The kobold in burlap does not seem very surprised that the corpse of one of his kin is being carried by a minotaur. He simply says,
"Not another one! And it's Zak? I thought Boss gave him the dagger?"
Deemus and Tak both step forward to greet him. Deemus barks out an incomprehensible reply in his native tongue.
[sblock=Draconic]
"I know, right?! But one of the wolves got the jump on him, so the knife wasn't much help. Still, he bravely fought to the death, giving Tak and I time to get to the boat. We'll have a big banquet in his honor tonight!"[/sblock]
The kobold in burlap laughs and says,
"Great! I could use a good meal. I've had to go hungry ever since Bacarte - some lousy softskin took my money!"
The Minotaur speaks up, "I am Labraundos of Lefkadan, Paladin of Joven. I hope this will prove to be an auspicious meeting."
Labraundos looks towards Deemus and Tak, "As for the poor unfortunate Zak, whither shall I bear him?"
Tak, showing a little more respect for the deceased, says
"I take him when we go inside. You need see Boss, not worry."
When the introductions are finished, the three kobolds lead the adventurers into the cave. Lighting past the initial cavern is thankfully not an issue. Through a combination of torches and cracks leading up the the surface, the caverns are at least dimly visible. The entryway leads directly toward a guard post of some kind. A pair of armored kobolds with crossbows stand watch before an artificially smoothed wall with arrow slits built into the side columns. The guards nod at the adventurers without making any comment.
Just past the guard post, a small group of unarmored kobolds are laboring to load small boulders into a pile on the ground. As Deemus, Tak, and the burlap-clad kobold pass by, one of the workers comments...
[sblock=Draconic]
"Hey guys, be careful when you come through here next time! Sessil accidentally tripped the rockfall this morning and got himself crushed!"[/sblock]
This corridor leads deeper into the earth and opens up into a large cavern. The rough stone walls give way to much more polished masonry and decorated stonework. Lighting is provided by large braziers. The chamber is also packed with kobolds - several dozen of them are present in this cavern alone. A few more guards are also milling about, all wearing chainmail and carrying spears, but the majority of the kobolds are wearing rather pathetic rags and animal-skins. The noise level in here is comparable to a rowdy tavern, though nearly all conversations are carried out in Draconic. Three more tunnels lead out of this area.
In one corner of the chamber, an iron throne has been set up between heraldic banners dangling from the ceiling. On top of the throne is a kobold who is
vastly better dressed than his apparent underlings. He wears a flowing purple robe made out of fine silks and metallic crown set with an emerald. Deemus leads the adventurers to this kobold. Tak, in the mean-time, relieves Labraundos of Zak and disappears into the crowd. The well-dressed kobold rises from his chair.
Deemus introduces the group.
"Boss! We bring cheap fighters, like you say! All good to kill bugs."
The Boss scratches his head for a minute.
"Deemus, wasn't Zak with you? Your Common is so bad it's a wonder you found anyone."
To which Deemus simply replies,
"Wolf eat Zak!"
The Boss shrugs.
"Not another one? Well, anyway!" He addresses the adventurers directly.
"Yes, welcome to the Usanbungek clan! You're all here for one thing - to clear out the Dread Tunnel of the giant centipede nest. Those cursed bugs are stopping us from mining any deeper into this cave. We tried blocking them off with a door, but it hasn't solved the problem yet. So, I want you all to get there and take care of those bugs! If you survive, you're free to a portion of the gold nuggets we've mined. I'm not sure how much they're worth right now, the way the market has been fluctuating, but I'm sure it will be fair. Can I count on you all?"
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OOC:
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I don't think anyone in the party speaks Draconic, but I'll keep posting the conversations in sblocks just for flavor.
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