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<blockquote data-quote="sniffles" data-source="post: 3834899" data-attributes="member: 30035"><p><strong>The New Year's Invasion</strong></p><p></p><p>Year's End 5, 4432</p><p></p><p>The streets of the City were crowded with visitors and gawkers as Naiah and her companions emerged from the Blue Dolphin. A functionary of the court squeezed through the crowd handing out newly-minted coins in celebration of the new year. Naiah accepted a coin, curiously examining the portrait of the Overlord on the obverse side.</p><p></p><p>As she fingered the coin her attention was drawn to the way the crowd was moving aside to permit a cart to pass. The cart was laden with a huge wooden cask, from which more of the Overlord's servants were filling whatever containers the onlookers proferred to them. "What is it?" Naiah asked her brother in their native tongue. </p><p></p><p>"Beer," Thoin replied, wrinkling his unnaturally dark brows with faint disdain. Behind her, Naiah heard a petulant voice exclaim, "I wish I had a tankard."</p><p></p><p>She turned to smile indulgently at Mouse and almost laughed aloud when she saw his forlorn expression mirrored on Jerard's features. With a brief murmur and a simple gesture, Naiah summoned up a large, shallow bowl of arcane force, hovering in the air at about Mouse's height. She steered the bowl of force to the beer cart and held it under the spigot, allowing it to fill but not so much that it would spill at the slightest movement. </p><p></p><p>To her amusement, many in the crowd stared at her small trick in wonder as both Mouse and Jerard cupped their hands and began to drink enthusiastically from her summoned vessel.</p><p></p><p>The crowd of drinkers was disrupted again when a huge ogre came striding down the cobbled street carrying a keg under his arm as easily as Naiah carried one of her books. The ogre shouted out a challenge to the onlookers in his gruff, uncouth voice: he offered ten gold pieces to anyone who would try some of his ogre-made brew, which he called "spinekiller". Jerard dared a nearby private guard to taste the ogre's beverage.</p><p></p><p>Goaded by Jerard, the guard abandoned his duties to try some of the ogre ale. Jerard took a sip as well, eager to win the prize. Instantly both of them slumped to the ground. </p><p></p><p>Thoin kindly lifted Jerard up and carried the young man back inside the Blue Dolphin. Naiah managed to help the staggering guard to his feet and conducted him inside also. She thought she caught a glimpse of Mouse clambering inside the carriage the guard had abandoned, but a second look showed her no sign of her diminutive new friend.</p><p></p><p>Jerard began to revive a few moments after being set on a bench in the common room of the inn. Just as he recovered his wits, Naiah heard screams of terror from the street outside. Thoin grabbed his bow case and rushed out. Picking up her own bow, she followed her twin.</p><p></p><p>The crowd had receded into nearby buildings and alleys as a group of kobolds ran helter-skelter down the street, randomly slashing innocent citizens with their swords. </p><p></p><p>As she stood in the doorway of the inn, Naiah quickly called to mind the words of a spell of protection and cloaked herself in arcane armor. Thoin fired his bow at one kobold, but his arrow went wide of the mark. Jerard had run out at the sound of screams, drawing his sword, and was now trading cuts with a kobold. Mouse reappeared, waving his hands in a complex pattern. Naiah saw two kobolds halt in their tracks, staring vacantly at the gesturing gnome.</p><p></p><p>Naiah began gesturing and murmuring again herself. A missile of magical force shot away from her finger to unerringly strike one of the kobolds. Several guards appeared, joining the opposition against the kobolds. One of Thoin's arrows found a mark, and a kobold dropped to the ground lifeless. </p><p></p><p>As quickly as she could Naiah chanted the phrases of yet a third spell, calling on the mystical Lunia to lend her power. Though she felt only a faint tingle, she knew that her eyes were now glowing with a silvery light. At her thought a mote of silver flew from her eyes to wound another of the reptilian attackers.</p><p></p><p>She caught a glimpse of the ogre with the ale keg dropping his burden on one kobold, crushing the creature beneath the keg's weight. A spray of vivid colors burst from Mouse's fingertips and Naiah winced involuntarily, recognizing the spell. The two kobolds he had enchanted previously now both collapsed. </p><p></p><p>Naiah caught sight of one kobold more elaborately dressed than the others, resembling a shaman. She began to move toward it, suspecting it might be driving the others on. Thoin also approached the shaman. As she and her twin neared, the shaman lunged at Jerard. Mouse then went darting behind the shaman to aid his friend. </p><p></p><p>Naiah had not expected to be fighting that day and had not prepared many offensive spells. She had employed most of what she knew. But now she drew a crossbow bolt from the quiver on her belt and sent it from the palm of her hand with the same energy that a crossbow would have imparted to it. Unfortunately the spell did not improve her aim. Her twin was now very near to the shaman, who appeared to be far tougher than his underlings. Biting her lip in annoyance, Naiah drew a second bolt to try again.</p><p></p><p>Thoin appeared to have no better fortune than his sister. His arrows missed the dodging, weaving kobold just as Naiah's second bolt overshot the target. One of the guards ran into the area, joining the struggle with the shaman. Naiah could see Mouse wiggling his fingers again, though she couldn't determine what effect his spell had. Her spell arsenal depleted, she drew her bow and knocked a white-feathered shaft.</p><p></p><p>Arrows and spells all flew at the kobold shaman, including Naiah's shaft, which struck him solidly in a vulnerable spot, much to her satisfaction. But the shaman did not fall. Instead he stepped up to Thoin, inside the aim of his bow, and struck. Naiah suppressed a scream. </p><p></p><p>Jerard bounded behind the kobold and stabbed it in the back. Mouse then ran up and hit the shaman over the head with the hilt of his rapier, much to Naiah's surprise. Her brother took a step back and fired his bow once more, this time easily striking the kobold. Overwhelmed by the combined attack, the shaman slumped and was still.</p><p></p><p>Jerard and Mouse quickly searched the shaman's corpse and pocketed several items. When Naiah remarked on this, Jerard replied, "When you help someone, you should take their purse!" </p><p></p><p>Amused, Thoin reached over and pulled Jerard's purse away. "Hey!" the young human objected. Thoin said, "But you do not give the purses back."</p><p></p><p>"No one ever asked!" Jerard exclaimed.</p><p></p><p>It was not until after the shaman fell that the Overlord's city guardsmen managed to make their way to the area. Naiah was unharmed, having never come within reach of any kobold, but her twin and her two friends had all been badly wounded. Fortunately the guardsmen had brought priests with them who were able to use the power of the gods to heal such injuries. </p><p></p><p>When the four companions and the other guards had recounted their activities to the city guardsmen, they were permitted to leave. Naiah and her brother returned to the Blue Dolphin with their two friends, all of them glad to retire to their rooms for a quiet evening's rest.</p><p></p><p>The following morning the Blue Dolphin was visited by a herald of the Overlord's court, who brought a summons from the Overlord himself, inviting the four friends to appear before the Overlord! Naiah was confused by the reaction of Mouse; she had the impression that he was less than pleased by the invitation.</p><p></p><p>Wishing to present their best appearance at the court, Naiah and Thoin sought out the location of the public baths on the Street of Maelstroms and paid a gold piece each for entrance. Their two companions did not join them, both complaining that a bath wasn't worth a gold piece. </p><p></p><p>Once they had made themselves presentable, the four companions were escorted to the palace by a herald and a group of guards. The Palace of Silver Light was a vast and opulent structure. Mouse and Jerard gawked openly, for though both had lived all their lives in the City, neither had ever approached the palace before. </p><p></p><p>At the palace entrance they were relieved of their weapons. Then their escort led them through long corridors decorated with ornate tapestries and carvings. They passed one particularly large tapestry depicting the Demon Siege, which Naiah would have stopped to examine had that seemed acceptable. Jerard and Mouse were more interested in the scantily-clad Amazons standing guard at the entrance to the Overlord's harem quarters.</p><p></p><p>At last the small group was conducted into the Overlord's vast and impressive throne room. His Most Terrible Majesty sat on an opulent throne of carved rare marble. He was a more handsome human than Naiah had expected. She had known that the Overlord often had commerce with creatures of a reputedly evil nature, but she was still surprised to see an illithid in sumptuous robes standing close at hand. An eye tyrant also floated nearby. The Overlord's entourage was rounded out by three grim dwarves and several dauntingly large hounds.</p><p></p><p>The quartet were asked to kneel. When the Overlord asked their names, Naiah was again surprised that Mouse and Jerard gave the names Dalmin and Jaser. But she felt it improper to contradict her friends. Thoin introduced himself proudly, "I am Thoin Ebonbrows, your Majesty." Naiah stood beside her twin. "I am Naiah Theresti."</p><p></p><p>The Overlord then thanked them for their service to the city in combating the kobolds. The illithid, who was introduced as the Overlord's chief adviser Aichillitl, asked if the kobolds had mentioned who sent them to the City. Naiah had heard no such information, nor had her brother or friends. Naiah could not tell if the illithid or the Overlord were disappointed by this.</p><p></p><p>Once the Overlord had verbally expressed his gratitude, the dwarves then came forward to present tokens of his appreciation. Thoin was handed a bow of elven craftsmanship, which Naiah recognized as a weapon sturdy enough that it could be used to strike an enemy. One of the dwarves presented her with a wand containing a useful spell to drain her enemies of agility. Jerard received a well-made shortsword, and Mouse was given a pair of enchanted bracers that would help to protect him from harm.</p><p></p><p>When they had expressed suitable appreciation of these gifts, the four were led out of the throne room and back to the palace entrance. Jerard and Mouse managed to maintain suitable decorum until they stepped outside the walls, after which they began to mutter about their desire to see the Overlord's harem and how much gold they could earn by selling some of the palace decorations.</p><p></p><p>On their return to the Blue Dolphin, Mouse promptly announced his intention to sell the bracers the Overlord had given him. "But why?" Naiah asked. "I should have been happy to be given such accoutrements, though this wand will serve me well."</p><p></p><p>"I don't want to wear the Overlord's symbol," the gnome replied, pointing to the crest emblazoned on the bracers. "It draws too much attention."</p><p></p><p>Though she didn't understand why this was such a concern, Naiah could think of no argument to convince Mouse to keep the bracers.</p><p></p><p>When the quartet returned to the Blue Dolphin, they discovered that their adventures had drawn attention from other folk than the Overlord. They received a message from a noblewoman, Alyssa Silverlock, who asked that they accompany her that evening, essentially acting as her bodyguards, for she had heard rumor that several young ladies had been kidnapped recently. </p><p></p><p>Naiah considered briefly that serving as bodyguards seemed rather demeaning after having been to the palace - but the Overlord's esteem would not pay their bill at the inn. Mouse and Jerard had no such scruples. They were more than happy to accept Lady Silverlock's offer. </p><p></p><p>That evening they met their charge at her family's villa. To Naiah's surprise, Alyssa Silverlock wished them to accompany her to Hedonist Street, to the Plaza of Profuse Pleasures. Naiah was amused by the name. She was less amused when their final destination turned out to be a torture shop according to its signboard. But though her brother shared her reservations, they felt that since they had accepted Lady Silverlock's gold they had no right to object to her choice of entertainment.</p><p></p><p>As the quartet of bodyguards waited outside with the carriage, Mouse and Jerard noticed some movement in the alley at the side of the shop. Concerned, they went to investigate while Naiah and her brother remained at the front entrance. </p><p></p><p>A few moments later Naiah and Thoin heard what sounded like a scuffle from within the shop. They rushed inside, Thoin with his new bow at the ready, to find Lady Silverlock tied to a table while a man menaced her - with a feather! But the sight of four kobolds in the shop drew Naiah's attention from that curious tableau. </p><p></p><p>Thoin immediately shot one of the kobolds, which then rushed him. He fired a second arrow into the creature and it dropped. Realizing that she was in the heart of danger, Naiah murmured a familiar arcane phrase and gestured, summoning an armor of eldritch energy to protect her. By the time she had completed her spell, three of the kobolds lay dead.</p><p></p><p>Mouse employed his own magics to persuade the remaining kobold to tell them why it had come to the shop. It explained that its master, whom it called the Walking Worm, desired women. But it did not know why. </p><p></p><p>The kobold also revealed that more kobolds intended to attack the palace to rescue their "king", whom Naiah had helped to capture two days earlier. But the informant could not say how many of his kind meant to attack the palace. His mathematical skills were rather limited, Naiah observed with amusement. </p><p></p><p>Thoin immediately raced off to the palace to warn the Overlord's staff of the threat. Once Lady Silverlock had expressed her gratitude for having been saved from kidnapping, she returned to her family villa and the companions made their way back to the Blue Dolphin to reunite with Thoin. </p><p></p><p>To Naiah's surprise, Mouse's new kobold friend joined them. He was introduced as Zig, and seemed almost to fawn on the smug gnome as he trailed them through the city streets. </p><p></p><p>With Mouse's coaxing, Zig continued to provide information about his master's plans. He drew a crude map to direct them to his master's lair, which lay beneath the city and could be accessed via the sewer tunnels. Having agreed at the Overlord's behest to do what they could to combat the kobold threat, the four friends decided to descend and learn what they could of the kidnapper.</p><p></p><p>Mouse made his way down into the sewer first, while Naiah took up the rear with torch in hand. Almost immediately, Mouse found two kobolds, presumably standing guard. He put them to sleep with an eldritch whisper and Jerard slit their throats. </p><p></p><p>But it soon became apparent that more kobolds were in the area than first thought. They came swarming into the area brandishing weapons and yipping threateningly. Thoin fired arrow after arrow at them while Jerard hurled daggers, then drew his new shortsword and waded into the crowd of diminutive creatures. </p><p></p><p>Naiah drew a crossbow bolt from the quiver she always carried and whispered, "Fly straight and true". She blew on the bolt and sent it streaking toward a kobold, but it fell short. </p><p></p><p>Several of the kobolds were now shrieking wildly as they hurled small javelins at the intruders. Jerard skewered one through the eye with one blow. Suddenly what had seemed an endless swarm of kobolds had shrunk.to a manageable size. Jerard slew another, and Naiah's next bolt struck home. One of Thoin's arrows brought the last kobold low. The sewer fell silent, the floor of the tunnel now dotted with scattered kobold corpses.</p><p></p><p>Mouse and Jerard immediately began to search the bodies for anything of value. Mouse handed a wand to Naiah, which was the most valuable item found, much to the gnome's dismay.</p><p></p><p> Having completed their search, the group proceeded down a tunnel that was mercifully drier than where they had first entered the sewer. Naiah silently thanked Cilboreth for this small favor.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="sniffles, post: 3834899, member: 30035"] [b]The New Year's Invasion[/b] Year's End 5, 4432 The streets of the City were crowded with visitors and gawkers as Naiah and her companions emerged from the Blue Dolphin. A functionary of the court squeezed through the crowd handing out newly-minted coins in celebration of the new year. Naiah accepted a coin, curiously examining the portrait of the Overlord on the obverse side. As she fingered the coin her attention was drawn to the way the crowd was moving aside to permit a cart to pass. The cart was laden with a huge wooden cask, from which more of the Overlord's servants were filling whatever containers the onlookers proferred to them. "What is it?" Naiah asked her brother in their native tongue. "Beer," Thoin replied, wrinkling his unnaturally dark brows with faint disdain. Behind her, Naiah heard a petulant voice exclaim, "I wish I had a tankard." She turned to smile indulgently at Mouse and almost laughed aloud when she saw his forlorn expression mirrored on Jerard's features. With a brief murmur and a simple gesture, Naiah summoned up a large, shallow bowl of arcane force, hovering in the air at about Mouse's height. She steered the bowl of force to the beer cart and held it under the spigot, allowing it to fill but not so much that it would spill at the slightest movement. To her amusement, many in the crowd stared at her small trick in wonder as both Mouse and Jerard cupped their hands and began to drink enthusiastically from her summoned vessel. The crowd of drinkers was disrupted again when a huge ogre came striding down the cobbled street carrying a keg under his arm as easily as Naiah carried one of her books. The ogre shouted out a challenge to the onlookers in his gruff, uncouth voice: he offered ten gold pieces to anyone who would try some of his ogre-made brew, which he called "spinekiller". Jerard dared a nearby private guard to taste the ogre's beverage. Goaded by Jerard, the guard abandoned his duties to try some of the ogre ale. Jerard took a sip as well, eager to win the prize. Instantly both of them slumped to the ground. Thoin kindly lifted Jerard up and carried the young man back inside the Blue Dolphin. Naiah managed to help the staggering guard to his feet and conducted him inside also. She thought she caught a glimpse of Mouse clambering inside the carriage the guard had abandoned, but a second look showed her no sign of her diminutive new friend. Jerard began to revive a few moments after being set on a bench in the common room of the inn. Just as he recovered his wits, Naiah heard screams of terror from the street outside. Thoin grabbed his bow case and rushed out. Picking up her own bow, she followed her twin. The crowd had receded into nearby buildings and alleys as a group of kobolds ran helter-skelter down the street, randomly slashing innocent citizens with their swords. As she stood in the doorway of the inn, Naiah quickly called to mind the words of a spell of protection and cloaked herself in arcane armor. Thoin fired his bow at one kobold, but his arrow went wide of the mark. Jerard had run out at the sound of screams, drawing his sword, and was now trading cuts with a kobold. Mouse reappeared, waving his hands in a complex pattern. Naiah saw two kobolds halt in their tracks, staring vacantly at the gesturing gnome. Naiah began gesturing and murmuring again herself. A missile of magical force shot away from her finger to unerringly strike one of the kobolds. Several guards appeared, joining the opposition against the kobolds. One of Thoin's arrows found a mark, and a kobold dropped to the ground lifeless. As quickly as she could Naiah chanted the phrases of yet a third spell, calling on the mystical Lunia to lend her power. Though she felt only a faint tingle, she knew that her eyes were now glowing with a silvery light. At her thought a mote of silver flew from her eyes to wound another of the reptilian attackers. She caught a glimpse of the ogre with the ale keg dropping his burden on one kobold, crushing the creature beneath the keg's weight. A spray of vivid colors burst from Mouse's fingertips and Naiah winced involuntarily, recognizing the spell. The two kobolds he had enchanted previously now both collapsed. Naiah caught sight of one kobold more elaborately dressed than the others, resembling a shaman. She began to move toward it, suspecting it might be driving the others on. Thoin also approached the shaman. As she and her twin neared, the shaman lunged at Jerard. Mouse then went darting behind the shaman to aid his friend. Naiah had not expected to be fighting that day and had not prepared many offensive spells. She had employed most of what she knew. But now she drew a crossbow bolt from the quiver on her belt and sent it from the palm of her hand with the same energy that a crossbow would have imparted to it. Unfortunately the spell did not improve her aim. Her twin was now very near to the shaman, who appeared to be far tougher than his underlings. Biting her lip in annoyance, Naiah drew a second bolt to try again. Thoin appeared to have no better fortune than his sister. His arrows missed the dodging, weaving kobold just as Naiah's second bolt overshot the target. One of the guards ran into the area, joining the struggle with the shaman. Naiah could see Mouse wiggling his fingers again, though she couldn't determine what effect his spell had. Her spell arsenal depleted, she drew her bow and knocked a white-feathered shaft. Arrows and spells all flew at the kobold shaman, including Naiah's shaft, which struck him solidly in a vulnerable spot, much to her satisfaction. But the shaman did not fall. Instead he stepped up to Thoin, inside the aim of his bow, and struck. Naiah suppressed a scream. Jerard bounded behind the kobold and stabbed it in the back. Mouse then ran up and hit the shaman over the head with the hilt of his rapier, much to Naiah's surprise. Her brother took a step back and fired his bow once more, this time easily striking the kobold. Overwhelmed by the combined attack, the shaman slumped and was still. Jerard and Mouse quickly searched the shaman's corpse and pocketed several items. When Naiah remarked on this, Jerard replied, "When you help someone, you should take their purse!" Amused, Thoin reached over and pulled Jerard's purse away. "Hey!" the young human objected. Thoin said, "But you do not give the purses back." "No one ever asked!" Jerard exclaimed. It was not until after the shaman fell that the Overlord's city guardsmen managed to make their way to the area. Naiah was unharmed, having never come within reach of any kobold, but her twin and her two friends had all been badly wounded. Fortunately the guardsmen had brought priests with them who were able to use the power of the gods to heal such injuries. When the four companions and the other guards had recounted their activities to the city guardsmen, they were permitted to leave. Naiah and her brother returned to the Blue Dolphin with their two friends, all of them glad to retire to their rooms for a quiet evening's rest. The following morning the Blue Dolphin was visited by a herald of the Overlord's court, who brought a summons from the Overlord himself, inviting the four friends to appear before the Overlord! Naiah was confused by the reaction of Mouse; she had the impression that he was less than pleased by the invitation. Wishing to present their best appearance at the court, Naiah and Thoin sought out the location of the public baths on the Street of Maelstroms and paid a gold piece each for entrance. Their two companions did not join them, both complaining that a bath wasn't worth a gold piece. Once they had made themselves presentable, the four companions were escorted to the palace by a herald and a group of guards. The Palace of Silver Light was a vast and opulent structure. Mouse and Jerard gawked openly, for though both had lived all their lives in the City, neither had ever approached the palace before. At the palace entrance they were relieved of their weapons. Then their escort led them through long corridors decorated with ornate tapestries and carvings. They passed one particularly large tapestry depicting the Demon Siege, which Naiah would have stopped to examine had that seemed acceptable. Jerard and Mouse were more interested in the scantily-clad Amazons standing guard at the entrance to the Overlord's harem quarters. At last the small group was conducted into the Overlord's vast and impressive throne room. His Most Terrible Majesty sat on an opulent throne of carved rare marble. He was a more handsome human than Naiah had expected. She had known that the Overlord often had commerce with creatures of a reputedly evil nature, but she was still surprised to see an illithid in sumptuous robes standing close at hand. An eye tyrant also floated nearby. The Overlord's entourage was rounded out by three grim dwarves and several dauntingly large hounds. The quartet were asked to kneel. When the Overlord asked their names, Naiah was again surprised that Mouse and Jerard gave the names Dalmin and Jaser. But she felt it improper to contradict her friends. Thoin introduced himself proudly, "I am Thoin Ebonbrows, your Majesty." Naiah stood beside her twin. "I am Naiah Theresti." The Overlord then thanked them for their service to the city in combating the kobolds. The illithid, who was introduced as the Overlord's chief adviser Aichillitl, asked if the kobolds had mentioned who sent them to the City. Naiah had heard no such information, nor had her brother or friends. Naiah could not tell if the illithid or the Overlord were disappointed by this. Once the Overlord had verbally expressed his gratitude, the dwarves then came forward to present tokens of his appreciation. Thoin was handed a bow of elven craftsmanship, which Naiah recognized as a weapon sturdy enough that it could be used to strike an enemy. One of the dwarves presented her with a wand containing a useful spell to drain her enemies of agility. Jerard received a well-made shortsword, and Mouse was given a pair of enchanted bracers that would help to protect him from harm. When they had expressed suitable appreciation of these gifts, the four were led out of the throne room and back to the palace entrance. Jerard and Mouse managed to maintain suitable decorum until they stepped outside the walls, after which they began to mutter about their desire to see the Overlord's harem and how much gold they could earn by selling some of the palace decorations. On their return to the Blue Dolphin, Mouse promptly announced his intention to sell the bracers the Overlord had given him. "But why?" Naiah asked. "I should have been happy to be given such accoutrements, though this wand will serve me well." "I don't want to wear the Overlord's symbol," the gnome replied, pointing to the crest emblazoned on the bracers. "It draws too much attention." Though she didn't understand why this was such a concern, Naiah could think of no argument to convince Mouse to keep the bracers. When the quartet returned to the Blue Dolphin, they discovered that their adventures had drawn attention from other folk than the Overlord. They received a message from a noblewoman, Alyssa Silverlock, who asked that they accompany her that evening, essentially acting as her bodyguards, for she had heard rumor that several young ladies had been kidnapped recently. Naiah considered briefly that serving as bodyguards seemed rather demeaning after having been to the palace - but the Overlord's esteem would not pay their bill at the inn. Mouse and Jerard had no such scruples. They were more than happy to accept Lady Silverlock's offer. That evening they met their charge at her family's villa. To Naiah's surprise, Alyssa Silverlock wished them to accompany her to Hedonist Street, to the Plaza of Profuse Pleasures. Naiah was amused by the name. She was less amused when their final destination turned out to be a torture shop according to its signboard. But though her brother shared her reservations, they felt that since they had accepted Lady Silverlock's gold they had no right to object to her choice of entertainment. As the quartet of bodyguards waited outside with the carriage, Mouse and Jerard noticed some movement in the alley at the side of the shop. Concerned, they went to investigate while Naiah and her brother remained at the front entrance. A few moments later Naiah and Thoin heard what sounded like a scuffle from within the shop. They rushed inside, Thoin with his new bow at the ready, to find Lady Silverlock tied to a table while a man menaced her - with a feather! But the sight of four kobolds in the shop drew Naiah's attention from that curious tableau. Thoin immediately shot one of the kobolds, which then rushed him. He fired a second arrow into the creature and it dropped. Realizing that she was in the heart of danger, Naiah murmured a familiar arcane phrase and gestured, summoning an armor of eldritch energy to protect her. By the time she had completed her spell, three of the kobolds lay dead. Mouse employed his own magics to persuade the remaining kobold to tell them why it had come to the shop. It explained that its master, whom it called the Walking Worm, desired women. But it did not know why. The kobold also revealed that more kobolds intended to attack the palace to rescue their "king", whom Naiah had helped to capture two days earlier. But the informant could not say how many of his kind meant to attack the palace. His mathematical skills were rather limited, Naiah observed with amusement. Thoin immediately raced off to the palace to warn the Overlord's staff of the threat. Once Lady Silverlock had expressed her gratitude for having been saved from kidnapping, she returned to her family villa and the companions made their way back to the Blue Dolphin to reunite with Thoin. To Naiah's surprise, Mouse's new kobold friend joined them. He was introduced as Zig, and seemed almost to fawn on the smug gnome as he trailed them through the city streets. With Mouse's coaxing, Zig continued to provide information about his master's plans. He drew a crude map to direct them to his master's lair, which lay beneath the city and could be accessed via the sewer tunnels. Having agreed at the Overlord's behest to do what they could to combat the kobold threat, the four friends decided to descend and learn what they could of the kidnapper. Mouse made his way down into the sewer first, while Naiah took up the rear with torch in hand. Almost immediately, Mouse found two kobolds, presumably standing guard. He put them to sleep with an eldritch whisper and Jerard slit their throats. But it soon became apparent that more kobolds were in the area than first thought. They came swarming into the area brandishing weapons and yipping threateningly. Thoin fired arrow after arrow at them while Jerard hurled daggers, then drew his new shortsword and waded into the crowd of diminutive creatures. Naiah drew a crossbow bolt from the quiver she always carried and whispered, "Fly straight and true". She blew on the bolt and sent it streaking toward a kobold, but it fell short. Several of the kobolds were now shrieking wildly as they hurled small javelins at the intruders. Jerard skewered one through the eye with one blow. Suddenly what had seemed an endless swarm of kobolds had shrunk.to a manageable size. Jerard slew another, and Naiah's next bolt struck home. One of Thoin's arrows brought the last kobold low. The sewer fell silent, the floor of the tunnel now dotted with scattered kobold corpses. Mouse and Jerard immediately began to search the bodies for anything of value. Mouse handed a wand to Naiah, which was the most valuable item found, much to the gnome's dismay. Having completed their search, the group proceeded down a tunnel that was mercifully drier than where they had first entered the sewer. Naiah silently thanked Cilboreth for this small favor. [/QUOTE]
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