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<blockquote data-quote="Milo Windby" data-source="post: 1689" data-attributes="member: 202"><p><strong>Keep of the Borderlands -part eleven (session three)</strong></p><p></p><p>Before moving on Milo decided to try out his new toy. He pulled the wand of healing out of his pack and aimed it at Jeremiah. Milo spoke the activation word, "AberNATHy!" A dull glow emanated from the tip of the wand and came to rest on Jeremiah. He watched as a couple of the barbarian's wounds from falling into the pit closed. He was disappointed when he noticed that Jeremiah barely seemed restored at all though. "Maybe it's the activation word? I wonder if it matters how I pronounce it." Milo muttered to himself. Jeremiah merely shrugged and pointed down the tunnel, wishing to continue on.</p><p></p><p>The group ventured further down the eastward passage, Milo led once again to ferret out traps. Eventually the tunnel branched off to the left, one passage continuing east and one leading north. Deciding to stick with the trusty, always-turn-left-never-get-lost principle, the party took the north passage. Not far ahead the tunnel ended in another "T" intersection. Milo carefully advanced, searching all over for any traps, especially a giant rotating stone slab. None were found and no sounds echoed down either passage. Again turning left, the party walked on. This tunnel ended in a stout wooden door. Milo searched the frame and lock for traps while the party waited a fair distance away. They had already seen Milo's trap disabling abilities and decided caution was the better part of valor in the face of his technique. Milo scoffed at their temerity before turning around. He waited until he knew they couldn't see his face before he let a slightly worried expression creep across it. After double checking the door and declaring it trap-free, he pulled his trusty lock picks from his pack. The crude lock on the door was no match for his skill and he heard the satisfying click of the tumblers. Brigit and Jeremiah moved forward to open the door and lead the way into the unknown room. Inside they made a disgusting discovery. They had stumbled on the kobold's food storage room. Milo held back his gorge as he investigated some piles of meat, obviously human. The smell that pervaded the room made all four of the adventurers nauseous. Tattered cloths still remained on torn limbs that were strewn about the small room. After a cursory examination of the area Milo decided that nothing of worth was in the foul pantry. He left the room with the other three following. As he looked back Milo noticed Jeremiah gripping the hilt of his greatsword tighter than usual, his knuckles turned white. He knew that holding back the barbarian against any more kobolds would be out of the question. Probably for the best, thought Milo, his sword will make short work of the others we saw enter this cavern.</p><p></p><p>They followed the left wall down the passage, carefully treading past the intersection. The ambush by the hobgoblins made the group especially wary of blind corners. The tunnel widened into a small natural cavern as the party continued on. Two spears flew out of the darkness not yet illuminated by Milo's lantern. One spear pierced his leg as he let his own missile fly in the direction of the kobold that just revealed itself. His bolt was a little more deadly than the spear and the kobold fell to the ground with a rattle from its pierced lung. Mazithra fired her bow from the rear of the party but was unable to make out a solid target and her arrow flew above the little lizard men. Brigit and Jeremiah moved up past Milo simultaneously. Brigit swung her dwarven war axe at one of the diminutive creatures. The kobold all but disintegrated as her weapon cut through. She would have followed through to the next beastie if Jeremiah hadn't already sliced the lizard man into two pieces with a powerful vertical slash. The two warriors seemed eager for battle after their disappointing show at the pit. </p><p></p><p>Milo's lantern revealed no more kobolds hiding in the small widening of the cave. They did notice another door leading out of the room though. Just as Milo moved forward to examine it, the door flung open. Another kobold, dressed garishly in robes with crude stars and moons painted in blood, appeared in the doorway and wiggled his fingers at the party. Just as he raised his crossbow to fire Milo began to see swirling colors spiraling out of the lizard man’s hands. The fascinating display drew close to Milo and the rest of the party at an alarming rate. Soon Milo, Brigit, and Jeremiah could only see a dazzle of lights and multihued shapes dancing across their vision. The colors dispersed before reaching Mazi near the tunnel opening. The kobold chittered something, seeming frustrated that his little lights didn't affect the elf as they had her friends. As for them, Milo and the others couldn't get their bearings, blinded and stunned by the sparkling of lights in their eyes. Mazi had no such problems as she quickly drew back her bow and fired at the kobold sorcerer. Her arrow grazed the creature as it let out a startled shriek.</p><p></p><p>The kobold wiggled its fingers at Mazi again, this time two globules of bright energy shot from its fingers. The globes raced towards Mazi, hitting her hard and pushing her back a bit. She groaned at the bruising blow of the spheres. Mazi shook her head clear of the dazzling stars that filled her vision and let another arrow go at the little sorcerer. This time the missile stuck, wounding the creature in its shoulder. The other three adventurers were also shaking their heads. Milo finally rubbed the colors out of his eyes but was still slightly dazed. He noticed Brigit and Jeremiah in similar shape.</p><p></p><p>The little lizard man tried once more to stop the inexorable advance of the willowy elf. It flexed its fingers at her again. This time nothing happened. It looked down at its hands with a bewildered expression. Unbeknownst to it, Mazi's ring of mind shielding blocked the spell, it burned hotly around her finger. She later related that the little kobold must have tried to cast some sort of mind affecting dazzle spell at her. The sting on her fingers seemed to be just enough to throw off her aim as she fired another arrow. It flew into the doorframe behind the kobold, quivering in the wood. By now Milo, Brigit, and Jeremiah had recovered and all three of them attacked at the same time. Milo's bolt barely missed the kobold, as did Jeremiah's greatsword. Brigit was the one that ended the creature's miserable existence with a great diagonal slice of her ax.</p><p></p><p>"So the kobolds know a little magic," Mazi said. "I guess we'll all have to be on the watch for any more finger-wigglers here."</p><p>Milo decided to try his luck at the wand before they found any more sorcerous kobolds. "AbernaTHY!" he muttered as he pointed the want at Jeremiah. Again the barbarian's wounds closed slightly, but not completely. "I guess I'll have to keep trying," he said to himself.</p><p>The group set about the four corpses, finding a few gold coins on the guards. Milo carefully unhooked a gold chain from around the sorcerer's neck. A heavy red gem rested at the bottom of the chain. Mazi snagged the jewel from his hands. "Aww, it won't match my earring" she said, disappointed at the lack of blue. "Oh well. Here you go." She tossed the bauble back at Milo. He stowed it in his pack, thinking to cast a magic detection cantrip on it later. Milo also found a tiny key in a hidden pocket on the body. He looked up at the open door while holding the key. Tiny keys like this fit tiny locks, he thought, tiny locks keep treasure chests closed. The four of them started into the kobold sorcerer's room.</p><p></p><p>A harem of kobold females hissed defiantly at the four. Brigit and Jeremiah made short work of the evil beasts. </p><p>While Milo was searching for the chest that matched his key Brigit and Mazi made their own discovery. Brigit found a lump while inspecting a wall hanging. Mazi joined her in front of the tapestry, running her hand along the irregular hem. She cut along the stitch and a cache of about fifty gold coins dropped out of a pocket sewn into the cloth. The clatter of the coins made Milo's ears perk up a bit and he would have investigated further if he hadn't found the chest he sought. It was a small chest and his key fit perfectly. A turn of the wrist later and he had plenty of coins to investigate right in front of him. A literal treasure trove of copper, silver, and gold winked back at him from the top of the box. A quick search through the coins confirmed that this was all the chest contained. Milo wasn't complaining though. He hauled the chest to Brigit, who was quickly becoming the party's defacto packhorse. She stowed the chest in her pack along with the other coins. Another search around the room revealed nothing, the party was ready to head out into the rest of the cavern once more.</p><p></p><p>They traveled back down the hallway to the intersection and turned left then left again. This put them back in the original eastward passage past the revolving trap. The dark passage stretched before the group and Milo once again took the lead. His cautious tread making much less noise than his armored friends trailing behind. He came to another widening in the tunnel. This one opened to a huge room, much too large for his hooded lantern to illuminate. In the darkness the group could make out countless glinting, beady eyes, all at kobold level, peering back at them.</p><p></p><p>Mazi reacted first, reciting a speedy chant and gesturing into the middle of the cavern. Jeremiah and Milo heard a rustling sound, as if a score of bodies fell to the ground. The eerie silence was punctuated by soft snores. "Ten are down," Mazi said, "that's all my magic can put to sleep for now." With that Brigit and Jeremiah rushed into the room, each to one side, Brigit to the south and Jer to the north. Neither connected with their blows, as the lizard men closest to the tunnel had been ready for them. Milo turned to use his wand on Mazi, recalling the nasty hit she had taken from the kobold sorcerer's energy bursts. </p><p>"ABernathy!" Milo uttered. This time he could see a noticeable difference in Mazi's health. Maybe it really was the way he said the word, he thought as he turned to survey the army of kobolds facing them. Milo could dimly make out a mass of kobolds asleep in the middle of the cavern, their compatriots shaking them awake. So much for the sleep spell, Milo said to himself, at least they were out for a little while. The kobolds in the front didn't waste time waking their allies. Ten of the little creatures tossed their spears in an impressive if low volley at the party. Amazingly all ten missed or were outright dodged. Things looked good for the adventurers.</p><p></p><p>Milo stayed to the rear as Mazi drew her longsword, moving forward to wade into the fray. A bolt flew from Milo's crossbow, piercing one of the frontline kobolds through. The creature dropped with a ragged hiss. Brigit swung her ax through the kobold facing her. The ax very well could have continued its vicious deathblow had another lizard man been in its path. On the other side of Mazi Jeremiah was having trouble hitting the agile kobold with his greatsword. His weapon described great arcs in front of the barbarian, each arc bringing him closer to his prey. Another huge volley of spears flew from the second row of kobolds, now awakened from the mystic sleep Mazi placed them under. Their spears were thrown without skill though, and all ten flew past the party members without a hit. One kobold that moved to engage Jeremiah did make contact however. Its short spear drew a small amount of blood from his leg. Milo watched with apprehension as another row of kobolds moved into the light. This was going to be a pitched battle, more than seven to one outnumbered them.</p><p></p><p>Mazithra did her part to winnow the numbers of the massive kobold force. Her graceful spins and pirouettes making her sword flash in the lantern light. She slashed through a kobold without any apparent effort, the attack appearing more as a move in an elaborate dance. Jeremiah finally made contact with his heavy weapon, a spray of blood flew up from the severed neck of the lizard man before him. The blade barely missing the kobold closing in on his flank as it finished its deadly arc. Milo shot past his comrades, a little too high to have any effect. He quickly loaded another quarrel into his crossbow. Brigit seemed to be imitating Jeremiah's earlier attempt at dispatching the kobolds. Her ax swung closer and closer to the aggressive lizard men. By now three kobolds had engaged the stout dwarven woman, one poked in between Mazi and Brigit at Milo, two attacked the elf lass to no effect, and three more pressed in on Jeremiah. One spear scratched his side, wounding him slightly. The rest of the kobolds crowded behind their comrades, some from the back throwing their spears directly at the fight. None of the spears hit the party or the kobolds, most flying high over the heads of the combatants. The kobolds appeared to value the lives of the others fighting after all.</p><p></p><p>In a simultaneous counter-attack the party repelled the advancing kobolds. Each weapon found its mark. Mazi's sword traced a red streak across the chest of another kobold, the creature died at her feet. Brigit and Jeremiah both swung their weapons at the creatures trying to get behind them, killing those that would attack their flanks. Their blows did not connect with the follow through, some of the kobolds were more cautious than their companions. Milo shot through the gap between Mazi and Brigit, killing the beast that was attacking him. More kobolds pressed in after the attack, another rain of spears came from the rear of the horde. One lucky shot grazed Milo in the arm, causing him to wince and place his lantern down before he dropped the precious light source. The next row of attackers moved in, two more attempting to move around Jeremiah and Brigit to distract them from the rear. One of the kobolds in front of Jeremiah tagged the barbarian with its spear while he was focusing on the other kobold sidling behind him. Some of the other kobolds thrust repeatedly with their weapons, another one filling the gap between Mazi and Brigit to poke in at Milo. The party repelled the attack again and prepared for another counter-strike.</p><p></p><p>Mazi executed a near perfect stab with her longsword, killing the kobold that recently tried to do the same to her. On either side of her the human and dwarven fighting machines sunk their weapons into two kobolds each, with one swing apiece. Brigit grinned in satisfaction as she performed the technique taught to her by her barbarian friend. Jeremiah was fighting back the urge to let his blood boil and turn himself into a raging maniac. He feared that the kobolds would have more of an advantage over him should he wade too far into the throng. His greatsword sliced through the kobold moving behind him and through the one rushing to take its place. Milo shot his crossbow at the most recent lizard man to brave the gap between his friends. He wounded the creature but it did not fall. The kobold nearest Mazi made a horrible misjudgment and thrust his spear right past the spinning elf. It lost its grip and the weapon clattered to the floor. The creature hurriedly ducked to pick up the weapon and was pushed from behind by the next kobold itching for a chance to attack the intruders. The kobold fell to the ground, its limbs splayed comically as it flailed to regain balance and its spear. It caused enough of a diversion for one of the kobolds attacking Brigit to find a critical chink in her full plate. The wound might have been more grievous if the two plates didn't shift as she recoiled. The spearhead slid back out of the chink and Brigit escaped with a minor wound. </p><p></p><p>Milo spied another kobold that had made its way behind Brigit, dividing her attention between multiple fronts. He stepped back a pace and fired his crossbow at the cowardly creature. The bolt skimmed past its head, causing it to duck before moving into position. He cursed and flipped open his next case of bolts to reload. Mazi moved back to create a straight line between herself, Brigit, and Jeremiah. Her attack fell short from the distance created by her move. Brigit and Jer readjusted their stances to accommodate the new formation, both missing their targets as well. The kobold behind Brigit sunk the tip of its spear into an unguarded spot on her calf. The tip withdrew before it could inflict too much pain though. The one on the floor had regained its footing and its spear. It moved in to fill the space left by Mazi's step. One of the kobolds attacking Jeremiah apparently hadn't learned from its companion's mistake. It too thrust too far and lost its grip on the spear, ducking immediately to find the fallen weapon. More kobolds moved in to harass the party.</p><p></p><p>Brigit was distracted by the amount of enemies facing her, she hesitated for a moment allowing the kobolds just enough time to see her ax coming. Milo shot at the kobold flanking Brigit and watched the beast drop with his feathered quarrel protruding from the side of its head. The kobold that moved to fill the gap in front of Mazi was easily dispatched by her longsword. She turned slightly to address the next attacker. Next to her Jeremiah swung his sword almost blindly, striking down another lizard man but loosing his grip. The sword made a loud clatter as it fell to the ground. Jeremiah now joined the kobold on the floor in a strange dance of four-limbed weapon recovery. The kobold found its spear and stood back up before Jeremiah, just in time to block the way of the other lizard man about to stab at him. Brigit's defenses were strengthened by the extra attention she was able to give to her frontline. No spears breached her expert shield play. Mazi's sword was a blur as it deflected thrust after thrust from the kobolds arrayed before her.</p><p></p><p>Mazi concentrated on keeping the kobolds around Jeremiah and herself at bay. Her defenses were too thinly spread though and Jer took two light spear thrusts as he regained his footing. He growled at the kobolds through the pain. Milo shot his next bolt at one of the kobolds attacking Jeremiah. He let out a breath of relief as he saw the quarrel skim past his friend. Milo swore to himself that he'd take even more careful aim next time. Brigit missed on her swing, provoking a thrust from the nearest kobold. The spear tip scratched her side through the gap in her plate, not a major wound, but enough to anger the already incensed dwarf. </p><p></p><p>Mazi spun around again, her sword reflecting broken shards of light at the kobolds. One was so enthralled by the lightshow that it didn't seem to realize its wound before it dropped dead to the ground. The other kobolds weren't as impressed, they were waiting for her to try another fancy move like that. The two still facing her stabbed in at the same time, both connected and pierced through her light armor. She winced but kept fighting, the wounds felt more like scratches than the ragged holes most spears inflicted. Next to her Jeremiah redeemed his fumble with a grand swing of his recovered greatsword, right through the two kobolds that wounded him. One of them had just inflicted a nasty gash down his leg as it nearly trampled its companion to wound the barbarian. The two top halves of the creatures dropped to the floor to along with the rest of the corpses that lay at his feet. Brigit likewise dispatched the kobold that wounded her, narrowly missing the beast next to it. Milo cursed as his bolt again whizzed by his companion's head, barely missing him and coming nowhere near the kobolds. Shooting from the back was becoming increasingly difficult with so much going on at once. One of the kobolds facing Brigit poked at the heavily armored dwarf. The spear somehow managed to get caught between two of the plates of her armor. It was wrenched out of the shocked lizard man’s hands before its very eyes. </p><p></p><p>Brigit swung back around, causing the snagged spear to drop. The kobold didn't have a chance to reach for it though, as her ax bit into the creature after slicing completely through its fighting companion. She kicked the spear away and taunted at the remaining two kobolds near her. Mazithra and Jeremiah wove a tight defense against the last approaching line of kobolds. Neither side landed a blow on the other. Milo aimed carefully with his crossbow, waiting for one of the beasties to come through his sites. He pulled the trigger but watched in dismay as the missile flew dangerously close to Jer, continuing in between the approaching kobolds. He cursed and shook his head as he reloaded his crossbow once again.</p><p></p><p>Mazithra connected with a particularly vicious swipe of her longsword, nearly cutting her enemy in twain. The other kobold attacking her thrust just as she was recovering from her attack and tagged her free arm, blood followed the line the spearhead traced. Though their numbers were diminished the fierce lizard men continued to press their attack. Milo could see desperation in their scaly features. He figured that this must be the lot of them, none had come from behind to outflank the party. It was no wonder they fought with such tenacity. He pulled the trigger on his crossbow and gave a little shout of joy as it sunk home into one of the lizard men. The creature fell straight back, stiff as a board with the arrow protruding from its forehead. Next to him it was Brigit's turn to come dangerously close to hitting one of her companions. The kobold she was attacking had feinted right and nearly led her into a swing at Mazi. She muttered a dwarven curse and renewed her effort to down the kobold. </p><p></p><p>Brigit's next attack was much more successful, slicing through the dancing kobold and ending halfway through the breastbone of the next. She hauled on her ax and kicked the creature off as it rose with her recoil. Mazithra ran her sword through the kobold that inflicted the last wound on her. She looked around and noticed that only four of the scaly monsters remained. One fell before her as Milo let loose another happy shout. His bolt stuck out right between its eyes. The look on its face made him laugh, both eyes crossed in looking at the feathers of his quarrel. The kobold dropped from the critical wound. One of the three last kobolds made a desperate thrust at Mazi, causing another bloom of red to appear down her leg.</p><p></p><p>Mazi spun on her other leg, her sword following her in a wide arc as it sliced through the kobold. Brigit moved forward and slashed into the last kobold before her, the head of her ax sunk deep into the beast's brainpan. Milo bounded through the opening created by Brigit's move and fired a shot at the last kobold. The bolt uselessly clattered against the far wall. He watched Jeremiah take a moment to line up his attack and masterfully run the kobold straight through the heart with his greatsword. Jer used his boot to slide the creature off his sword, cleaning the blade with a rag torn from its clothing. The four lowered their weapons and looked around. The air reeked of kobold blood mixed with their own. Bodies were literally piled in a swath in front of the adventurers. Milo shook his head at the grisly scene. He knew somehow that worse was to come, even after that tiring battle. </p><p></p><p>He set about assessing the damage done to his friends. He himself had taken a light wound, but nothing as bad as Mazi and Jer. Even Brigit in her heavy armor took more damage from the assault than he. It turned out that the wand was good for four more uses. "ABernathy!" he muttered on the fifth try. A funny fizzling sound emanated from the tip, but no dull glow. Milo shrugged and stowed the wand back in his pack. Maybe he could find a way to recharge the magic later. He chanted his own spells to heal his friends, all three of them nearly back to full health. They then set about searching the bodies. A few silver were scattered here and there on the corpses. A piece of cloth caught Jeremiah's attention in the far corner of the cave, barely illuminated by Milo's lantern. He reached down and pulled up a finely woven piece of silk. </p><p>"Soft," was all Jer said.</p><p>Mazi's ear's perked up and she spied the cloth that Jeremiah found. "Is it blue?" She asked excitedly. She looked crestfallen when Jeremiah shook his head in the negative. Milo wondered at her recent obsession with blue, fine gems, and cloth. </p><p>He shrugged again and filed the question away for another time. Milo asked to see the silk swatch. "Well it'll fetch a pretty copper, there's enough her to make a blouse or the like. It's not even stained." He noticed while running his hands through the purple cloth. "One more tunnel to check out fellas," Milo said to the other three, "Erm, fella and girls that is." Brigit harrumphed at that. "What say you? We're all pretty hale and hearty thanks to the wand and spells. Shall we check it out? Might be a blue gem over there somewhere-" He trailed off as he winked at Mazi.</p><p>Her eyes seemed to brighten at the prospect and she agreed readily. Jer and Brigit shared the sentiment, if not for the same reasons. With one more search around the room revealing nothing, the party left down the way they came.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Milo Windby, post: 1689, member: 202"] [b]Keep of the Borderlands -part eleven (session three)[/b] Before moving on Milo decided to try out his new toy. He pulled the wand of healing out of his pack and aimed it at Jeremiah. Milo spoke the activation word, "AberNATHy!" A dull glow emanated from the tip of the wand and came to rest on Jeremiah. He watched as a couple of the barbarian's wounds from falling into the pit closed. He was disappointed when he noticed that Jeremiah barely seemed restored at all though. "Maybe it's the activation word? I wonder if it matters how I pronounce it." Milo muttered to himself. Jeremiah merely shrugged and pointed down the tunnel, wishing to continue on. The group ventured further down the eastward passage, Milo led once again to ferret out traps. Eventually the tunnel branched off to the left, one passage continuing east and one leading north. Deciding to stick with the trusty, always-turn-left-never-get-lost principle, the party took the north passage. Not far ahead the tunnel ended in another "T" intersection. Milo carefully advanced, searching all over for any traps, especially a giant rotating stone slab. None were found and no sounds echoed down either passage. Again turning left, the party walked on. This tunnel ended in a stout wooden door. Milo searched the frame and lock for traps while the party waited a fair distance away. They had already seen Milo's trap disabling abilities and decided caution was the better part of valor in the face of his technique. Milo scoffed at their temerity before turning around. He waited until he knew they couldn't see his face before he let a slightly worried expression creep across it. After double checking the door and declaring it trap-free, he pulled his trusty lock picks from his pack. The crude lock on the door was no match for his skill and he heard the satisfying click of the tumblers. Brigit and Jeremiah moved forward to open the door and lead the way into the unknown room. Inside they made a disgusting discovery. They had stumbled on the kobold's food storage room. Milo held back his gorge as he investigated some piles of meat, obviously human. The smell that pervaded the room made all four of the adventurers nauseous. Tattered cloths still remained on torn limbs that were strewn about the small room. After a cursory examination of the area Milo decided that nothing of worth was in the foul pantry. He left the room with the other three following. As he looked back Milo noticed Jeremiah gripping the hilt of his greatsword tighter than usual, his knuckles turned white. He knew that holding back the barbarian against any more kobolds would be out of the question. Probably for the best, thought Milo, his sword will make short work of the others we saw enter this cavern. They followed the left wall down the passage, carefully treading past the intersection. The ambush by the hobgoblins made the group especially wary of blind corners. The tunnel widened into a small natural cavern as the party continued on. Two spears flew out of the darkness not yet illuminated by Milo's lantern. One spear pierced his leg as he let his own missile fly in the direction of the kobold that just revealed itself. His bolt was a little more deadly than the spear and the kobold fell to the ground with a rattle from its pierced lung. Mazithra fired her bow from the rear of the party but was unable to make out a solid target and her arrow flew above the little lizard men. Brigit and Jeremiah moved up past Milo simultaneously. Brigit swung her dwarven war axe at one of the diminutive creatures. The kobold all but disintegrated as her weapon cut through. She would have followed through to the next beastie if Jeremiah hadn't already sliced the lizard man into two pieces with a powerful vertical slash. The two warriors seemed eager for battle after their disappointing show at the pit. Milo's lantern revealed no more kobolds hiding in the small widening of the cave. They did notice another door leading out of the room though. Just as Milo moved forward to examine it, the door flung open. Another kobold, dressed garishly in robes with crude stars and moons painted in blood, appeared in the doorway and wiggled his fingers at the party. Just as he raised his crossbow to fire Milo began to see swirling colors spiraling out of the lizard man’s hands. The fascinating display drew close to Milo and the rest of the party at an alarming rate. Soon Milo, Brigit, and Jeremiah could only see a dazzle of lights and multihued shapes dancing across their vision. The colors dispersed before reaching Mazi near the tunnel opening. The kobold chittered something, seeming frustrated that his little lights didn't affect the elf as they had her friends. As for them, Milo and the others couldn't get their bearings, blinded and stunned by the sparkling of lights in their eyes. Mazi had no such problems as she quickly drew back her bow and fired at the kobold sorcerer. Her arrow grazed the creature as it let out a startled shriek. The kobold wiggled its fingers at Mazi again, this time two globules of bright energy shot from its fingers. The globes raced towards Mazi, hitting her hard and pushing her back a bit. She groaned at the bruising blow of the spheres. Mazi shook her head clear of the dazzling stars that filled her vision and let another arrow go at the little sorcerer. This time the missile stuck, wounding the creature in its shoulder. The other three adventurers were also shaking their heads. Milo finally rubbed the colors out of his eyes but was still slightly dazed. He noticed Brigit and Jeremiah in similar shape. The little lizard man tried once more to stop the inexorable advance of the willowy elf. It flexed its fingers at her again. This time nothing happened. It looked down at its hands with a bewildered expression. Unbeknownst to it, Mazi's ring of mind shielding blocked the spell, it burned hotly around her finger. She later related that the little kobold must have tried to cast some sort of mind affecting dazzle spell at her. The sting on her fingers seemed to be just enough to throw off her aim as she fired another arrow. It flew into the doorframe behind the kobold, quivering in the wood. By now Milo, Brigit, and Jeremiah had recovered and all three of them attacked at the same time. Milo's bolt barely missed the kobold, as did Jeremiah's greatsword. Brigit was the one that ended the creature's miserable existence with a great diagonal slice of her ax. "So the kobolds know a little magic," Mazi said. "I guess we'll all have to be on the watch for any more finger-wigglers here." Milo decided to try his luck at the wand before they found any more sorcerous kobolds. "AbernaTHY!" he muttered as he pointed the want at Jeremiah. Again the barbarian's wounds closed slightly, but not completely. "I guess I'll have to keep trying," he said to himself. The group set about the four corpses, finding a few gold coins on the guards. Milo carefully unhooked a gold chain from around the sorcerer's neck. A heavy red gem rested at the bottom of the chain. Mazi snagged the jewel from his hands. "Aww, it won't match my earring" she said, disappointed at the lack of blue. "Oh well. Here you go." She tossed the bauble back at Milo. He stowed it in his pack, thinking to cast a magic detection cantrip on it later. Milo also found a tiny key in a hidden pocket on the body. He looked up at the open door while holding the key. Tiny keys like this fit tiny locks, he thought, tiny locks keep treasure chests closed. The four of them started into the kobold sorcerer's room. A harem of kobold females hissed defiantly at the four. Brigit and Jeremiah made short work of the evil beasts. While Milo was searching for the chest that matched his key Brigit and Mazi made their own discovery. Brigit found a lump while inspecting a wall hanging. Mazi joined her in front of the tapestry, running her hand along the irregular hem. She cut along the stitch and a cache of about fifty gold coins dropped out of a pocket sewn into the cloth. The clatter of the coins made Milo's ears perk up a bit and he would have investigated further if he hadn't found the chest he sought. It was a small chest and his key fit perfectly. A turn of the wrist later and he had plenty of coins to investigate right in front of him. A literal treasure trove of copper, silver, and gold winked back at him from the top of the box. A quick search through the coins confirmed that this was all the chest contained. Milo wasn't complaining though. He hauled the chest to Brigit, who was quickly becoming the party's defacto packhorse. She stowed the chest in her pack along with the other coins. Another search around the room revealed nothing, the party was ready to head out into the rest of the cavern once more. They traveled back down the hallway to the intersection and turned left then left again. This put them back in the original eastward passage past the revolving trap. The dark passage stretched before the group and Milo once again took the lead. His cautious tread making much less noise than his armored friends trailing behind. He came to another widening in the tunnel. This one opened to a huge room, much too large for his hooded lantern to illuminate. In the darkness the group could make out countless glinting, beady eyes, all at kobold level, peering back at them. Mazi reacted first, reciting a speedy chant and gesturing into the middle of the cavern. Jeremiah and Milo heard a rustling sound, as if a score of bodies fell to the ground. The eerie silence was punctuated by soft snores. "Ten are down," Mazi said, "that's all my magic can put to sleep for now." With that Brigit and Jeremiah rushed into the room, each to one side, Brigit to the south and Jer to the north. Neither connected with their blows, as the lizard men closest to the tunnel had been ready for them. Milo turned to use his wand on Mazi, recalling the nasty hit she had taken from the kobold sorcerer's energy bursts. "ABernathy!" Milo uttered. This time he could see a noticeable difference in Mazi's health. Maybe it really was the way he said the word, he thought as he turned to survey the army of kobolds facing them. Milo could dimly make out a mass of kobolds asleep in the middle of the cavern, their compatriots shaking them awake. So much for the sleep spell, Milo said to himself, at least they were out for a little while. The kobolds in the front didn't waste time waking their allies. Ten of the little creatures tossed their spears in an impressive if low volley at the party. Amazingly all ten missed or were outright dodged. Things looked good for the adventurers. Milo stayed to the rear as Mazi drew her longsword, moving forward to wade into the fray. A bolt flew from Milo's crossbow, piercing one of the frontline kobolds through. The creature dropped with a ragged hiss. Brigit swung her ax through the kobold facing her. The ax very well could have continued its vicious deathblow had another lizard man been in its path. On the other side of Mazi Jeremiah was having trouble hitting the agile kobold with his greatsword. His weapon described great arcs in front of the barbarian, each arc bringing him closer to his prey. Another huge volley of spears flew from the second row of kobolds, now awakened from the mystic sleep Mazi placed them under. Their spears were thrown without skill though, and all ten flew past the party members without a hit. One kobold that moved to engage Jeremiah did make contact however. Its short spear drew a small amount of blood from his leg. Milo watched with apprehension as another row of kobolds moved into the light. This was going to be a pitched battle, more than seven to one outnumbered them. Mazithra did her part to winnow the numbers of the massive kobold force. Her graceful spins and pirouettes making her sword flash in the lantern light. She slashed through a kobold without any apparent effort, the attack appearing more as a move in an elaborate dance. Jeremiah finally made contact with his heavy weapon, a spray of blood flew up from the severed neck of the lizard man before him. The blade barely missing the kobold closing in on his flank as it finished its deadly arc. Milo shot past his comrades, a little too high to have any effect. He quickly loaded another quarrel into his crossbow. Brigit seemed to be imitating Jeremiah's earlier attempt at dispatching the kobolds. Her ax swung closer and closer to the aggressive lizard men. By now three kobolds had engaged the stout dwarven woman, one poked in between Mazi and Brigit at Milo, two attacked the elf lass to no effect, and three more pressed in on Jeremiah. One spear scratched his side, wounding him slightly. The rest of the kobolds crowded behind their comrades, some from the back throwing their spears directly at the fight. None of the spears hit the party or the kobolds, most flying high over the heads of the combatants. The kobolds appeared to value the lives of the others fighting after all. In a simultaneous counter-attack the party repelled the advancing kobolds. Each weapon found its mark. Mazi's sword traced a red streak across the chest of another kobold, the creature died at her feet. Brigit and Jeremiah both swung their weapons at the creatures trying to get behind them, killing those that would attack their flanks. Their blows did not connect with the follow through, some of the kobolds were more cautious than their companions. Milo shot through the gap between Mazi and Brigit, killing the beast that was attacking him. More kobolds pressed in after the attack, another rain of spears came from the rear of the horde. One lucky shot grazed Milo in the arm, causing him to wince and place his lantern down before he dropped the precious light source. The next row of attackers moved in, two more attempting to move around Jeremiah and Brigit to distract them from the rear. One of the kobolds in front of Jeremiah tagged the barbarian with its spear while he was focusing on the other kobold sidling behind him. Some of the other kobolds thrust repeatedly with their weapons, another one filling the gap between Mazi and Brigit to poke in at Milo. The party repelled the attack again and prepared for another counter-strike. Mazi executed a near perfect stab with her longsword, killing the kobold that recently tried to do the same to her. On either side of her the human and dwarven fighting machines sunk their weapons into two kobolds each, with one swing apiece. Brigit grinned in satisfaction as she performed the technique taught to her by her barbarian friend. Jeremiah was fighting back the urge to let his blood boil and turn himself into a raging maniac. He feared that the kobolds would have more of an advantage over him should he wade too far into the throng. His greatsword sliced through the kobold moving behind him and through the one rushing to take its place. Milo shot his crossbow at the most recent lizard man to brave the gap between his friends. He wounded the creature but it did not fall. The kobold nearest Mazi made a horrible misjudgment and thrust his spear right past the spinning elf. It lost its grip and the weapon clattered to the floor. The creature hurriedly ducked to pick up the weapon and was pushed from behind by the next kobold itching for a chance to attack the intruders. The kobold fell to the ground, its limbs splayed comically as it flailed to regain balance and its spear. It caused enough of a diversion for one of the kobolds attacking Brigit to find a critical chink in her full plate. The wound might have been more grievous if the two plates didn't shift as she recoiled. The spearhead slid back out of the chink and Brigit escaped with a minor wound. Milo spied another kobold that had made its way behind Brigit, dividing her attention between multiple fronts. He stepped back a pace and fired his crossbow at the cowardly creature. The bolt skimmed past its head, causing it to duck before moving into position. He cursed and flipped open his next case of bolts to reload. Mazi moved back to create a straight line between herself, Brigit, and Jeremiah. Her attack fell short from the distance created by her move. Brigit and Jer readjusted their stances to accommodate the new formation, both missing their targets as well. The kobold behind Brigit sunk the tip of its spear into an unguarded spot on her calf. The tip withdrew before it could inflict too much pain though. The one on the floor had regained its footing and its spear. It moved in to fill the space left by Mazi's step. One of the kobolds attacking Jeremiah apparently hadn't learned from its companion's mistake. It too thrust too far and lost its grip on the spear, ducking immediately to find the fallen weapon. More kobolds moved in to harass the party. Brigit was distracted by the amount of enemies facing her, she hesitated for a moment allowing the kobolds just enough time to see her ax coming. Milo shot at the kobold flanking Brigit and watched the beast drop with his feathered quarrel protruding from the side of its head. The kobold that moved to fill the gap in front of Mazi was easily dispatched by her longsword. She turned slightly to address the next attacker. Next to her Jeremiah swung his sword almost blindly, striking down another lizard man but loosing his grip. The sword made a loud clatter as it fell to the ground. Jeremiah now joined the kobold on the floor in a strange dance of four-limbed weapon recovery. The kobold found its spear and stood back up before Jeremiah, just in time to block the way of the other lizard man about to stab at him. Brigit's defenses were strengthened by the extra attention she was able to give to her frontline. No spears breached her expert shield play. Mazi's sword was a blur as it deflected thrust after thrust from the kobolds arrayed before her. Mazi concentrated on keeping the kobolds around Jeremiah and herself at bay. Her defenses were too thinly spread though and Jer took two light spear thrusts as he regained his footing. He growled at the kobolds through the pain. Milo shot his next bolt at one of the kobolds attacking Jeremiah. He let out a breath of relief as he saw the quarrel skim past his friend. Milo swore to himself that he'd take even more careful aim next time. Brigit missed on her swing, provoking a thrust from the nearest kobold. The spear tip scratched her side through the gap in her plate, not a major wound, but enough to anger the already incensed dwarf. Mazi spun around again, her sword reflecting broken shards of light at the kobolds. One was so enthralled by the lightshow that it didn't seem to realize its wound before it dropped dead to the ground. The other kobolds weren't as impressed, they were waiting for her to try another fancy move like that. The two still facing her stabbed in at the same time, both connected and pierced through her light armor. She winced but kept fighting, the wounds felt more like scratches than the ragged holes most spears inflicted. Next to her Jeremiah redeemed his fumble with a grand swing of his recovered greatsword, right through the two kobolds that wounded him. One of them had just inflicted a nasty gash down his leg as it nearly trampled its companion to wound the barbarian. The two top halves of the creatures dropped to the floor to along with the rest of the corpses that lay at his feet. Brigit likewise dispatched the kobold that wounded her, narrowly missing the beast next to it. Milo cursed as his bolt again whizzed by his companion's head, barely missing him and coming nowhere near the kobolds. Shooting from the back was becoming increasingly difficult with so much going on at once. One of the kobolds facing Brigit poked at the heavily armored dwarf. The spear somehow managed to get caught between two of the plates of her armor. It was wrenched out of the shocked lizard man’s hands before its very eyes. Brigit swung back around, causing the snagged spear to drop. The kobold didn't have a chance to reach for it though, as her ax bit into the creature after slicing completely through its fighting companion. She kicked the spear away and taunted at the remaining two kobolds near her. Mazithra and Jeremiah wove a tight defense against the last approaching line of kobolds. Neither side landed a blow on the other. Milo aimed carefully with his crossbow, waiting for one of the beasties to come through his sites. He pulled the trigger but watched in dismay as the missile flew dangerously close to Jer, continuing in between the approaching kobolds. He cursed and shook his head as he reloaded his crossbow once again. Mazithra connected with a particularly vicious swipe of her longsword, nearly cutting her enemy in twain. The other kobold attacking her thrust just as she was recovering from her attack and tagged her free arm, blood followed the line the spearhead traced. Though their numbers were diminished the fierce lizard men continued to press their attack. Milo could see desperation in their scaly features. He figured that this must be the lot of them, none had come from behind to outflank the party. It was no wonder they fought with such tenacity. He pulled the trigger on his crossbow and gave a little shout of joy as it sunk home into one of the lizard men. The creature fell straight back, stiff as a board with the arrow protruding from its forehead. Next to him it was Brigit's turn to come dangerously close to hitting one of her companions. The kobold she was attacking had feinted right and nearly led her into a swing at Mazi. She muttered a dwarven curse and renewed her effort to down the kobold. Brigit's next attack was much more successful, slicing through the dancing kobold and ending halfway through the breastbone of the next. She hauled on her ax and kicked the creature off as it rose with her recoil. Mazithra ran her sword through the kobold that inflicted the last wound on her. She looked around and noticed that only four of the scaly monsters remained. One fell before her as Milo let loose another happy shout. His bolt stuck out right between its eyes. The look on its face made him laugh, both eyes crossed in looking at the feathers of his quarrel. The kobold dropped from the critical wound. One of the three last kobolds made a desperate thrust at Mazi, causing another bloom of red to appear down her leg. Mazi spun on her other leg, her sword following her in a wide arc as it sliced through the kobold. Brigit moved forward and slashed into the last kobold before her, the head of her ax sunk deep into the beast's brainpan. Milo bounded through the opening created by Brigit's move and fired a shot at the last kobold. The bolt uselessly clattered against the far wall. He watched Jeremiah take a moment to line up his attack and masterfully run the kobold straight through the heart with his greatsword. Jer used his boot to slide the creature off his sword, cleaning the blade with a rag torn from its clothing. The four lowered their weapons and looked around. The air reeked of kobold blood mixed with their own. Bodies were literally piled in a swath in front of the adventurers. Milo shook his head at the grisly scene. He knew somehow that worse was to come, even after that tiring battle. He set about assessing the damage done to his friends. He himself had taken a light wound, but nothing as bad as Mazi and Jer. Even Brigit in her heavy armor took more damage from the assault than he. It turned out that the wand was good for four more uses. "ABernathy!" he muttered on the fifth try. A funny fizzling sound emanated from the tip, but no dull glow. Milo shrugged and stowed the wand back in his pack. Maybe he could find a way to recharge the magic later. He chanted his own spells to heal his friends, all three of them nearly back to full health. They then set about searching the bodies. A few silver were scattered here and there on the corpses. A piece of cloth caught Jeremiah's attention in the far corner of the cave, barely illuminated by Milo's lantern. He reached down and pulled up a finely woven piece of silk. "Soft," was all Jer said. Mazi's ear's perked up and she spied the cloth that Jeremiah found. "Is it blue?" She asked excitedly. She looked crestfallen when Jeremiah shook his head in the negative. Milo wondered at her recent obsession with blue, fine gems, and cloth. He shrugged again and filed the question away for another time. Milo asked to see the silk swatch. "Well it'll fetch a pretty copper, there's enough her to make a blouse or the like. It's not even stained." He noticed while running his hands through the purple cloth. "One more tunnel to check out fellas," Milo said to the other three, "Erm, fella and girls that is." Brigit harrumphed at that. "What say you? We're all pretty hale and hearty thanks to the wand and spells. Shall we check it out? Might be a blue gem over there somewhere-" He trailed off as he winked at Mazi. Her eyes seemed to brighten at the prospect and she agreed readily. Jer and Brigit shared the sentiment, if not for the same reasons. With one more search around the room revealing nothing, the party left down the way they came. [/QUOTE]
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Milo Windby's Collected Story Hour
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