Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

[Saintheart]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

That’s 48 hours. Dergosh flips down into group initiative, Tartuk gets his turn.

High Noon, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-second of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Dergosh seemed to hesitate for a moment, and the purple-scaled kobold sprang into action. There was some sort of flare of light from the headdress it wore, and the creature seemed to become … dim. Like the shadows reached out for it and embraced it.

A scaled purple hand dived into the small sack hanging from one shoulder. Another second or two, a feeling of magic flaring, and now Tartuk disappeared entirely.

The Sootscale kobolds snarled in rage, the noises echoing around the cavern.

Then that voice, that voice that drifted like a cloud of poison gas in their minds:
So you use outlander thralls to give you the courage you do not have. No matter. This moment has arrived sooner than expected, but not –that- soon.

A pause, as if, perversely, Tartuk were weighing his words.

You are all going to die.

Spoiler: Tactical Map

Show

Spoiler: Tactical Notes

Show

Group initiative:

Tartuk acts first.
Dergosh, Korlann, Akara, Three, Kuros, Ruk all act second.
The chieftain of the Sootscale and his kobolds act last.


You have 48 hours to post up actions, guys. No post means your character goes on total defense. No need to post in order, actions are resolved in order of posting instead.

[jdizzlean]

Akara could hear the banter going back and forth between the chieftan and this tartuk. Seeing Dergosh falter and fail to act for some reason, made her all the more ready to get into the fight. Pushing through her companions, she moves up from the rear.

Spoiler

Show

Move to L12, behind the kobolds, using them as a shield. Dropping the readied action of charm person, and instead shooting off Glitterdust to the area the chief was previously at judging by the direct gazes of all in the room as I had no line of sight due to being in the rear.

[Mercurion 2]

Dergosh howled and let forth a blast of sound

Spoiler

Show

Sound burst, centered on the square Tartuk is/was in.

[BluesEclipse]

Korlann moves forward through the room, eyes darting around the side of the room where the Shaman was in the hopes of spotting some sign of his movement, and taking a defensive stance so that he can better react to any kind of attack their invisible foe might unleash.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Moving to J12, using total defense for +4 to AC.

[almondsAndRain]

Three of Three stood in the back of the Company’s formation with her crossbow in her right hand, and made no indication she planned on moving. With her left, she made complex motions to cast an infusion. Her hand and eyes shone purple for a brief moment, but that light would transfer to her weapon as soon as her hand wrapped around its foregrip. What was once a standard - though intricately designed - magical crossbow would soon be a serious threat to almost every creature within the Sootscale’s caverns, at least for a little while.

She responded to Tartuk, in hopes of goading him out of hiding: “Doubtful. More likely, my orc friend is going to walk out of this room wearing your head the way your chief wears that skull.”

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Three casts Personal Weapon Augmentation as a 1 Round action through Rapid Infusion. The +1 Light Crossbow becomes a +1 Bane; Humanoid (Reptilian) Light Crossbow for forty minutes, more than long enough to finish the fight with Tartuk and possibly even the rest of the tribe if they betray us.
Probably should have had her do this as prep on the way, but was busy and it didn’t occur to me. Sorry!

[bcool999]

If Akara's spell revealed their foe, Kuros moves forwards and attacks him.

If Akara's spell didn't hit their foe, Kuros moves forward, taking a guess at where the Shaman tried to escape to.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

In the first case, Kuros moves 20ft toward the foe and swings with the most appropriate weapon (Cleaver if he is still out of range without reach, Longsword if he can get into melee range)

If Kuros cannot see the foe as a result of Akara's spell, Kuros moves 20ft to J12 and swings at square I13 with his longsword.

Attack: (1d20+6)[16] (+4 bab, +5 str, +1 magic, -4 power attack)
Concealment (High is good): (1d100)[89]
Damage (If I made the luckiest blind guess ever): (1d8+10)[14]

[Saintheart]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

That’s 48 hours again.

High Noon, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-second of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Truly? Tartuk’s voice echoed in Three’s central processing unit in reply to her statement. There was no doubting the amusement and contempt, even with no sound to work with; Dergosh and Akara’s spells didn’t seem to have hit anything, and Kuros’s swing with his blade hadn’t resulted in any great sprays of blood or other liquids either. Barbarous creatures, all of you I see. Except for the arcanists, of course. Chieftain, do you really stoop to such a point? Forming a barricade for someone who appears to have fey heritage? Is this what the might of the Sootscales has come to?

The chieftain snarled. Bar one of his braver followers, though, none of them moved, looking fruitlessly around the cavern.

I think things are not beyond recovery at this point. But I think you also should not be allowing the outlanders to kill me. Especially that mage among you. I think you should defend me as well as you can, and stop that mage moving or casting any more spells so we can … sort this out. After all, have I not been your tribe’s friend?

There was a sudden silence for a second, broken by two things.

A hurried set of movements, behind the frame decorating the walls. It seemed Tartuk had made his way into the narrow gap between the frame and the walls, where both the rickety frame and the banners hanging randomly made it harder to see him. The kobold was reappearing now, though he still seemed … dim, still difficult to pinpoint.

And the second thing that broke the silence was the sudden heavy blinking of the Sootscale kobolds’ eyes, as they turned with hostility to look at the Company members, and in particular the half-fey woman standing right among them…

Spoiler: Tactical Map

Show

Spoiler: Tactical Notes

Show

Time’s up, the turn moves on. The Sootscales don’t move much. Tartuk gets his turn, and reappears out of invisibility, though he has pretty good cover in between the cave wall and the wooden frame, and he appears to have cast some sort of spell on all of the Sootscale kobolds around you; the spellcasters in the party will identify it as a Charm Person spell, interestingly, and presumably Chain'd to hit all the kobolds at once.

Group Initiative Order:
Tartuk acts first.
Dergosh, Korlann, Akara, Three, Kuros, Ruk all act second.
The chieftain of the Sootscale and his kobolds act last.
Tartuk can be taken to have acted. 48 hours to post up actions, guys. No actions, total defense. No need to post in order, actions are resolved in order of posting instead.

[BluesEclipse]

Korlann spins towards the other kobolds as he sees their movement, and scowls as the Sootscales turn towards the Wolftooth Company at Tartuk's command. "Damn it all... Kuros! Deal with the Shaman!" As he speaks, he shifts his stance, gathering wisps of ki into his fist, azure light dancing over his hand as the energy buids, mingling with magic as the amulet he wears flares with brilliance. "Akara, brace yourself!" he calls out as the energy reaches a peak, before thrusting his fist forward to strike at the kobold nearest him.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Attacking Sootscale 6. Activating Heartseeker Amulet to make it a touch attack. Using a stunning fist charge for Pharaoh's Fist, for a stun attempt on Sootscales 2, 4, and 6, the Chieftain, and (unfortunately) Akara.

To Hit: (1d20+8)[12] Touch Attack, Crit on 28
Damage: (1d8+4)[11], x2 on Crit
On Hit: Akara, Sootscale Chieftain, and Sootscales 2, 4 and 6 must each make a DC 16 Fort Save or be Stunned for 1 round.

[bcool999]

"Mind magics! Keep your wits about you!" Kuros shouts as he moves across the chamber before charging toward their foe. He brandishes his cleaver to wreak havoc and chop the Shaman apart despite where he hides.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move action: Move to I8.
Standard action: Making a Charge attack as a standard Action, +2 to hit -2 to ac.
Greatcleaver attack (Full PA): (1d20+4)[24] (+4 bab, +5 str, +1 magic, +2 charge, -4 prof, -4 Power Attack) crit threat on 24
Damage: (2d8+20)[29]

Spoiler: In case of crit open this.

Show

Crit confirm (If above attack is 24): (1d20+4)[13]
Damage: (6d8+60)[91] added to above.

[jdizzlean]

Spoiler: save

Show

ugh, fort...

(1d20+6)[16]

should i not be stunned, i think for my own survival the best thing i can do is to drop another glitterdust right on me to blind all our allies new enemies

Something about that strike tickles a faint memory in Akara's past. To late, waves of force wash over her as she has but a moment to realize her "guard" is now turned against her.

Spoiler: actions, if fort succeeds

Show

Friends! Close your eyes!

Akara points directly at herself and casts Glitterdust (2/3) again, causing the familiar explosion of gold to encompass everything around her!

DC 18 will save or blinded for 6 rounds to everything in 10ft of me, which should only be ruk and kuros hopefully, other than kobolds...

ps. oh my that crit!!

[Mercurion 2]

Dergosh let out another roar, though this time his voice seemed to mix with the snarl of leopard and the bellow of great ape. The half-orc's skin darkened perceptibly, his muscles bulged, and the tusks jutting from his mouth grew another half-an-inch.

Spoiler

Show

Casting animalistic power, +2 bonuses to Str, Con, and Dex.

[almondsAndRain]

Three left the chamber’s entrance, darting as carefully as she could between the two black kobolds at the entrance. She didn’t want to suffer any damage to her frame, but if she was right, then the only real threat in the mob was the chieftain - and Korlann has taken care of him, at least for the moment. Instead, the artificer moved to help Kuros kill Tartuk and end this fight before any of their small allies had to be killed.

Her run stopped just after the shaman’s cauldron, and she aimed her crossbow over the center of his body. She spoke aloud toward the purple lizard and squeezed her weapon’s trigger, “Aye, truly.”

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Move Action: Three moves through the following path, from P10 to J7. This uses up all 35 ft of her movement.

Standard Action: Three attacks Tartuk with her +1 Bane; Humanoid (Reptilian) Light Crossbow.

Attack Roll: (1d20+8)[12]. This threatens a critical on a natural 19 or 20, so a 27 or 28.

+2 from her Base Attack Bonus, +3 from her Dexterity, +1 from the weapon’s Enchantment bonus, +2 additional enhancement from Bane.

Critical Confirmation Roll: (1d20+8)[24]. This threatens a critical on a natural 19 or 20, so a 27 or 28.
Normal Damage Roll: (1d8+3)[8].

+1 from its natural enhancement bonus, +2 from the bonus granted by Bane.

Bane Damage Roll: (2d6)[6].
Critical Damage Roll: (1d8+3)[10].

Notes: Three has 29 bolts remaining.

[Zombulian]

Ruk let loose a growl of frustration as he realized what Tartuk had done to the tribesman. Seeing that the ones closest to him had been incapacitated by Korlann's strike, he focused his spirit in an attempt to shift his form into a shadow dragon wyrmling, before chasing after the shaman.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Caster level check: DC8
(1d20+4)[21]
Relevant stat changes: +7 natural armor, +2 size bonus to ac and attack from tiny size, 60ft move.
For now move to I7 next to Kuros. Then giving full chase.

[Saintheart]

High Noon, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-second of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Things happened fairly quickly at that point. Korlann’s hand lashed out, his fingertips stiff and pointed; still, he remembered long enough to only hit the Jin Sha pressure point of the kobold nearest him, and what otherwise would have been a lethal strike just knocked the kobold out cold. Ki blazed across the forms all around them, though, stunning most of the kobolds where they stood (and luckily, not Akara.)

Kuros was already in motion, and the massive Greatcleaver he’d been experimenting with almost wore a groove through the air as it crashed through the rickety wooden frame and smashed into Tartuk’s chest, drawing a massive spray of blood. The shaman staggered back, a scream of pain echoing through every head in the cavern along with a loud hiss from the creature’s mouth. But the kobold wasn’t down yet, amazingly; even with such a powerful stroke, Kuros hadn’t managed to kill the shaman.

Surrounded, Akara acted on instinct – and dropped a Glitterdust spell at her feet, enveloping all the kobolds right around her as well as Ruk and Korlann. Ruk managed to shield his eyes. Korlann did not, and his eyes surged with sudden glittering yellow dust, the young monk blinded, falling back on the training from Thessaris Valenti, back when they’d used blindfolds and swatted the novices with bamboo staves…

But every one of the kobolds around Akara was blinded as well. And the ones not already stunned swiped ineffectively at Korlann and Akara.

As Dergosh roared with strength pouring into his bones, Three and Ruk surged into the cavern proper, Ruk shifting his (sparkly) form to that of a shadow dragon wyrmling, Three lining up a shot on the staggering kobold shaman … which narrowly missed, the bolt spannngggging off a wooden frame support.

Tartuk staggered, the purple-skinned kobold pushing himself off the wall where he’d reeled. He looked up at the six-armed frame of the silverbrow before him, yellow eyes shining.
And cast another spell.

Power surged into Kuros’s mind, along with the shaman’s words, twisting at the Obah-Blessed man’s thoughts. My friend … I am being beaten to death. You do not know what perfidies these kobolds have told against me. I beg you, please do not let your friends harm me, your spellcasters assault me. I only want peace from this conflict, and to leave! Help me, I beg you!

And summoning a surge of strength, the shaman scampered off along the gap between the wall and the frame, scurrying from shadow to shadow, blood pattering from his awful wound.

Spoiler: Tactical Map

Show

Spoiler: Tactical Notes

Show

On the map, a blue halo means the character is blinded; a grey X means they’re stunned.

Notable points:
(1) Kuros is under the effect of a Charm Person spell, which means his attitude towards Tartuk switches to Friendly and he views the shaman in the most favourable light. It was a close one, but Kuros failed the Will save … 19, against a DC of 20. Tartuk hasn’t given any orders as yet, and the spell doesn’t allow me to marionette Kuros, but the spell’s effect should be borne in mind.

(2) Tartuk runs north without being hit by AoOs mainly because of the Charm Person on Kuros and because cover (which Tartuk has) prevents an AoO. He also has concealment, for anyone who manages to get into melee range.

(3) Korlann’s strike hit and did damage, but I assumed (maybe wrongly) that he isn’t keen on actually killing anyone here since he recognises they’re enthralled. Thus the 12 point is nonlethal damage on Sootscale 6, which knocks him out, it doesn’t kill him.

(4) Three’s Gremlinbane crossbow proves once more it doesn’t want to slay anything but gremlins :( That was a bit short of a hit on my count.

Group Initiative Order:
Tartuk acts first.
Dergosh, Korlann, Akara, Three, Kuros, Ruk all act second.
The chieftain of the Sootscale and his kobolds act last (not that there’s much they can do).
Tartuk has acted. 48 hours to post up actions, guys. No actions, total defense. No need to post in order, actions are resolved in order of posting instead.

[jdizzlean]

Akara recognizes somehow that kuros has become enamored with tartuk, and taos once more into her mixed heritage for the solution.

Spoiler

Show

Akara focuses on kuros, and casts charm person, hoping to override tartuks action

dc 18 will save

should she fail, she'll shout a warning to those of the company still present

[BluesEclipse]

Korlann's eyes close just a moment too late after Akara's warning... but that moment was enough for the spell to take hold against him as well. Frowning as he blinks a couple of times, reflexively trying to clear his eyes, he sighs and closes them again, ignoring the sparkles behind his eyelid and shifting to a defensive stance - but one which would allow him to make wide, sweeping strikes if necessary. "Help Kuros! I'll cover you as best I can."

He takes a deep breath, his mind falling back to his training. Remember what lies around you - envision yourself and your surroundings, and guide yourself through them. The words of Master Delkenn ring through his mind as he cautiously steps to the side, keeping his focus in the direction that the enthralled Sootscales are. Don't simply listen for steps. Hear the wind as they pass, feel the breeze kicked up by their movements. He strains his senses as he moves, hoping to catch any of the kobolds who might be attempting to move towards his allies - or attempting to strike at him.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Korlann moves to J10, and readies an action to attack any creature that attacks him.

[bcool999]

Kuros stayed his hand at Tartuk's mental words. He looks at Tartuk's different colored scales from the other kobold and memories of Kuros's own childhood of being different and ostracized come flooding back to him. Maybe the Company should hear both sides of the conflict before jumping to such extreme measures. With a conflicted look on his face, Kuros says, "Wait... Maybe we should hear him out. What do we really have to judge Tartuk's life or death on? Rumors? Is that sufficient to damn him?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Kuros spends the round advocating for peace!

[Zombulian]

Taking a moment to shake his head at Kuros, Ruk skittered full speed after Tartuk. Once he saw the shaman, he uttered an incantation, causing the tunneling around the caster to become slick with conjured oil.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Ruk moves to I6 and casts grease on G7& G8. Reflex DC 16 or fall prone. Not sure if Balancing counts as a distraction for casting and concentration check.

[almondsAndRain]

Three’s jaw clamped shut out of irritation. The Company’s strongest member was no longer fighting, their allies have been turned into enemies by way of an enchantment, and their target is trying to make an escape… that was the worst damn time she could have missed. She opened her mouth to respond to Kuros’ compelled speech, but quickly decided it wasn’t worth the effort - she couldn’t break through that spell with only words.

Instead, she reloaded her weapon and aimed it at Tartuk’s diminutive form once again, launching yet another bolt in hopes of ending this fight before the Sootscale can act again.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move Action: Three reloads her crossbow.

Standard Action: Three attacks Tartuk with her +1 Bane; Humanoid (Reptilian) Light Crossbow.

Attack Roll: (1d20+8)[28]. This threatens a critical on a natural 19 or 20, so a 27 or 28.

+2 from her Base Attack Bonus, +3 from her Dexterity, +1 from the weapon’s Enchantment bonus, +2 additional enhancement from Bane.

Critical Confirmation Roll: (1d20+8)[25]. This threatens a critical on a natural 19 or 20, so a 27 or 28.
Normal Damage Roll: (1d8+3)[9].

+1 from its natural enhancement bonus, +2 from the bonus granted by Bane.

Bane Damage Roll: (2d6)[7].
Critical Damage Roll: (1d8+3)[11].

Notes: Three has 28 bolts remaining.

[Mercurion 2]

Dergosh stalked forward, ignoring the little kobolds all agog with their mouths hanging open. Once he reached the flimsy barrier, he took note of the stupid purple kobold and unleased a silent scream. As before, a translucent Spear of Gruumsh hurtled out of his mouth, its ghostly barbed head dripping blood as it flew towards his target.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Stomp, not walk, to square J10, and use piercing scream domain ability. 2d6 damage and dazed 1 round. DC 15 Fort save halves damage and negates the daze effect.

(2d6)[6]

If lucky was at least stop him from moving or casting spells for a round

[Saintheart]

High Noon, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-second of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Ruk cast a spell, giving the cavern walls around Tartuk a gleam of grease...

You! Tartuk's voice shrieked in Ruk's head. Servant of the hated kobold goddess! You are nothing! See what I have done to this people you love so much! See how all kobolds should die! See how--

Three's crossbow bolt cut off the ranting. The bolt spun, shearing straight through one of the supports for the rickety wooden frame, and drilled the mind-screaming shaman right between the eyes. The force of the headshot slammed the purple-scaled kobold's body against the cavern wall, where the bolt impacted and cut in, leaving Tartuk grotesquely standing, half-twitching, against the cavern wall. Some of his possessions began to slide off his form; in particular, his headdress (which the bolt had narrowly missed) was half-tilted on the dead shaman's brow.

The mental voice cut off suddenly. So too did the confused look in Kuros and the other kobolds' eyes, as the spell which had been afflicting them lifted, and as Korlann's stunning strike wore off.

They were still blinded, though, and the Sootscale chieftain began to flail wildly, jabbering in Draconic: "Miserable usurper! I will kill you! I will hand your life over to the goddess on the altar you have used to hand over so many kobolds' lives! I will--"

And then Akara's spell wore off, and the kobolds looked around, confusedly, and wary ... although they were quick to note Tartuk's corpse against the cavern wall.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

And that's a critical hit to Three, right when it's needed! Dergosh keeps his spell, Tartuk was obviously dead on the spot.

That's 533 XP to each of you for that, though you still may want to do something about the very puzzled bunch of kobolds in the centre of the cave floor...

[jdizzlean]

The battle was over and the shaman, while not yet cold, was dead. Their mad dash through the tunnels had led them to this place, and they had cast the usurper down. There would be time to figure out just what had happened here and how, but that time would come later. Seeing the madness receding from the kobolds around her, Akara gave them a few words.

Spoiler: draconic

Show

Friends, the Mighty Ruk and we his companions have slain the usurper Tartuk this day. his vileness will no longer be a stain upon which the Sootscale suffer. You there, (she points to sootcale 4) go and fetch the Blessed One some refreshments, he will need food and drink after destroying your foe most righteously. Your pardon chieftain for ordering your people about, but the Blessed One must be cared for, for he has delivered your people back to you.

All Praise the Blessed One, may his name forever ring true among the caverns of the Sootscale!
All Praise Ruk!
All Praise to the Blessed One!!!

[Saintheart]

High Noon, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-second of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice 5 of 6

The Sootscales looked at one another and then at their chieftain, seeming to warily consider Akara's words...

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Make a Diplomacy check. Your modifier is +5; you take a -4 penalty from the fact that whilst you're leaning on Ruk's status, you are an outlander half-fey abomination in the eyes of these decent kobold folk who blinded them all about ten seconds ago, and have started ordering them around.

[Saintheart]

High Noon, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-second of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice 5 of 6

...and the chieftain lowered his bone club once more. He gave some sort of signal to his tribesmen, and the other kobolds seemed to come off their on-guard stances, starting to move around the room, looking into corners and shadows. Their movements were eerily quiet and quick, in contrast to the enraged screaming of moments earlier; it was as though, having dealt with the issue of the shaman, their blood had run from hot to cold. Their first task was to scurry over to Tartuk's corpse and begin policing the body, stripping it of its accoutrements.

The chieftain pointedly turned to Ruk. "I was bewitched," he said, in Draconic, with a gesture in the direction of Tartuk's impaled corpse. "You and your companions have saved me. And all my people; these last, poor remnants of the Sootscale. I do not know what sort of terrible things Tartuk would have had me do next, but I know he intended great ill upon us He or his accursed statue."

He drew Ruk off to one side, glancing to see whether any of his tribesmen were in earshot. The kobolds had finished removing Tartuk's corpse from its position, and now hoisted the shaman's body to their thin, weedy shoulders. The chieftain turned back to Ruk. "We are free at last, Blessed One ... but it is a most pyrrhic freedom. These six kobolds you see, here - these are all that is left of the Sootscale tribe. Three males, three females. And me. Tartuk ... Tartuk ... gave several kobolds' lives to his accursed statue on the stone altar. It ... was my error that I did not act sooner, but I was so afraid of the idol, of the idol's curse. I can only say that ... it must have been the will of the Goddess, and Kurtulmak who serves She Who Breathes, that you came to us. That you freed us. I ..." The chieftain looked down at the ground for a moment, seemingly gathering his courage. " ... I have a ... question, for you. You and your companions. Not here. Not with the accursed one's blood tainting the floor of this place, that which was my cavern. Meet me back in the central chamber in a moment - I would speak to you and your companions in absence of all others. My people will be disposing of the accursed one's body for a while, which will give us the chance to talk. Tartuk's miserable corpse will be fed to the open sky. It is our way."

Ruk understood. The tradition was a little different where he had come from, but an important element in ritual cleansing of a place was to give a shunned or reviled creature a sky burial, so the animus of the body would not know how to find its way back to the cavern and bring ruin to all.

Without ceremony, and without much care for the corpse they carried, the kobolds scurried out of the cavern. The chieftain nodded to Ruk, then turned to follow them, pausing at the cavern entrance: "Anything in this cavern is yours. I can offer no pay for what you have done, Blessed One, but the taint was that of Tartuk, not anything he carried." The chieftain turned and disappeared up the tunnel, leaving the Company to itself.

Well, hey, that was pretty interesting, boss. Eral did a sort of reverse-fade into existence, his blobby shape floating excitedly. I'm really glad none of you wound up dead and all you got was a nasty case of the sparkles! Oh no, you don't have to thank me for not getting involved, I figured you'd want to handle this one personally, we take that sort of Battle For The Soul Of A Tribe Confrontation pretty seriously back up at H.Q. Anyway, speaking of sparkly, the Planar Accounting Office as you know didn't let me detect magic on this outing, but I've gots the feeling that there's a fair bit of stuff in here that's probably magical. I don't think that purple-skinned kobold was pulling all that fun stuff he did out of natural talent, you know?

[jdizzlean]

The battles over, both for the tribe, and with them it seems, Akara begins poking about the room, seeing as how they've been specifically told that they can. Calling Flit over, she very carefully starts poring through the room.

Spoiler

Show

take 20 on a search, for 23 total, and Flit assists to make it a 25 search check

[BluesEclipse]

As the Sootscales leave with the shaman's body, Korlann considers for a moment. "Ruk," he says, calling out to his Kobold companion. "Eral's words have merit - and it's possible that some of the shaman's own gear would likewise be magical. Perhaps you could take Three of Three," he nods at the Warforged, "if she is willing to accompany you, and inspect Tartuk's accoutrements to see if anything there holds magic? I'm sure that the chief would be willing to let you do so, if only to ensure that no final surprises are left by the usurper. We'll see what we can find here." With that, he begins searching the room himself to see what there is which might be of value.

[Zombulian]

Ruk nodded at Eral’s interjection, looking back to the chief with compassion and urgency.
“Actually, Chieftain, before the others take him away, I’d like to examine Tartuk with my companions.. The way he spoke to me... I’m not even sure he is a kobold.”

[Saintheart]

High Noon, The Sootscale Caverns, the Stolen Lands
Twenty-second of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)

Complication Dice 5 of 6

The chieftain shook his head. "No, Blessed One," he said. "This usurper's stink has corrupted our caves long enough. We will deal with him now, as we must. Come and see me when you are done here." And with that, he turned and loped after the kobolds withdrawing from the cave.

This left the Company to search the cavern.

Akara walked across to where Tartuk's body had lain. The kobolds had stripped it of all of its accoutrements and left them where they fell. It wasn't much, but on inspection Akara realised there was a little more here than first suspected.

Spoiler: Akara

Show

Akara picked up the headdress Tartuk had worn first, and by doing so caused it to fall to pieces. Small green feathers drifted everywhere. However, the feathers left behind something else, something more recognisable: a headband made of black iron studded with onyx and black sapphires. There was a single scale affixed to the centre of the headband, but almost without looking at it Akara knew it would be the scale of a shadow dragon. Because this item could only be a Shadowy Diadem, an item that when activated not only granted concealment to its wearer but also made him immune to certain, more esoteric forms of attack ... the kind that pulled a creature's life force from it.

She turned her attention to other items. The first was an ordinary-looking sack, but Akara again knew better: it might have looked plain, but any mage of her solid training would know it as a specimen of Heward's Handy Haversack. And inside - the only item inside, it appeared - were two small white stones. One had a faded inscription on it, one that looked ... burned, somehow. The other's inscription was still clear, and potent, and ever-so-slightly shimmering. This, of course, was some sort of magical rune: a rune of Mage Armor by the look of it, although exactly how long it might last would require positive identification by someone like Three.

There was also a sickle, composed of what looked to be cold iron. It was clearly a masterpiece of a weapon, but Akara had the feeling it wasn't magical at all.

Three headed across to the alcove at the far side of the cave. There was a small mound of what appeared fairly random-looking stuff - perhaps contributions from the tribe, or perhaps their own winnings in their war against the gremlins - which she began to pick through.

Spoiler: Three

Show

Most of it seemed to be a mound of worthless shiny objects: bits of quartz, mica, and the odd shard of a broken weapon or piece of armor. There was an intact - and likely masterwork quality - light steel shield as well. Also, a small leather pouch which contained a hefty amount of gold pieces marked as from the Emmerock mints - 1,750 gold once she got around to counting it. And there were one or two other items that intrigued her further.

The first was a half-empty mundane quiver ... but the magic in the seven crossbow bolts within called out to Three without even having to look at them. These would be flaming crossbow bolts by the look of them.

The second was a pair of soft boots. But it only took a second to realise what they were: elven-cobbled, they were Boots of Elvenkind.

And the third was a scroll. It didn't take her long to realise this was a scroll of Fly, though what use a kobold shaman might have for it she couldn't guess.

And despite a careful search, the Company found nothing else.
Bar one last thing.

Korlann was just about to turn to leave. Something out of the corner of his eye stopped him. The monk walked across the cavern to the small rock mound rising out of a shallow pool of water, his footsteps setting small ripples in the pool. He reached out to and took hold of the corner of a leatherbound book he'd found. It was small, no larger than a cleric's breviary or a merchant's notebook, but it was clearly well-used. It had been shoved into a nook in the rock cunningly, such that one could hardly see it unless the angle was just right.

Korlann flipped the book open at random. It appeared to be some sort of journal. What was unexpected was that it was written in elven; fortunate, then, that this happened to be one of the languages he had been schooled in. The hand was spidery, hurried. And its contents immediately intriguing. He had also been versed in absorbing the content of written texts quickly, so he was able to delve into the book rapidly, opening pages where he sensed the book was frequently reopened from the indentations in the pages.

Spoiler: Korlann

Show

The page he'd opened was dated about a year ago:

'And so it is time to move on. The chief of the Shatter-Rock tribe was today strangled by his three concubines in his bed, and even as I sit here I can hear the foul lizard bastards stabbing each other outside the cave. There won't be a kobold left alive by sundown. A satisfying end to these two months of living among these miserable scum.'

Korlann flipped back to the beginning of the journal. The entry was about five years ago if he had it right, but intriguingly it wasn't written in a spidery text, but a much smoother, flowing hand. Not an elven hand - for no particular reason he could put his finger on, the Skarn had a feeling that it was a gnome who was the author here:

'Well, new journal since I had to throw the old one into the fire. Couldn't have Amerik finding it. Still, as good a reason as any: because I've made my deal with the ogres, and so I'll live when everyone else dies.'

Korlann flipped to another entry shortly after the first, one well-thumbed by the look of it. The hand was now the same spidery text he'd read towards the end, albeit in larger letters, as though the writer was in a rage while penning the text:

'I am ready to die.
Curse the ogres.
Curse my fellow villagers.
Curse Savras and all the gods for making me their plaything.'

Korlann began to flip more quickly through the book. Even on a scan, the story became clear. And incredible.

Tartuk had not been born a kobold but was in fact born a gnome. He had been killed in a fight against a group of ogres who were tormenting his village, but his accidentially heroic sacrifice was enough to give his village a chance to defeat the monsters. The village, it seemed, had been sorrowed by Tartuk's death, and voted unanimously to restore him to life, using a scroll of reincarnate that had sat in the village treasury for years. And in a twist of fate, Tartuk came back as a kobold. Scandalised, the village did not know how to react.

Tartuk did.

He hadn't meant to give his life to save the village (he'd actually been trying to offer to help them destroy the village in return for sparing his life, but the ogres crushed him before he got to complete the transaction) and now they'd turned him into one of the most hated of monsters. The fact that his new scales were the same deep purple as his hair in his previous life served only to ensure Tartuk's shame. Enraged, he fled into the woods, only to nurse a deep grudge.

So he found a tribe of kobolds, joined them, used his magic and manipulative lifes to rally them, and led his new army in an attack against his old village. The resulting battle was furious, and only Tartuk survived. That was fine with him.

Since then, the mad kobold had drifted through the Border Kingdoms and even the Shaar, periodically haunting towns and murdering gnomes he found and at other times insinuating himself into kobold tribes and then driving them to extinction by forcing them into wars they couldn't possibly win. On Korlann's estimate, he'd done it three times before arriving in these regions some months ago. The Sootscales, it seemed, were but his latest project. He had used a combination of lies, magic, and his favourite tool - a non-magical statue of a devil - to seize control of one tribe after another. He had become quite skilled at convincing tribes the statue was magic and that it would curse the entire tribe if the chieftain did not follow its commands ... commands, of course, that only Tartuk could hear. The method and execution was set out in reasonable detail through the text.

But it was a self-hating, pitiful life nonetheless. Tartuk had even set out a suicide plan: when the mood took him, or he became tired of the life causing kobold tribes to destroy themselves, he planned to use a scroll of Fly to ascend into the sky as high as he can, and simply await the spell's expiry.

[Mercurion 2]

Dergosh couldn’t follow all the jibber-jab talk (i.e., Draconic), but he was familiar with the pillaging phase that followed the battle as the rest of the group began to gather up various goods.

“Ruk,” he asked, “you Big Chieftain of Sootscales now? What we do with them? Not make very good Wolftooth warriors.” He pondered for a moment longer. “Maybe miners? Sootscales know how to mine? Like being underground, maybe they know how to mine. Gems, gold…see if they know where any gold mines, or steel mines maybe.”

[bcool999]

Kuros finds a rag to clean his greatcleaver of the blood that Tartuk left on it. Looking depressed and contemplative as he does so.