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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Softwind" data-source="post: 1243937" data-attributes="member: 13893">Fifteenth Session (Part 3)  As one, they move up the slope, carefully watching for signs of kobold activity or other movement. Athena soon realizes that if anyone was nearby, the battle with the wyverns would have announced the party’s presence in the area. Informing her friends of this fact, they hurry their pace, eager to reach their goal. In the dirt at the stone entrance to the lair, Athena spots the signs of numerous clawed feet.  Cautious again, the party selects Tombit as the point man again. Quietly, the diminutive monk works his way inside the den. The smell of putrescence fills his nostrils the further in he goes. The light from outside dimly illuminates the walls of the cave, opening out from the entrance until the monk stands in a chamber 20 paces wide, and more than double that deep. In a far corner rests the mortal remains of the Androsphinx, the origin of the stench. After looking around and seeing nothing to alarm him, Tombit returns to the entrance and motions for the rest of the group to enter. He also takes an opportunity to gulp fresher air outside. The group fans out once past the entrance, again, watchful of hidden opponents. It is Skylar that spots the small form huddled in the sphinx’s shadow. Quickly drawing bow, and placing arrow to string, she calls out to the rest of the party, “We’ve got something here, near the body.” She gestures with the tip of her nocked arrow, towards the rotting bulk. Alerted, the rest of the party readies their weapon, and spreads out, to surround the corpse, and whatever lingers nearby. The small figure tries to hunch down further, small cries of panic coming from it. When everyone is in place, Grimnyr shouts, “Stand n show yerself! No purpose in hiding now, we know yer there!” He brandishes his axe to emphasize his point. Slowly, the hidden figure stands up. The dim light reveals the form of a scrawny kobold, who, eyes wide, tries to bolt towards the opening, only to meet bared blade blocking his retreat.  With a startled yip, the creature jumps back, its muzzle swinging back and forth, looking for escape. The party closes in, cutting off all avenues, making sure that the creature would not elude them. Realizing it is trapped, the kobold hunkers down, wrapping its arms about its scaly knees. After some fits and starts, the party is able to question the creature, much to Grimnyr’s disgust. But even he sees the sense in finding out where the rest of the kobolds are, how many there are, and if they are coming back. The cowering creature before them is Jaalask, the youngest and smallest of the tribe. He fell asleep after gorging himself on the corpse, and was left behind by the rest of the band when they were last there. He was waiting for the “hurtful” sun to set when he heard the adventurers approaching, so he hid. He puffs up his chest when he describes his tribe, the Blackspears. “We are the strongest tribe around. We’re strong! Even the orcs around here fear us! And, uh, we’re tough too… and, we have Oppol. He got’s the best mojo in the land. He blasts the other tribes to bits, and we don’t have to fight them – not that we couldn’t!” When pressed to reveal where his tribe is camped by drawn blades, Jaalask reluctantly tells the Companions that the Blackspear warband is camped a few miles away. He begs for his life, and is granted leniency, but only if he leads the party to the camp. Seeking to save his own hide, he agrees. The party searches the cave, but finds nothing of worth left behind. Even the half spear Jaalask bears is worth little to them. They decide to head out before the sun sets, to the dismay of their kobold prisoner. Without recourse, however, he takes the lead, closely followed by Grimnyr and his axe, taking the party to the southeast. A few miles later, Jaalask stops moving. Questioned, he motions further into the forest. “The tribe is there. Unless I leave now, my tribe will kill me, for having lead you here.” The party agrees, bound by their promise to the creature. They add one more promise before he is let loose; “If this is a trick, we promise you will not live to regret your actions.” Once the kobold is out of sight, the party sneaks forward, through the covering of the trees. It does not take long to discover Jaalask had not steered them wrong. In a rough clearing ahead, Skylar and Genoa spot several kobolds. Weapons ready, the party leaps into the midst of the camp, shouting for the creatures to surrender.  The response is predictable. The kobolds grab javelins, half-spears, and some small crossbows, but, “mighty” or not, they quickly fall beneath the Companions blades and arrows. A little surprised at the ease of combat, the Companions realize that not once did they face any magic. Oppol was not there! After looting the remains, and discovering far less than expected, Athena and Skylar scout the area, looking for tracks not belonging to any of the fallen. The only prints that stand out appear to be of a gnome or dwarf boot-shod foot. The party decides to follow these prints. As night falls, the party realizes they are heading back towards Merikest. They continue on through the night, traveling by moonlight, moving slowly so as to not lose the trail. Eventually, as they reach the outskirts of Merikest, the trail is lost due to daily traffic on the road. Before entering the town, the party discusses their options. Not knowing who or what they are looking for, they head back to the location where they had first encountered Ujaset.In the early morning, having moved quickly all night, they again stand near the field where this quest first began.  As half-expected, the shimmering form of the sphinx reappears, but they are dismayed to see that an expression of anger covers the creature’s bearded face. “You disappoint me, and have failed the charge given you. A sorcerer slew me, and a sorcerer’s blood you have not on your hands!” Ujaset becomes mollified when the group tells him that they have not abandoned the quest, but need more information about the target. They have a name, but have no idea what the creature will look like. Ujaset just looks at them. “As I was asleep when my death befell, how would I give you such information?” He shakes his head, and slowly fades away. “Seek out what you can, based on the name you hold. I await my vengeance.” The Companions look at each other. “Let’s go back to town, see if Brynn and Genoa can help in the search. Besides which, I’m rather beat.” Athena says. The other three agree, thinking of baths, food, beds, and drink, although not necessarily in that order.  The trip back to town is slower, as the events of the past hours catch up with them. They straggle into Merikest just as the town seems to be coming to life. People on the street wisely stay out of the way of the foursome as they make their way to the Prancing Pony. The wait staff is hard-pressed to keep up with demands for both baths and ale to be poured and food to be brought upstairs. Their grumbles are soon silenced by the party’s generosity, being too tired to brook argument.  Several hours pass, and they are much comforted, with full bellies, clean bodies, and some sleep under their eyelids. They await the return of Brynn and Genoa in the main room, nursing mugs to pass the time.</blockquote>

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