at the group. "If Dawnbound go, Letni Inhelk not attack. Letni Inhelk no want war with Santekh. Letni Inhelk steal crates, yes. Letni Inhelk no kill merchants. Killing merchants being trouble for Letni Inhelk. Left knocked out and bound. Jamada," she gestures at the kobold warrior she was looking at, "fight in raid. Use exploding bullets in sling that make sleep."
Kasi groans and her knees and hips pop as she stands back up. "Look. Narrow tunnel. Small ladder. Dragon no escape to surface. Maybe small dragon... baby..." she searches for the word in common, "Wyrmling. Jamada refuse to talk about dragon. He say no nothing here. But Letni Inhelk guard something precious to Letni Inhelk. Much much precious to risk war."
Jamada looks at Kasi suspiciously, with obvious concern in his eyes. He may not speak common, but he seems to be drawing some conclusions about the party's plan from their look of resolve. He begins to speak, desperate, whining tones.
Kasi looks to Jamada and shrugs helplessly, then continues speaking with him.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Hastos gives Sera a weak smile as she tries to convince him to leave them alive. He takes a deep breath. It’s a mistake. He knows this, but complies regardless as he knows it’s important to her, to Sharn, and Merkas. And how would Kasi view them, view him?
Kasi’s conversation with the gray kobold strikes back up again. If the dragon can not attack, maybe that changes something. There might still be a chance that this can work out.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
"Well, There you have it! No big dragon, and we have these kobolds that we didn't kill either, just like they didn't kill the merchants, which we'll have to find out the truth of later. So we take them in and talk to the queen, explain that these crates need to go back or Santekh will have many deaths, and those deaths will be blamed on the Letni Inhelk, and start a war. If we go back and tell Santekh that a dragon is building lair in the hills nearby it will start a war, and if we don't come back alive it will start a war. Only option is to find out if there really is a dragon or get the crates"
Merkas stands next to Kasi as he speaks "I am going to talk to the queen, Kasi can come with me and we will take our older friend here and Jamada to show that we did not come to make war but only gain our things back.
Standing straight, arms crossed the kender strikes a pose of firm resolve, it would be imposing if he wasn't barely taller than his companions knees.
Loyalty Begets Honour
Sharn paused, stroking his bushy mustache. Merkas and Kasi did make a lot of sense. And if they were protecting a small dragon. He hummed pensive, but if two of his companions were about to walk to the heart of danger, even if to parley.
"Well then, you make great points. All the more important to note why the fate of a whole group shouldn't be relinquished to one person. Hmm, yes
"I'll join you two, if you let me. There were holes, in my conjectures big enough for a family of moles to live in. Wisdom has caught up to you while I managed to outrun it, if only by a few steps."
Kasi stands beside Merkas in solidarity. Walking right into the queen's lair was a big swing, but she's done it before and came out alive. If there's a peaceful resolution to this, Kasi clearly wants in. Her bow is now over her shoulder, and her arrows away. This is not a battle that she thinks should be fought with weapons.
Extrapolating from context in the OOC that Dawnbound wishes to head down to the third floor. If anyone wishes to split the party, I will retcon as needed.
Kasi helps the elder kobold to his feet and pats him on the shoulder reassuringly, then asks a question in Yip-yak. The elder kobold responds, and she nods and winks. "This one name Ipmeerk. Good name. Mean Silent Stalker. Ipmeerk no want Dawnbound speak of what Masters see below. Big... important... secret."
When the party is ready, Kasi leads Dawnbound back to the ladder, with Ipmeerk and Jamada in tow.
The Queen's Hall... (those who do not wish to join the rest of the party shouldn't read any further. But I won't deny you access to the story. If you do decide to read it, pretend your character doesn't know any of it.
Once you descend the ladder. You see the small chamber that Merkas was talking about, complete with a detailed blueprints of the queen's throne room. The chamber is going to be a massive round den, about 200' in diameter with high arching ceilings and a spiraling dais that extends half the height of the room. That spiral staircase is where the queen's throne is, and likely where you will find her holding court. The front half of the chamber will be designed to be chiseled out and flat, with plenty of room for treasure, food, and railways for carts to be brought to the back. The back of the chamber looks to be more garden-like, with room for mushroom and algae groves, braziers and fire pits are included for light and warmth. And there are pools for spring water surrounding a central depression. If you had to guess, it looks like a nest.
Beside that, there is a current layout of the throne room. It's significantly smaller, with a long hallway, about 15' wide that extends into a cul-de-sac about 30' wide with a dais towards the end of it. Torchiers run along the length of the hallway towards the dais. There is some evidence of digging already within sight. Step ladders lead down onto the main hallway, which are already about 10' lower than the chamber you're currently in, and there are visible rail paths leading from the hallway into the dim light towards the dais.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Sera clenched her fists as the realization hit—this had been a setup from the start. They’d been tricked, used like pawns in someone else’s game. Her blood simmered with frustration.
Merkas, Sharn, and Kasi headed inside with the kobolds to meet the so-called "princess," and Sera just gave a short nod, her voice tight. "...Okay... I wait outside. If you don’t give a sign in a short time, I assume the negotiations went bad..."
No one really responded. No one stopped to question what happened if things went wrong.
"...And I’ll be back... after warning Santech..." Her voice trailed off into the dimly lit tunnels, unheard by the others.
With a sigh, she turned on her heel and started walking toward the exit. If a giant fire-spitting chicken had eaten the horses, it would’ve been the perfect end to this godsdamned day.
Kobold Commoner Yellow yips at Sera as she heads toward the ladder. Then gestures up with his snout, up towards the ladder. Bound, he can't do much, but he struggles to his knees, and keeps gesturing up into the dark.
Next to the ladder, you see a stone with draconic runes on it and an engraving of a kobold's mouth. Further up, at the top of the ladder, near the dragon facade, you see a small button. Kobold Commoner Yellow seems to be gesturing not to the stone at the base of the ladder, but to the button on the wall next to the stone.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
“Cross my heart and hope to die” Merkas spouts the childs rhyme for keeping secrets as he moves along with Kasi “Hey Gramma? Who told you about the shipment in the first place? Been going over all the people we talked to in Santekh and they all only seemed to know that the shipment was attacked but none had real information about the caravan itself”
Basically ignoring the room with the blueprints as he’s seen it already the kender merrily follows the kobold as they lead the way before asking them in common “So Ipmeerk? You have lived some years now, you didn’t learn common? Silent Stalker is a really cool name, wonder what kind of kobold name I could get? How about you, Jamada, being a soldier you don’t speak common either? Or maybe it’s to much of a nasty language for you guys cause so many people that speak it have been mean to you all?”
The kenders eyes are always roaming as he walks the halls, watching for hidden alcoves, hiding spots, useful items, and possible traps. (Perception- 7)
Loyalty Begets Honour
Hastos walks at the real of the column, protecting the flank and listening to the barrage of Merkas’ questions and commentary. Trying to maintain a serious mood despite Merkas’ light-hearted and jovial attitude which was pleasantly distracting to say the least.
Perception: 7
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Sera pressed the button as the kobold hinted, deactivating the cruel dragon breath trap. She peeked back, giving a short, almost reluctant, "Thanks..." before climbing up. Her shining sword cast long flickering shadows against the rough stone as she retraced their path, carefully leaping over every tripwire and avoiding the treacherous pressure plates.
Then, at last—warm, dusty desert air.
She stepped out into the desert, the dry wind kissing her face, carrying the scent of sand and distant spices. The sun was sinking behind the mighty Khalkist Mountains, their jagged peaks like the fangs of a slumbering beast devouring the light. Hues of deep crimson, soft lavender, and molten gold painted the sky, stretching across the dunes in a breathtaking display. The sand beneath her boots glowed warm, reflecting the final embers of daylight.
For a moment, despite everything, she just stood there, letting the beauty of the desert sunset steady her heart.
Sera stood still for a while, her gaze lost in the horizon where the sun was devoured by the jagged peaks. A dry wind rustled her cloak, but the storm inside her was louder. Had she made a mistake by being the one to wait outside? Should she have insisted on staying with them, just in case?
The betrayal in Santech gnawed at her. Someone—maybe more than one—had set them up. It wasn’t just frustrating; it was disappointing. She had wanted to believe in the settlement, in their cause, but now she wasn’t sure who to trust.
And then there was Hastos. She had hoped, foolishly maybe, that he would have followed her. But he had chosen to stay, likely to keep an eye on the kender—which was wise. Yet, he carried secrets too. Dark ones. The Dragon Army was part of his past, and he hadn't trusted any of them with the full truth. Not even her. That was not something to build any future relationship on.
A pang of regret twisted in her chest. She shook her head and exhaled sharply. No use dwelling on it now. All she could do was be ready—ready to act if things inside went south, ready to warn Santech if their mission had truly been a fool’s errand.
Inside Letni Inhelk...
Reminded of her shameful act of betrayal, her face droops. "Kasi hired to make special crossbow bolts for troops by Councilor Rhyana. Councilor Rhyana and Piruz speak of caravan while Kasi retrieve arrows from chest. Kasi overhear. Rhyana say better if Santekh trade with Letni Inhelk, but no can find no one brave enough to ask, so Santekh forced to rely on distant trade, so people suffer. They get quiet when Kasi come back. Say Kasi allowed to stay as long as needed until find clan, but must not stay long in Santekh. Is much dangerous for kobold in Santekh." She nodded and pursed her lips, understanding the truth of that statement. At the time, it may have sounded like Rhyana was trying to protect Kasi. "Then, Kasi get idea when they leave. Kasi could make trade agreement with Letni Inhelk, join clan, and have strong home. Be hero in Santekh and Letni Inhelk. No more be alone no more."
Ipmeerk and Jamada look surprised that Merkas calls their names. Then, they look to Kasi to translate. Amused by the kender's inquisitive nature, she gladly obliges. The kobolds look at the little blue fella, about the height of Ipmeerk. Jamada points to your blades, Splinter and Shard. "Neerak." Ipmeerk, shakes his head in disagreement and chuckles, then offers, "Yabbak."
Kasi covers her mouth to hide the smile. Then nudges Ipmeerk playfully. She utters a short sentence with the work Yabbik in it and the three kobolds look at you evaluating the decision.
"Yabbak," Kasi explains, "mean Chattering Spy. Master Merkas good talker. Much good sneak. Quick hands," she says with a wink, and as a compliment.
Outside Letni Inhelk...
Nearly a whole day gone. The warm, stagnant air was gently being carried away by the coming cool of dusk. The horses seem unbothered, if still a bit uncomfortable standing so close to Barkly, who has captured (and torn nearly to ribbons) a rabbit with her beak. She was playing with the scraps, shaking the ragged hide and bones, then tossing them onto the ground with a dusty thud when she notices Sera. Barkly cocks her head to the side in snapping motions. She blinks a few times, deciding if you're here to finish the job or just stand there. Finally, she scratches the ground a few times and returns to her play.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Merkas smiles, glad to see some other expressions than pain and anger from those they had previously fought with.
“YAbbak, yAbbak, yabBAK, Yabbak.” He works at the proper pronunciation. “Is this a name that only noachi use? I like it, Gramma I will be honoured if you call me Yabbak.” Already living ip to the name he has been given he asks “What does Neerak mean? Daggers or something? I have them but don’t always kill with them. Really just tools for right moments”
Moving closer to the throne room, Merkas quiets down, despite his nature he does understand that there is some decorum needed when meeting leaders and royalty. Watching the work happening he marvels at the focus of the workers, the carts moving through, and the crates….wait the crates for Santekh, they are muvh larger and look to heavy for the group to have attempted to sneak them out. If someone had sent them here knowing there was no way for them to get these back he was going to be a little perturbed
Loyalty Begets Honour