Chapter I: Damring Fortress, Part 1

[Starbeard]

Raizenbrayne, Who Is Unforeseen

'I believe this kobold is an ordained priest of some sort to that god we passed in the forest: I see some of the same halations surrounding him. Well, who's turn is it to get some food out of their pack?'

Raizenbrayne tucks his necklace back into his robe, convinced there will be no need for payment of that sort.

[Simon]

Harlan Wax

Harlan tries to appease the little guy and get some more information about this sacrifice.

Sorry Mr. Chorko, but, while eager to please your red-faced master, we are strangers here, and unaccustomed to your ways. What sorts of sacrifice does the red-faced one generally prefer? If its food he wants, I fancy myself something of an amateur gastronome, a would be happy to provide some delightful roasted garlic morsels. I got the recipe years ago from a blind chef from beyond the Middensea...one of my favorites.

Harlan gestures to the clove of garlic hanging around his neck, and gives his companions an earnest look, as if to say "Really, they're quite delightful and it is getting to be that time in the day when I am accustomed to take a bit of refreshment, though I appreciate that it probably isn't really the time..."

Does Chorko seem agitated or impatient? What is Harlan's read on his level of aggression or hostility?

[Keehnelf]

The kobold seems wary but otherwise businesslike. So far he doesn't seem to feel threatened and does not appear to be overtly antagonistic.

"Red-faced hwone demand blood, honly blood hwill choothe hish hanger."

He seems to consider for a moment before continuing. "Hwhy dooo hyou come here? Hyou come for pilgrimage?"

[Simon]

Harlan Wax

I suppose you could say we're on pilgrimage of a sort. Blood sacrifice though...perhaps just a few drops would be sufficient?

What's our move here guys? Are we to negotiate with him? Do we reveal to him we're looking for the orb? I think for his part, Harlan would prefer subterfuge and sneaking to open confrontation.

[Starbeard]

Raizenbrayne, Who Is Unforeseen

'Blood, eh?' Raizenbrayne glances at the other two, as if to ask for any takers. 'I need that, but if he doesn't need much I could always part with a few pints.'

I'm in favour of subterfuge here. Unless the little guy is some kind of Yoda we might be able to take him. But, as we haven't yet identified the source of the evil magic, it might be better to avoid confrontation with the kobold, since there's a possibility that it could be coming from the Red-Faced One.

[Keehnelf]

The kobold's eyes widen. "Pilgrimage! Hai bring hyooo tooo temple hif hyooo have chacrifice! Needs lot hof blood. Chmall animal, maybe this hwone?" He finishes by pointing at Harlan in a half-embarrassed sort of way, as though to suggest it's nothing personal.

"Hif halfling his not hokay, maybe weee can make hagreement?" A shrewd look appears on the kobold's face. He seems to be willing to negotiate the price of entry.

[Starbeard]

Raizenbrayne, Who Is Unforeseen

Raizenbrayne thinks about it for a minute.

'Tell me, little dirty one: would a raccoon or a raven do?'

[Simon]

Harlan Wax

A brief shadow of rage flits across Harlan's face at the suggestion he offer himself up to.

You scaly litte lizard-fu..

He catches himself just as Raizenbrayne makes the suggestion about the raccoon and the raven, raising his brow and smiling somewhat wickedly.

Now there's an idea! I say again: check out the big brain on Brayne! What say you Cherko? Perhaps we can make an arrangement. Raccoons, ravens, or maybe that scaly bugger in the other room?

[Simon]

I'm with you Starbeard. Lets work this little punk over...with words!

[Keehnelf]

The kobold smiles more broadly yet at the suggestion. "Yes, crows his goood chacrifice! Hwone chteal holy hamulet hand bring to crows nest--hyou bring hamulet hand hwone crow, red-faced hwone his very happy!"

[Simon]

Harlan Wax

Excellent! I knew we could come to an understanding. How would we get to their rookery?

Do we want to press him on the issue of the scaly thing(s) in the adjacent room? Or shall we save that for another day?

[Starbeard]

Raizenbrayne, Who Is Unforeseen

Pleased with the news, Raizenbrayne convenes momentarily with the others in a huddle.

'For my part, I say grab we grab a crow, it can't be that hard. Their nests appear to be either up in the tower or above the gatehouse, I'd say.'

After some deliberation with Harlan about questioning the scaly thing, Raizenbrayne suggests holding off.

'It wouldn't hurt to ask now, I suppose; but, if we do get the amulet, we can try pressing him for information about whatever suits us before we give it back.'

[Keehnelf]

The kobold points back over his shoulder, "Crows his hin back hof temple. Behind chtairs. Have hroom full hof chiny hitems. Hremember, chacrifice must be halive! Hotherwise, red-faced hwone be heven hangrier hand maybe kill heverybody..."

He disappears inside the opening briefly, returning with another rounded stone held in the crook of his arm. "Hai hwill be hwaiting here hwhen hyooo have crow." He takes careful aim and rolls the chunk of statuary across the floor with a small grunt of exertion, ignoring you for now.

[sulldawga]

Agrom the Warrior

"Well, I'm not sure about getting this lizard a blood sacrifice but I'm definitely interested in finding out what sort of 'shinies' these crows have gathered, so let's go!"

[Keehnelf]

OK, what do you do or where are you going? There are four obvious exits from this room:

North through the small hole the kobold came out of.
West through a slightly-ajar wooden door.
South through the main entrance.
East through the open-topped archway into the room with the pit and water.

[sulldawga]

Let's go west and see if that's a safer way to get north to the crows. We already know going east might mean fighting whatever is swimming in that pit.

[Simon]

Harlan Wax

West sounds good to me.

[Keehnelf]

12 Brightmorn, 814 - Turn 2 - Damring Fortress, Dim Light

The heavy wooden door to the west swings easily aside at Agrom's touch as he leads the way into the chamber beyond. Despite its fluid movement, the door gives a loud and hollow creak that echoes across the large space beyond.

Immediately across from the door a jagged gap in the opposite wall is visible, hatcheting down through the stone like a thunderbolt nearly an arm's span long. That wall stands thirty feet distant from the entrance through which the group has just come, beyond a long chamber strewn with wreckage. Upon a brief inspection, the room appears to have once been a meeting hall or mess--the thirty-foot span between the door and the opposite wall is the narrow dimension, and the room in fact stretches off perhaps eighty feet into the gloom to the right as one enters. The walls of the room are mainly intact, though the chamber is open to the sky, only a few heavy jutting beams stretching out against the open air to indicate the former height of the ceiling (between twelve and fifteen feet).

Amidst the rubble of the collapsed roof that marks the floor, the shattered remains of heavy wood tables and chairs of a rough design are scattered throughout. Along the eastern wall of the chamber a single much-used path is evident, clean-swept and narrow, leading from the door through which the adventurers have entered directly to a similar door that stands firmly closed at the northern end of the same wall. Far at the north end of the chamber, an icon stands dominating its surroundings. It is a broad slab of cypress wood into which has been carved the relief of a scene depicting a robed figure striking a monstrous humanoid upon the head with the palm of its open hand, pain gruesomely disfiguring the humanoid's already obscene features. The background of the relief is ornately carved with a variety of symbols and images of obvious import, many of which have been partially or fully obscured by the process of repair. The slab seems to have been nearly splintered at some point in the past, and been inexpertly restored with vine and treesap. Behind and slightly to one side of the slab, which stands on a slightly raised stone dais, a narrow stone door is set into the northern wall.

---
Party status:

Agrom, Fresh with Sword in Hand (Light)
Harlan, Fresh with Sling and Candle (3 turns) in Hand (Light)
Raizenbrayne, Fresh with Torch in Hand (1 Turn) and Supernal Vision (-1D Physical Tests, 1 Turn) (Light)

[sulldawga]

Agrom will approach the door and then pause to allow Harlan to make an inspection.

[Keehnelf]

The northeast door where the swept path leads, or the north door behind the icon that's narrow and stone?