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Raiders of Oakhurst - A memoir of Erais Gunterson
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<blockquote data-quote="Colmarr" data-source="post: 4324246" data-attributes="member: 59182"><p>Tira and I dragged the yielding creature back to the apparent throne room, where we tied it securely with rope and gagged it. The beast looked nervously at the bodies of its deceased companions, and wrinkled its canine nose at the ichor oozing from the cracked carapace of the giant spider. We ignored it for a time and looked around the cavern. It contained another shrine, this time carrying several stone dragon statuettes. A crude rock throne stood in one corner, opposite a mound of furs that doubtless served as a bed. Finally, when we had finished our search of the room, we removed the kobold’s gag.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing here?” I asked the cowering dog-man.</p><p> </p><p>“We live here,” it replied simply.</p><p> </p><p>I growled in frustration. Something told me this wasn’t going to be easy. I decided to be more specific.</p><p> </p><p>“Why did you raid the human and halfling settlements?”</p><p> </p><p>“We hungry.”</p><p> </p><p>“And you kill sentient creatures for food?” I asked in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>“We kill,” the kobold nodded. “Don’t you?” The question was asked with such naivety that for a moment I almost believed that these creatures were unaware of the gravity of their actions. But then the captive flashed a nervous smile, and torchlight glinted off its needle-like teeth. Something inside me, perhaps some hint from Amaunator, told me that the kobold knew exactly why I took such umbrage at its tribe’s activities.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you in charge here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. Me king” it nodded fervently.</p><p> </p><p>“Then why did you try to run away?”</p><p> </p><p>The kobold shrugged as much as its bonds would allow. “Me not stupid king.”</p><p> </p><p>As much as it rankled me that the creature could be so flippant given its tribe’s recent past, it was clear that the kobold was telling the truth. It’s clothing was far superior to the rags worn by the other dog-men we had slain and the very fact that it spoke common confirmed its claim to a position of importance.</p><p> </p><p>The kobold king named himself Meepo, and offered to lead us to a hidden treasure if we let it live. While the promise of reward did not sway me, there was no denying that we were in no condition to press deeper into the caves without resting. Unable to press on, and unwilling to kill our captive, we retreated from the complex and found a defensible position in a small cave further up the mountain. We tied the kobold’s arms behind its back and replaced its gag so that it could not call for rescue.</p><p> </p><p>As we were leaving the kobold lair, I stopped outside the cavern in which the dog-men females and children huddled. They stared at me with fifty wide eyes. Corrin stomped past without stopping and Tira soon followed him, tugging on Meepo’s rope leash. Skamos stopped next to me for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“We should lead them out and disperse them,” I suggested.</p><p> </p><p>The tiefling shook his head. “We don’t have time. And what would we do anyway? Lead them into the wilderness?” He gave a wry smile, and I was forced to admit he was right. We left the kobolds where they were.</p><p> </p><p>Early the next morning, we followed the still-bound Meepo back into the cave complex. He led us in the direction opposite the one we had taken the day before, away from the throne room and into a small side chamber near the kobold’s alarm gong. There, he pointed to a pile of rocks that blocked the entrance to another cavern. </p><p> </p><p>“Treasure hidden in there,” Meepo said.</p><p> </p><p>Tira gave an absent-minded tug on the kobold’s restraints, causing the creature to complain bitterly. Skamos smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s despicable, but I kind of like him.”</p><p> </p><p>I looked at the wizard in surprise. Skamos merely shrugged and scratched at one of his horns. </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t get too attached", I suggested. "Betrayal runs in his veins”. </p><p> </p><p>I turned to Meepo. “Why is the entrance walled up?” I asked him.</p><p> </p><p>“To hide the treasure,” he replied, as though the answer were obvious. I searched his alien eyes, but there was no hint of artifice there. I nodded to Tira, who pulled Meepo into one corner, and then Corrin and I set to work uncovering the entrance.</p><p> </p><p>When we had roughly half of the wall removed, we shone a light into the cavern beyond. The area was bare of decoration, and the air from inside seemed different somehow. A pillar of black stone stood at the northern end of the chamber, opposite the entrance we had made. But there was no sign of the kobold’s treasure.</p><p> </p><p>Skamos gestured at a nearby pebble, which began to glow with crisp white light. Then he tossed it through the opening. The new light source illuminated a pile of items in a tunnel to the northwest or the chamber. Clearly visible in the jumble were numerous suits of armour. I glanced at Corrin, who nodded and then began to climb over the rubble. Once he was trhough, I looked back at Skamos and at Tira, who tightened her grip on the rope tied to Meepo. Then I followed Corrin into the newly-revealed cavern.</p><p> </p><p>The halfling was roughly twenty feet ahead of me, following the eastern wall north and around the black stone column. I saw him step warily behind it, eyes scanning the room, and waited for him to emerge on the other side. </p><p> </p><p>And waited.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Colmarr, post: 4324246, member: 59182"] Tira and I dragged the yielding creature back to the apparent throne room, where we tied it securely with rope and gagged it. The beast looked nervously at the bodies of its deceased companions, and wrinkled its canine nose at the ichor oozing from the cracked carapace of the giant spider. We ignored it for a time and looked around the cavern. It contained another shrine, this time carrying several stone dragon statuettes. A crude rock throne stood in one corner, opposite a mound of furs that doubtless served as a bed. Finally, when we had finished our search of the room, we removed the kobold’s gag. “What are you doing here?” I asked the cowering dog-man. “We live here,” it replied simply. I growled in frustration. Something told me this wasn’t going to be easy. I decided to be more specific. “Why did you raid the human and halfling settlements?” “We hungry.” “And you kill sentient creatures for food?” I asked in disbelief. “We kill,” the kobold nodded. “Don’t you?” The question was asked with such naivety that for a moment I almost believed that these creatures were unaware of the gravity of their actions. But then the captive flashed a nervous smile, and torchlight glinted off its needle-like teeth. Something inside me, perhaps some hint from Amaunator, told me that the kobold knew exactly why I took such umbrage at its tribe’s activities. “Are you in charge here?” “Yes. Me king” it nodded fervently. “Then why did you try to run away?” The kobold shrugged as much as its bonds would allow. “Me not stupid king.” As much as it rankled me that the creature could be so flippant given its tribe’s recent past, it was clear that the kobold was telling the truth. It’s clothing was far superior to the rags worn by the other dog-men we had slain and the very fact that it spoke common confirmed its claim to a position of importance. The kobold king named himself Meepo, and offered to lead us to a hidden treasure if we let it live. While the promise of reward did not sway me, there was no denying that we were in no condition to press deeper into the caves without resting. Unable to press on, and unwilling to kill our captive, we retreated from the complex and found a defensible position in a small cave further up the mountain. We tied the kobold’s arms behind its back and replaced its gag so that it could not call for rescue. As we were leaving the kobold lair, I stopped outside the cavern in which the dog-men females and children huddled. They stared at me with fifty wide eyes. Corrin stomped past without stopping and Tira soon followed him, tugging on Meepo’s rope leash. Skamos stopped next to me for a moment. “We should lead them out and disperse them,” I suggested. The tiefling shook his head. “We don’t have time. And what would we do anyway? Lead them into the wilderness?” He gave a wry smile, and I was forced to admit he was right. We left the kobolds where they were. Early the next morning, we followed the still-bound Meepo back into the cave complex. He led us in the direction opposite the one we had taken the day before, away from the throne room and into a small side chamber near the kobold’s alarm gong. There, he pointed to a pile of rocks that blocked the entrance to another cavern. “Treasure hidden in there,” Meepo said. Tira gave an absent-minded tug on the kobold’s restraints, causing the creature to complain bitterly. Skamos smiled. “He’s despicable, but I kind of like him.” I looked at the wizard in surprise. Skamos merely shrugged and scratched at one of his horns. “Don’t get too attached", I suggested. "Betrayal runs in his veins”. I turned to Meepo. “Why is the entrance walled up?” I asked him. “To hide the treasure,” he replied, as though the answer were obvious. I searched his alien eyes, but there was no hint of artifice there. I nodded to Tira, who pulled Meepo into one corner, and then Corrin and I set to work uncovering the entrance. When we had roughly half of the wall removed, we shone a light into the cavern beyond. The area was bare of decoration, and the air from inside seemed different somehow. A pillar of black stone stood at the northern end of the chamber, opposite the entrance we had made. But there was no sign of the kobold’s treasure. Skamos gestured at a nearby pebble, which began to glow with crisp white light. Then he tossed it through the opening. The new light source illuminated a pile of items in a tunnel to the northwest or the chamber. Clearly visible in the jumble were numerous suits of armour. I glanced at Corrin, who nodded and then began to climb over the rubble. Once he was trhough, I looked back at Skamos and at Tira, who tightened her grip on the rope tied to Meepo. Then I followed Corrin into the newly-revealed cavern. The halfling was roughly twenty feet ahead of me, following the eastern wall north and around the black stone column. I saw him step warily behind it, eyes scanning the room, and waited for him to emerge on the other side. And waited. [/QUOTE]
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