T’puuli will notice her arm had quit hurting sometime during that odd story the gnome was telling. Looking at her arm, she will say “Magic user huh? Thank you mister Gnome, I owe you one. Normally it would be best to take care of one nest at a time, but the tunnels are small. Why don’t you two magic users and Torigad take 1 tunnel. While myself and Manuhol take the other? That way we do not get in each others way. Ixion Po and Snowlily have already chosen their tunnel.

What you see is a female drow 5’ apx 120 lbs, well built a bit heavier then a normal Drow, Dark skin (Charcoal), Eyes are red with flecks of Silver, her hair is a dirty gray 2 small silver white horns are visible since the hair is dirty and wet. She smells of wet burnt barn and mud. She is wearing mud encrusted green? Boots. She is carrying an ironwood staff that has metal bands. A dagger is on one side of her belt. You will not see any armor. Her loose comfy travel clothes are of a good quality homespun in a dark color (looks dark but is really teal green just wet and dirty)

Torigad shok himself to get himself together now the battle was over he could feel the pain his battle lust gone that wound really hurt now *Ah well can't be helped* he thought to himself. He heard the more involved of the two monks talking and his plan sounded feesible at least, however he wanted stick with Ixion Po, although he hated him there wasno doubt he was the best tactician of all of this odd group he had taken control and only light wounds had occured and the alarm was not sounded. Torigad accepted his place however he was to be with the casters, oh how he hated casters *no metal to 'em* that was his opinion. Casters were never down to earth always speaking in riddles that he could often not understand.

"Good plan Monk lets be on our way we have killing to do"
and with that he started towards his assigned tunnel not waiting for the others although hoping they were following. as he walked he went to stroke his beard but it wasn't there only one-side. he chuckled to himself *what an idiot* but this was a new Torigad a confident Torigad.

T’puuli will notice her arm had quit hurting sometime during that odd story the gnome was telling. Looking at her arm, she will say “Magic user huh? Thank you mister Gnome, I owe you one. Normally it would be best to take care of one nest at a time, but the tunnels are small. Why don’t you two magic users and Torigad take 1 tunnel. While myself and Manuhol take the other? That way we do not get in each others way. Ixion Po and Snowlily have already chosen their tunnel.
"Seifu ... Guide Me!"
Manuhol had decided to begin herding the cattle back towards the town while the kobolds were otherwise detained ... but upon hearing T'puuli suggest a plan of action for the two Monks to enter one of the tunnels ... his memories of fighting alongside his fellow Monks against the forces of evil caused him to pause from herding the cows back to town!

Although they were obviously of different backgrounds ... and dojos ... teaming up once again with another Monk ... Any Monk ... was just too good to pass up!

He looked her over and decided that the female Drow with the burnt barn smell and mud covered beauty would prove to be a formidable foe against the unsuspecting Kobolds!



Manuhol nods his head in agreement and follows the female Drow Monk into the tunnel ... taking note of her demeanor ... and ever watchful of her abilities ... to make either an offensive or defensive reaction ... depending upon what they encounter in the tunnel of the Kobolds!

INSIDE THE KOBOLD LAIR
EAST OF SODGROVE SODGROVE, SOUTHERN EASTROSE
SIXTEENTH DAY OF ELMONTH - LATE AFTERNOON

((Paraphrasing the entry because we need to move on to the good parts))

Ixion Po and Snowlily enter the rightmost tunnel. Manuhol and T'puuli take the left one. Torigad and Melven take the middle.

The kobolds were not necessarily expecting anyone to enter their lair, but their innate paranoid nature meant they were not unprepared for invasion.

The entrances to the tunnels are disgusting, piled up around as high as six feet with refuse, offal and pieces of rotten food. bones litter the floors and the stench is very strong. The tunnels are tubular and about six feet across, making it a tight fit for some, perfect for others. Progress is single file.

The tunnels are trapped, and several times the party made near misses, Torigad almost being killed by a short drop onto ponji stakes, thankfully he is able to jump across it at the last moment. Ixion locates several poison dart traps, and even managed to take one apart, successfully pocketing three poisoned darts without his companion Snowlily noticing. Manuhol and T'puuli surprised the front pickets of the home guard, and with muffled blows, turn the left tunnel into a mass grave of about fifteen of the wretched things.

Melven and Torigad wade into a guard emplacement as well, and fare no worse. Torigad flexes his axe swinging muscles as Melven talks and talks about the best way to combat vermin, and in a strange way, the endless conversation allows Torigad to zone out into a combat hypnosis, swinging almost with eyes closed in a deadly ballet of amazing grace. Unfortunately, Melven is the only one who witnesses this synergic dance of death, and the strange little gnome's eyes glint with satisfaction at the ruthless combination.

Speaking of ruthless combinations, Ixion and Snowlily hail an almost constant barrage of arrows into the passages ahead, driving the blue vermin before them in terror. They strike with deadly accuracy, and only once did Ixion have to engage in melee.

About fifteen minutes of crawling, scraping, backtracking and fighting, the party makes it to a large chamber that all the entry tunnels lead into. It is a raised stone mastaba, a large area of bare rock, curved around the edges, making an odd effect like the floor of the room is a huge stone tongue inside a large underground mouth. The "throat" of the room is a gaping hole in the north wall ostensibly down into another chamber to the north and below. The center of the ceiling is a large stalactite with a hole in the central axis from which water gushes, landing in the middle of the tongue and creating a small pool before flowing down the throat into the chamber beyond.

Along the edge of the walls are small holes, perhaps two feet across, much too small for even the gnome to enter. They have pieces of sapphire scales and tattered moltings lying about the holes, suggesting that they are squeezed through quite often by small blue scaled folk. The room glows with an ambient turquiose light that seems to emanate from the passage below.


There are a dozen kobold warriors forming a shield wall in the area near the center of the room. They are dressed in battle armor of some piecemeal fashion and are wielding halfspears and long rectangular shields. They are formed up in a phalanx in a Turtle stance, a defensive anti missile formation.

There is a tense moment as both sides size each other up. Suddenly, a voice shouts out from the center of the kobold phalanx in a broken common.

"How much for you go away? We no fight, you no stay. We have silver. You go with silver, we no fight. You stay, we fight, you no leave Arren. Many die, you die on kobold spear. You take silver, you leave, you make pups for long life. How much?"

In a clear voice T’puuli will answer the kobold speaker.

“We came because you take things from the village of humans nearby.” T’puuli will reply to the unseen voice “as far as silver we need to discuss this among ourselves please wait a bit”

Looking at her companions she will notice a few more beady eyes. Slowly moving towards the rest so that she may talk with them and glancing at the green monk for him to move closer. After she is close enough she will announce to the group quietly so as to not alert the kobold speaker

“I believe we are out numbered 5 to 1, all those 2 foot holes are filled with Kobolds, and there may be more that I do not see. Do we parley for the cows and silver? Or fight and trust we are not swarmed under by blue vermin?”

She will wait for an answer.

“I believe we are out numbered 5 to 1, all those 2 foot holes are filled with Kobolds, and there may be more that I do not see. Do we parley for the cows and silver? Or fight and trust we are not swarmed under by blue vermin?”
Manuhol the Monk was inspired by the spunk of his fellow monk named T'puuli. He was ready to fight alongside her ... even unto death against the blue vermin!

Leaning in closer for the entire group to hear his words ... without alerting the kobolds ... Manuhol the Monk simply replied:

"We came for the cows ... and additional silver ... would be most welcome ... but in case you have not noticed ... the tunnel we just came through ... is now filled ... with more kobolds ... which means we are surrounded now ... cut off from any avenue of escape!"

"If you choose to stand and fight ... then I am with you ... no matter what the odds ... but returning the cattle to the townsfolk ... is why we are here ... and we can live to fight ... another day!"

The gnome turns his head toward the party and says "I didn't really come here for those cows and silver can only buy things that are made now..." He seems lost in deep thought for a moment, staring into the group of Kobolds huddled behind the shields and spears. "Damnit, fine... I said that I would join you so now if you decide to leave I should go too. For my vote though, I think we should keep going until we reach those cities that were in the distance I pointed out before. But then again, maybe they can be reached from another direction."

Melven shrugs, the buckles all over his chest jingle slightly when he does so.

Movement from the left catches the eye of the party. A small kobold, no bigger than a small to medium sized dog, climbs out of one of the holes. Its scales are still soft, but the color is a rich vibrant blue. It clambors up onto the stone tongue that the party is warily assembled and toddles towards T'puuli, ignoring the frantic whispered protests of a female voice from the darkness.

The phalanx of kobold warriors tenses up.

The kobold child chitters something in draconic,

"[This one looks like the Nest Father.]"
There is a visible gasp of surprise that passes through the chamber. The kobolds appear shaken.

The gnome stares at the small kobold as he talks in draconic. A smile streaks across his face as he notices the gender implications. Laughing loudly he says "Well, ye might want to dress a bit more femanine. Maybe a nice corset, perhaps a dress, or a smile from time to time wouldn't hurt." As he says this he realizes this could go rather badly for him and holds up his hands, still chuckling. The small man takes a breath and calms down long enough to say "Wait, wait... I'm sure it isn't your fault. Maybe this "Nest father" is a transvestite!" The gnome's laughter bursts out, breaking his facade of calm seriousness.

"Okay.. okay.. okay.. " A deep breath preceeds a small chuckle and another relaxing breath. Melven clears his throat and says
"[Maybe your nest father is her great ancestor. What is the name of your Nest father?]"

The gnome stares at the small kobold as he talks in draconic. A smile streaks across his face as he notices the gender implications. Laughing loudly he says "Well, ye might want to dress a bit more feminine. Maybe a nice corset, perhaps a dress, or a smile from time to time wouldn't hurt."
At that point the Gnome gets a dirty look from T’puuli.

As he says this he realizes this could go rather badly for him and holds up his hands, still chuckling. The small man takes a breath and calms down long enough to say "Wait, wait... I'm sure it isn't your fault. Maybe this "Nest father" is a transvestite!" The gnome's laughter bursts out, breaking his facade of calm seriousness.
If looks could kill, That gnome would be dead by now.

"Okay.. okay.. okay.. “A deep breath precedes a small chuckle and another relaxing breath. Melven clears his throat and says
"[Maybe your nest father is her great ancestor. What is the name of your Nest father?]"
T’puuli is watching the Phalanx and the rest of the crowd But keeping an ear peeled for what the Kobold child answers back.

The child gets dragged away by his mother with a quickness, receiving a scathing admonishment for talking to 'biggies'.

The kobold who spoke earlier speaks again.

["we know you have different Nest Father... but you kill Nest Father's brood. We say again..."]
The kobold warrior is cut off by a deep voice echoing from the chamber beyond... speaking in perfect draconic. The powerful and noble voice rings with the clarity of a true blue dragon.

["That will be enough, Kulumen. They are clearly not from Eastrose. Although... I smell Silver in someone's blood...]
The kobolds fall to one knee when they hear the voice ring out.

Since Tellanth did not come into the tunnels, The Gnome looked like a full Gnome, Torigad is clearly part Black, Snowlily is just as clearly a full elf, Manuhol is defiantly a part Green and Ixion looked full human. That left her. Standing straighter she will also reply in draconic

[That will be me, We came for the stolen cattle from the human village not far from here and the offer of additional silver would be most welcome but not necessary. We did not come here to plunder your tribe, only to do enough damage to prevent pursuit while the cattle are being returned to the village, and to discourage any farther raids on the village stores and wares. ]
Which was true, she did not enter the tunnels for wealth. (Lets hope he agrees because we are SO not up to dealing with an angry full grown dragon AND his offspring. As Manuhol said “We can live to fight another day”)

There is a pause; as if the dragon in the chamber beyond were considering T'puuli's words...

["I do not wish to part with the bovine; however, I do not desire to see the rest of my brood slaughtered. While I am certain I can fell the lot of you, it is obvious that your disappearance would arouse more suspicion. Therefore, I must offer terms for my secrecy to continue."]
The wyrm slowly takes a deep breath and continues.

["I can allow you to return the food I have taken, albeit the food is tribute; I will need compensation in some alternate manner to prevent my further depredations into their territory. In other words, I can offer you payment for the following: Employ under my banner, hunting for me those things which I need and those people to whom I am enemy; and second for your silence as to yoru knowledge of my whereabouts. Unfortunately for us both, I cannot accept refusal on this matter, so your acceptance would be mandatory... the only negotiable matter is what your services are worth."]
Kobold females, obviously occupying the socially lowest rung, carefully edge themselves towards the party, offering refreshments. They seem to favor T'puuli, as she is the most obviously like them. They carry trays laden with various cutlets of wonderfully smelling meats. Some bring pitchers of water, and a few females team up to bring wooden crates for the group to sit while parleying with the "Nest Father."

With his cudgel put away Melven sits down on a small chair and relaxes as if he had come down to see his cousin for tea. His brow furrowed with the thoughts of life, death, money, and machinery. His hand deftly slips to the small metal object in a pocket on his hip. Three small metal barbed tines stab into the meat slices on a tray and then disappear as they are shoved quickly into the gnome's mouth. Chewing slowly, Melven uses the back of the multi- tined eating dagger to scratch a series of numbers in the dirt.

A swallow followed by a leather strapped sleeve across the chin, whiping away the juices and gravy.

"["So, if I get this correct... You, want to pay me 484 gold in silver pieces for services already rendered. Allow us to take back the cattle to the villagers. Then your going to pay me a monthly salary to go around collecting things for you... Expenses paid... and your going to let me keep all the extra bits that I find along the way. Oh, and you, and your kobolds here, are going not going to interact with the locals anymore either. Oh and one more thing, I want to be able to search through those giant old rusted heaps down the way, during my "off time" and keep what I want. And in return you want us to collect a few things for you and keep your location a secret. Oh and I almost forgot... if we don't your going to eat us. ]"


He quickly spears another piece of meat on his tri-pronged dagger and shoves then into his mouth. Through the loud chewing he appears to be mumbling to himself.

"[Mnnmnm Going anyway numnmnmn long days MnNMunNumndn get eaten Mnnmnmnunmn]"


A forced swallow and then

"[What kind of things? I mean what kind of items will we be procuring? And what kind of people do you consider to be your enemy? I'm not big on killin mind you but I have done my fair share of defending myself with a preemptive strike while someone was sleeping. But I tend to only do that to people who aren't really currently capable of fighting back. It seems to be much easier that way.]"

The wyrm takes a long slow deep breath.

["As for the items I require:
1. A stable food supply for myself and my brood... something that is not managed by my brood. They have no concept of saving for a rainy day.
2. A decent income. I cannot hope to stand against my enemies unless I can amass buying power.
3. Magic. Books, tomes, items, scraps of rumors. I want anything I can find.

As for my enemies, take a step into my parlor here and see for yourself why I require absolute secrecy."]