The anticipated kobold attack on the Base Camp was a ruse to keep the group focused there and hopefully make the dwarves pick up their stakes and go home. Obviously did not happen, so the kobolds are taking a "wait and see" approach - if the number of staff at the Base Camp increases or they appear to be making signs like they are going to continue to stay - the kobolds will grow wroth and take their anger on the Base Camp. Meaning the group has a window of time to investigate the Kobold Warren and then decide on an action.
Write up follows:
The group convened with Teamster Trentis and his men as we set up camp on the slope of the nearest ridge, some ½ mile from the eastern limits of Broken Tower Lake. By the time 7 PM came and the visibility had dropped due to twilight, we decided that we were not going to be able to see if the K’Morat were going to cross during the night. The idea was we’d take a look in the morning to se if there was any sign of crossing and then make up a decision at that time.
We all took turns on watch, with 13 of us as well as Trentis’ and his 6 – we felt pretty secure. For the most part nothing happened until a bit after 2 in the morning. We were awakened to see a glowing orange/white light on the slope of a ridge, at least 2,000 up, solid and clearly visible and had to be some 3 to 5 miles from here across the lake. We watched it for 20 minutes until it faded away slowly over the course of a minute until it was gone.
We discussed what it could be. A bonfire might have been more flickering, even over these distance, and a light spell would not have been that concentrated. We decided to check it out tomorrow. We awoke early enough, swapped a few spells about, and then made our way to where we assumed the crossing had occurred. Between Grygmiir, Einar, and Barb, we were sure that a single canoe had crossed during the night as evidenced by the drags and tracks, and there were few kobolds as well.
So…it wasn’t an army. It wasn’t 30, 50, 60, or even more kobolds. One? Maybe they were scouting? Perhaps that’s what the light was, a signal back to the kobolds that they shouldn’t come? That means there were a few on the other side of the river and most likely watching the Base Camp. The decision was to hurry back to Trentis and to get the caravan to the Base Camp as the food stuffs, weapons, and other supplies would be very welcome and we had an opportunity to do it now.
The teamster was surprised to see us return and after we explained the situation he had his men up and camp broken in 15 minutes. The 4 oxen were yoked and the two wagons were coaxed into heading north and west around the lake. We kept the pace heavy as we made great time, leading the animals up around the rocky out croppings of 3 rock falls until we arrived at the place to ford the Enderlyn. Everyone was roped on and the oxen crossed here, the current tugging at the wagons, the animals, and everyone, but almost 3 tons combined each of mass were not going to dislodge them from their path.
It was after 2 PM when we were on the far side of the river and we kept up a fast pace. Eventually we came upon a five count of Giant Killers and Randari Rangers out scouting about for the K’Morat! We told them what we had found and we all made our way back to camp. The Bailiff Youngston was thrilled to see us and we shared with him what we had learned.
We wanted to get out to the light area on the mountain and soon before the K’Morat arrived there or others managed to cross. From the way the ridges were set up, there was no chance the Base Camp could have seen the light so we needed to be there to verify. By quarter to 4 we left the Base Camp and force marched ourselves as quick as we could to the ridge. It was an “L” shaped area with the ridge running up to at least 4,000 feet. The weather had turned misty and lightly raining and we had a short time left before it was twilight so we wanted to get up the slope as fast as possible to try and find the light area.
With 2 Randari barbarians and the dwarven ranger, we made short work of locating the correct area. A few kobold tracks helped lead us along the way and around 1,000 feet upslope, we came upon a single long canoe covered by a thin smattering of branches. It was kobold in make, no out riggers, and could seat up to 8 of the smaller K’Morat. We decided to move the canoe a few hundred yards to the south and then continued up the mountain and the deepening shadows to find the possible source of the light. The cloud cover was fairly low, obscuring the top of the ridge but it was around a quarter to 7 that we spotted a tall stone “house” through the trees, just about at the cloud line. We spread out and split into two groups, sneaking up closer to get a better feel for what it was.
Orcish in its make and design, a single front door and shuttered windows on all three of its main floors. Beyond the 30, 305 foot mark was a framework of lead lengths and some sort of busted glass around the entire top. The building had some ivy growing on it, but it was obvious that someone made it a habit of pulling the vine lengths away, piling it around the structure. We were also sure that some kobold tracks were in the area.
Listening revealed nothing and we chanced opening the door. A single room, 25’ square, remains of a fire, some scraps of furniture, single set of metal steps spiraling up to the 2nd floor. We all came in and Einar and Grygmiir stayed outside obscuring every sign of our passage. We then checked out the second floor, split into two smaller rooms and a larger kitchen area – long abandoned. The top floor was a sleeping room with half a dozen older wooden pallets and the “ceiling” were was a metal meshwork of catwalks. It was open to the elements and rain was falling into this room.
Climbing up to the top we were able to piece together the fact that this was an older orcish lighthouse or beacon house. The beacon didn’t turn anymore, long rusted in place. The glass in the walls had busted out long ago and the oil reservoir was empty. But the beacon housing was still 3’ tall concave silvered steel reflective housing and it was pointing north and east – across the Broken Tower Lake to the Valley we identified and visible to where we had been camped out the night earlier.
No kobolds were here now but we assumed they were watching the Camp and would return here to signal across the lake again. So we scribed a few spells, ate dinner, and set up a series of watches in pairs with someone typically up near the busted beacon for maximum view.
Our diligence paid off around 1ish when we heard footsteps getting closer along with K’Morat voices through the mists. Einar was awakened while Grygmiir kept watch. The kobolds drew closer, 5 of them, when Einar called on Frey for a Dawning and awoke all the other members of the party with a single soft word. The group awoke, learned what was going on, and got themselves ready. Thalin, took a look outside, grabbed a handful of rose petals, and as soon as one of the kobolds pointed to the others for them to wait, cast sleep on them on, knocking the entire mass of them out.
We came out, trussed them up, gagging the one who “heard” us, and then brought them in where they awoke after 10 odd minutes. What followed was a mix of torture and poor race relations as the group interrogated the kobolds as to what was going on and what was their plan.
We learned that the mass of kobolds coming at this time to attack the party was a bluff. They want the dwarves gone. They did not want to attack the group, only scare them off. The 2nd Warren was a loose cannon and killing the orc and eating him was NOT condoned by this group. There are 6 Shaman at this Warren, and one of them is the High Shaman. They will not attack now, but if the dwarves don’t leave soon, they will end up thinking it is a long term threat and risk all out siege and war to remove them all.
We bought some time saying we had to go back and talk to our leader and then decide on whether to release the last 2 kobolds back across the river or not.
No comments:
Post a Comment