Kobolds: The Princess in the Castle

Log Info

• Title: Kobolds: The Princess in the Castle
• Emitter: Cryosanthia, Ashes
• Characters: Aryia, Jinks, Seyardu, Randolf
• Place: Lake Uskavutha
• Time: Sunday, November 14, 2021, 2:20 PM
• Summary: The rescuers have an opportunity to explore the lake island castle without the dragon present, and before the kobolds realized the Black Rose Knight has been killed. They paddle over, sneak up, knock out a few kobolds. The infiltration is going well until the dragon arrives. Jinks and Randolf go through a small door, and discover a bunch of cowering kobolds, who are easily conviced that the work-day has ended now that a dragon is strafing their castle. Seyardu and Aryia hide in the larger towers, and Randolf believes he has found where the prisoner is being kept, but it's through a hole too small. Jinks checks on the dragon and it spots him, and demands to know what is going on. He comes out, still disguised as kobold and tries to mislead her. It is going well until the dragon picks him up, and realizes he is a gobber, or something. Not a Kobold. She's going to fly off to find her sister's egg, when everyone attacks. She keeps flying and attempts a song of discord on them, which fails, and is struck by lightning. Twice!. Aryia abundant steps into the air and punches the dragon, and Seyardu starts to fly after her. It's Jinks' glitterdust which blinds her enough she decides to break off the fight. The adventurers wait, to see if she returns, and when she doesn't they manage to free the prisoner. The 'princess' has been kept in a cave barely larger than herself, with constant cold water, in the dark with barely any food. She's broken like an animal.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Aryia        4'8"     110 Lb     Shadow Elf        Female    A heavily scarred mul with a resolved look about her.
Jinks        3'4"     39 Lb      Gnome             Male      A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry.
Seyardu      5'6"     150 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint.
Randolf      4'10"    280 Lb     Mountain Dwarf    Male      A burly, well-dressed Khazad in wizardly robes.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  NPCs of Note  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Yaretzi                          Vouivre Dragon    Female    'Yaree' and 'Retzi', sister to the Black Rose Knight.
Nanjusha                         Human             Female    An experienced ranger/rogue.
Aseaecrnoss Shirreessie          Dawn-Elf          Female    An experience cleric, the prisoner.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

The deposit was not returned for the horse and wagon.

Largely because the wagon was not returned. Nanjusha and Loci intercepted it, they had been successful creating distractions. Sunken Hope was on alert, convinced they were being attacked and were ringing a bell to summon the dragon.

Neither were certain where the green dragon was, though they had seen it leave its Island Castle. This allows a short window where it might be possible to get on, and inside, and see about freeing the Cleric of the group.

It's worth a look, at least, even if it requires some time on open water. Grey, choppy water.

The island is small, roughly square with forests and a peak, and a moon-shaped beach. It's known to connect to the water-filled caves, although Sunken Hope and where Nanjusha were held are a few miles away around a peninsula. The castle has been built on the beach and against the cliffs.

It's still being built.

The prospect of running into an actual dragon terrified Aryia, so when she heard there was a window to get in, she jumped on it. Thankful she was for all her time at sea, the grey, choppy spray of the waters was familiar. Stable. Predictable. And she was more than happy to help sail them over through the open waters. Looking for an infiltration point form the distance as they slowly coasted closer to the unfinished castle.

GAME: Aryia rolls stealth: (6)+17: 23
GAME: Jinks rolls Stealth: (10)+12: 22
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20: (14): 14
GAME: Aryia rolls perception: (3)+23: 26
GAME: Jinks rolls Perception: (6)+7: 13
GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (18)+5: 23
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5+8: (12)+5+8: 25 (Kobolds Perception)

And so their return had been interrupted, but there was little time to dwell upon it. She was happy to see the others safe, and an opportunity to see everyone through safe seemed like a good idea. So there was little convincing necessary to get her to join the group investigating the building while the owner was away

"My time in the water at the beginning of all this was not the most enjoyable..." Jinks mutters, squinting across the choppy waters at the island and construction it houses. He takes one of the scrolls from a pouch and stuffs it into his sleeve for easy access, then makes sure his rapier is securely strapped basket hilt-to-scabbard. That was almost a most-expensive folly. Another thought and the colors of his outfit shift to a dull, greyish-brown, and his jewelry loses its luster.

GAME: Jinks rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (7)+12: 19

The companions were questioned. Endril had no useful knowledge of the castle, and Loci didn't have much to provide either. She knew it was being built, suspected she might know a few of the workers, but little more.

Nanjusha, likewise, hadn't been to the castle and had only been told that her fellow adventurer, Aseaecrnoss 'Ace' Shirreessie had been moved there under heavy sedation and guard. She had a few ideas for getting inside.

So the ranger came along, and the other two stayed back.

The small boat rocks as it draws closer to the island. It seems safe, no dragon!

Even more good news, the castle appears unfinished. One side of it is completely open. The walls themselves are very thin and flimsy looking. Something a large individual might easily push over. Reinforcements may be in progress, at least one circular tower seems to have been converted to a thick barrier. It might hae caved in.

There are several kobolds moving around, wearing aprons and carrying stone-working tools. They don't appear to have noticed the adventurer's boat, though that could change if they get closer.

"Quite the boon the kobolds lack even the gobbers' distant proximal relationship with the Wonder Lord's inspiration. Imagine if we were attempting to infiltrate a fortress built by People." So Jinks, clearly, has noticed the piles of rubble and slanted walls. He looks over the edge of the boat and into the water, then back whence they came. Finally, he pulls the little shiv from his other sleeve to test the draw only to replace it once more.

Aryia eyes the strong(?)hold as they slowly approach. She looks back to Jinks, her motioning with one hand as she rowed with the other. "They're clever in groups and enough scrap. Should we just find a place further down beach and get up there on foot? I can get out of the boat and swim up, knock one of them out if we'd like." <Handspeech>

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay, athletics for Aryia, and Stealth, and the rest of you prof/sailor"
GAME: Aryia rolls athletics: (16)+15: 31
GAME: Aryia rolls stealth: (2)+17: 19
GAME: Jinks rolls Profession/Sailor: Trained Use Only: 0
GAME: Jinks rolls Profession/Airman: (10)+4: 14
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (2)+5: 7
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+10: (17)+10: 27

Seyardu allows herself to glare at the gnome for a moment before she looks at the structure. "They are trying to make a fort for someone else, not for themselves. That they managed a fort to begin with is impressive." Seyardu sighs. "Yes, approaching from another angle may be the best idea."

It's easy enough to approach from another angle. Occasionally one of the Kobolds looks out onto the lake in the direction of the small sailboat. Something drew its attention, a glint of light off the sails. No alarm is raised.

The Mul'niessa slips into the water and swims ashore, with the boat following to make landing on the northern end of the beach. The Kobold nearest this position is working on the walls. It's piling up small stones, pouring sand between them and then adding a very wet motar which behaves more like paint than paste. It gets into the cracks effectively. The Kobold is adjusting the sludge with a trowel when it is sneak attacked.

It drops like a kobold's weight worth of bricks.

<OOC> Aryia stashes body in 10,5/11,5
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5-7: (3)+5+-7: 1 (Kobold's perception)
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20: (13): 13
GAME: Jinks rolls Stealth: (6)+12: 18
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+14: (18)+14: 32 (Nanjusha' Stealth)

Aryia looks about the waters, seeing where the waves lap and rest. Looking for a place to park the boat. She squints, then points off to the northern park of the stronghold. "Over there. Here, take this oar and row it every and then. Don't crash into the rocks. I'm going to get us an opening."

Instructions delivered, the mute seals off her bag, steels herself for the chilly waters, then leaps off the bow of the ship into the water with nary a splash.

The pugilist lets herself get washed ashore, then crawls up to the unsuspecting kobold. Take a page out of someone close to her, she chops them on the back of the head, catches them as they fall down, then drags them off to a corner.

The elf peers around a corner towards the boat, her shivering, but waves them over with a thumbs up. <Handspeech>

The boat lands without being observed.

Jinks lingers in the boat for a few moments after the tallmen disembark and begin dragging it ashore. His little legs mean the water is always deeper and he's not the strongest swimmer. He splashes down into the shallows and takes the beach, keeping low and moving to the northwestern corner of the structure, peering around at its north face. He hums quietly to himself, thinking, but its little more than a vibration in the back of his mouth and beneath his ears for him to enjoy.

Rowing an oar now and then was doable. The silver sith-makar takes one side of the boat and ducks down as much as she can to occasionally give the boat a move. Thankfully others are actually able to maneuver it to shore, and once on the beach, she hops out and pulls it to keep it there, before moving to join with the others.

They're on a mission to bring missing adventurers back from some kobolds that are lead by some nasty folk, one of them being a dragon. The dragon is gone from their half built castle, and the group is taking that opportunity to slip in to get someone. They've landed on the beach after taking out one of the workers, nonlethally, the kobolds aren't bad folk, and we're considering our next steps.

Randolf grips his wand with one hand, the other curled over the lip of the boat. He's planted his hefty rump right in the center, and isn't twitching a whisker. Only once the boat pulls up onto the beach does he very slowly and carefully pull himself over to the side. He swings a leg over, fishing around for solid ground with his foot. Once he plants that foot, he swings the other over, and takes a hasty step away from the boat. "Whew! Made it," he mutters under his breath. He straightens the lapels of his robe, before looking back to his comrades. "Right... do we know where this adventurer's bein' held?"

The other kobolds do not seem to have noticed the missing worker, or the adventurers landing on the beach. Nanjusha pulls the boat up, and ties it off. The kobolds keep doing what they're doing, working on the castle.

"Inside," Nanjusha says, "the castle does have towers, but they look more like battlements than prisons. They also aren't finished."

Aryia gives a nod, her keeping her back to the large circular wall as she peers around. Her head tilts up, and she squints. "... I can get on the roof if you want, make a distraction deeper within so you guys can get in quickly," the mute suggests, rolling her shoulders as she shivers from being drenched in cold lake waters. <Handspeech>

GAME: Randolf rolls Knowledge/Dungeoneering: (13)+6: 19

The construction of the castle is flimsy, the walls thin, the stone-work shoddy. The castle is rushed.

"If they are keeping her anywhere, It will be somewhere defended. They would not risk them forcing their way out." Seyardu suggests. "Which is to say, we will need to find where in there she is. The main concern is the dragon returning before we are finished, as there is no way that will go well on the open water."

Randolf peers up at the half-built towers, his shaggy red brows drooping over his eyes in a sour scowl. "Och, who's buildin' these things? Drunken squirrels?" he mutters into his beard. He looks over to Aryia. "If yer goin' up that, lassie, then mind yer step. I think a strong breeze might knock 'em down. They're absolute garbage."

It's a bean shaped, square-ish island, with the castle and beach on the inside and forested cliffs behind it.

GAME: Aryia rolls athletics: (17)+15: 32 (vs DC20 Masonry)

There are arrow slits and windows on the towers, but not on the section nearest the ground, they start above ten feet. There is a kobold inside. It might be able to see out arrow slits.

Aryia eyes the wall, tests a few rough handholds and pulls herself up a few feet. She leans off the wall to gesture to those that understood her. "I'm going to find something to collapse up there to get their attention. I'll give it... a minute before I do so if you want to clear any other up."

With a silent huff, she clambers up the wall, jumping a few handholds before pulling herself onto the roof, vanishing over the edge. <Handspeech>

Jinks nods at Aryia's suggestion as he scans the western side of the castle. "We'll see what happens. I can manage an arcane servant as a distraction if needed." The gnome considers Roland and makes a few gestures, "Do you understand?" Regardless, he'll wave and start heading south towards the break in the wall, keeping close to the shoddy construction and-- hopefully-- out of the sentries' line of sight. He takes hold of his bow along the way and stops near the smaller tower, peering around and waiting for Aryia's move. <handspeech>

GAME: Aryia rolls stealth: (12)+17: 29
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (16)+5: 21
GAME: Randolf rolls Stealth: (13)+1: 14
GAME: Jinks rolls Stealth: (9)+12: 21
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (7)+5: 12 (Kobold Perception)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (4)+5: 9 (Kobold Perception)

"Then we should get closer, while we can. The overcast sky will likely not hinder the kobolds too much." Seyardu offers as she looks to the building and moves up a bit closer. "If you are going to do that, I do not know if we should attempt to do so before or after the distraction." <Handspeech>

The kobolds are oblivious. Occasionally they look up at the sky, or out at the water, and there is some back and forth hissing. Overall, they seem intent on their tasks and go about them slowly.

It's possible to sneak very close. Even Aryia's light footsteps on the roof go unnoticed.

Randolf hunkers close to the ground and starts pad-footing forward. And for once in his life, he doesn't bark his shins, or tread on dry grass, or snap any twigs. The burly dwarf actually manages to evade notice. As he goes, he quietly reaches into his hip satchel for a scroll, his gaze fixated on the kobold in the distance. "Right, laddie, time fer beddie-bye," he mutters quietly. He hunkers down against the shoddy stone wall, deftly unfurling the scroll (without his usual grandiose wrist-snap, as that would be audible) and makes ready to put the kobold under.

Jinks keeps out of sight and awaits Aryia's distraction.

GAME: Randolf used a Scroll of Sleep.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20-1: (17)+-1: 16 (vs DC 17)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20-1: (19)+-1: 18 (vs DC 17)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20-1: (7)+-1: 6 (vs DC 17)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20-1: (1)+-1: 0 (EPIC FAIL) (vs DC 17)

There are a bunch of kobolds moving about the castle. Some inside, some outside. Occasionally a door opens and one crosses the courtyard. A few are out on the beach, gathering sand and rocks. Another heads over to the forest, chops some wood and brings back a few logs.

GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 2d6+3: (9)+3: 12

Aryia pulls herself up, her squinting at look at the courtyard. She sighs. Great, slight change of plans. Looking up to the tower, she clambers up that and rolls onto that roof, running over to the north eastern side. Prepping her fist, she shakes it off and punches part of the stonework, making some debris crack off and fall into the corner. Guess all that time spend punching brick walls is going to pay off...

The dwarf and the gnome are able to move up to edge of the smaller tower. The scroll is used. Three kobolds immediately drop in their tracks, falling to the sand and snoozing.

The hammering on rock continues for a few more moments. The kobold workers stop, look around, then at each other, then at the three snoozing on the ground. Their little heads whip around to aim at Randolf, he's the most visible. Both of them make trilling chirps of alarm, drop their tools and run.

Inside the courtyard, a kobold is heading towards the northern doors. It stops, staring up at the sky. A sudden cascade of rocks nearby makes it hiss in surprise as well. Immediately it darts through the door, closing it.

A shadow glides across the sands as something flies overhead.

Well, it seemed the distraction was going off, and the kobolds were alerted to where they were. Seyardu ran up to where the others were, and she sees a shadow on the ground, just barely.

"We need to go, now!" She shouts to the others, pulling at her holy symbol and summoning divine energy to infuse the group, in case it decided to attack.

It wasn't the most mastercrafted plan but Jinks expected it to last at least until the first bit of it began. But then the kobolds are scrambling and raising the alarm before the rubble tumbles from the roof. He stands, holding the bow at his side as he strolls past Randolf and into the ramshackle keep. He cranes his head, looking around.

GAME: Jinks rolls Perception: (11)+7: 18
GAME: Jinks rolls Perform/Sing: (7)+18: 25
GAME: Randolf rolls Perception: (11)+6: 17
GAME: Aryia rolls perception: (5)+23: 28
GAME: Aryia rolls sense motive: (6)+16: 22
GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (12)+5: 17

Inside, Kobolds are shouting.

Aryia SWEAT.

"We need to get inside," Jinks warns as the shadow of the dragon comes closer.

It is the dragon.

A large, green dragon, high in the sky. Circling lower with its attention fixed below. It makes another pass, heading northwards and lower, angling towards the cliffs behind the castle.

It's going to strafe the castle with fire.

Randolf's elation that his spell was able to take out a good number of the kobolds is cut short by Sey's cry of warning. He looks up, and his eyes get wide as teacups. "Oh, piss up my -arse-," he squeaks. For a moment, he's frozen--the only other dragon he's met was small and cute. This dragon is neither of those. At Jinks' warning, he decides the gnome is a genius. He turns and starts trundling after, his robe streaming behind him, pumping his fists as he runs as fast as his tubby stride can carry him.

GAME: Randolf rolls Bluff: (15)+0: 15
GAME: Jinks rolls Perform/Sing: (18)+18: 36
GAME: Aryia rolls acrobatics: (9)+17: 26

Aryia rolls her shoulders, ready for another-

Trilling warnings. She looks over the roof, then spots a shadow in the air. Her heart drops to her gut.

Seeing that Randolf and Jinks went for cover, the mute dashes over the edge of the tower and lands on her feet in the sand, taking the fall like a champ. She whistles loudly at Seyardu and Nanjusha. Rapid, fearful gestures follow after. "GET THE FUCK IN THE WATER THE DRAGON IS GOING TO BLAST THE PLACE!" Following her own advice, the pugilist sprints off into the water and dives under. <Handspeech>

There are faint sounds of commotion behind the doors, and frantic hissing.

At the eastern doors, Jinks guesses the secret password. Turns out it's frantic knocking at a kobold's height. The door is pulled open, and one of the little lizards stares wild eyed at the gnome. It backs up, running down the spiral staircase, leaving the door swinging and enough room for the dwarf to enter also.

Seyardu was not going to waste any time when Aryia jumps down off of the building and dives into the water. Nanjusha was there as well, and so she turns and sprints for the water, diving in and under the surface with ease.

Aryia quietly watches surface of the water as she sinks, thinking how she is going to have to explain this to Venom later...

GAME: Jinks casts Dancing Lights. Caster Level: 7 DC: 15
<OOC> Randolf says, "Is kobold sized too small for Randolf's tubby ass?"
<OOC> Jinks says, "You giddu squeeze."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Think thin thoughts."

Jinks can already hear the roaring belch of flames at his back, quickly getting closer even as the kobold 'sentry' scampers down the steps. He hums into his fist and looses the five pastel lights to twirl in a tight orbit above and behind his head. A handsome, multi-hued halo. A flinch jerks him involuntarily when the roar gets closest and then he, too, makes his way quickly down the stairs.

Outside, the courtyard erupts in flame. The roar of fire as the dragon passes overhead, straffing a wide patch of fire that engulfs the large tower, clips the smaller tower and covers the partially finished south walls in soot.

The sand melts into small globules of glass.

The sleeping kobolds are on the edge of the conflagration and barely escape becoming consumed.

Aryia resurfaces to check what da dragon doin.

Circling. Coming in for another pass.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+17: (2)+17: 19 (Dragon Perception)
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "+2 for cover from water, and also +3 for distance"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 8d6: (26): 26

Randolf doesn't hesitate, he bulls his way through the door and into the relative safety of the castle's interior. Immediately, he's turning himself into profile, grunting and wiggling as he shuffles awkwardly from foot to foot, working his way down the small passage. "Piss an' blood an' flamin' -shit-, who taught these sheepfuckers how tae build?!"

GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (7)+14: 21
GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 2d6+3: (6)+3: 9
GAME: Aryia rolls strength: (15)+3: 18 (vs DC17 STR check)
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "that's half it's usual break DC for it having half damage, and hole broken through"

Aryia resurfaces, gasping a bit for air as she looks around, spying the dragon flying around. A quick glance over the walls makes her realize...

She briskly swims back to shore and flies over to the conflagrated wall. Without slowing down, she pulls a fist back, grits her teeth, and slams it into the weakened stone.

To her surprise, the wall crumbled.

Trying to keep her breathing under control, she gestures back to the waters, "Come come come!" <Handspeech>

"Ahh! Run!"

"They come!"

"What's going on?"

"Flee! Dragon!"

There is hissing like a gas leak, down a bunch of twisty corridors, all like. A couple have doors, kobold sized doors. They and the walls are not forgiving to the dwarf's solid stature. Not at all, it's a tight squeeze. Very tight.

As the gnome turns a corridor, he discovers a slightly larger room with a bunch more kobolds. One of them he recognizes as a worker from outside, who seems to have switched classes by taking off its apron and putting on a helmet. It hisses threateningly. <draconic>

Nanjusha dove into the water at Aryia's behest. As the sands light up behind her, she is grateful for the warning. The command to join her at the destroyed wall is seen, and she does her best.

Water isn't her favoured terrain, and she dove a little too far. She makes it up the beach but is still exposed.

<OOC> Jinks says, "gonna bluff them with a 'how do you do ,fellow kobolds?' and use my hat."
GAME: Jinks rolls Perform/Sing: (9)+18: 27

Jinks was expecting some manner of confrontation like this but had hoped it would be a bit further down the corridor. He bobs his head at the assembled lizards and lifts a hand, slowly, towards his mouth. He uses a tooth to pull a ring off, concentrating on his headband at the same moment. The gnome's form shimmers once more, his face becoming a scalled snout, his clothing becoming simpler leathers in the prevalent style. His bow a simple wooden affair. "Witch Queen gave magic so we could trap stupid long-legs for dragon. Heh heh heh," he wheeze-gurgles a laugh and puts away the not-magical-at-all ring. "They thought they sooooooo sneaky. Then fwooooosh. Heh heh."

The gnombold tosses a taloned finger back at Randolf's struggling form. "Magic stuck. Looks like smelly-dumby dwarfman." <draconic>

Jinks reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally hopes this goes better than last time. If they offer any snacks he's telling them he's on a diet.

Seyardu pops her head up and out of the water as the noise dies down for a moment. Just in time to catch Aryia gesturing-

And knocking down a wall. There is no time to dry off as she is sprinting for the cover, gesturing Aryia inside and bracing near the door.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay. Dragon hovers, roars. There's a DC17 will save vs Frightening Presence, so Aryia and... NPC roll"
GAME: Aryia rolls will+1: (8)+8+1: 17
<OOC> Jinks says, "It roars in the bass clef but makes you trebble with fear."
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+7+1: (1)+7+1: 9 (EPIC FAIL) (Nanjusha Will)

The dragon circles.

It's a clumsy flier. It doesn't have to worry about grace and elegance. It has power. It...

>>>ROAAAARRRRSSS<<<

The sound of its challenge echoes off the cliff face, causes the walls of the castle to tremble and leak mortar, (it wasn't set, and hadn't set). The sound is carried across the lake to ruffle the leaves on the other side. As the sounds die down, it is replaced by the heavy, leather flapping of its wings.

"Oh no. Oh hell no. No. No. No." Nanjusha is gripped by a sudden terror, the sound bringing back her torture, the darkness and cold, and fear of scaled things climbing out of the depths to clutch at her.

The ranger panics, and rather run into the melted sand, turns and bolts back into the water and dives deep.

Aryia freezes as she hears the roar. Very suddenly, she became acutely aware of the danger she was in. She shares a look with Nanjusha, glowing eyes widening in their sockets. And uncertainty gripped her heart.

Almost.

If it wasn't for a simple blessing from Seyardu, her mind wouldn't have reminded her of hearth and home. Of simple moments. Of Violet.

"No..." she softly, softly whispers to herself, and swallows the building fear. <Celestial>

GAME: Randolf rolls Bluff: (16)+0: 16
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20-1: (6)+-1: 5 (Kobold's Sense Motive)

After the staircase, it's twisty passages, sized for kobolds. The dwarf wonders, what might indicate where the prisoner is being held? He has an instinct for mining, stonecunning, because he's a dwarf. While the kobolds know how to dig a hole, the dwarf feels embarrassed on their behalf. So much the little blighters don't know. Everywhere he looks, just horrible, shoddy work.

And a depressing realization where the prisoner might be. There's a little tiny hole a kobold would have trouble squeezing through, because it's been partially lined with bricks. it's also at knee level and sloping down. Shove a prisoner down a hole she could barely get through, maybe with some extra pushing, then brick it up after.

It's too horrible, it must be true.

Randolf is, for a moment, dumbstruck as Jinks 'reveals' himself to the kobolds. An expression that turns into a dark scowl and a quiet 'harrumph!' as he's called smelly -and- dumby. But he forces a grin to his face, and he nods his head eagerly. Fortunately, he speaks fluent Draconic, and he switches to that mode of speech. "Yes, yes, we so clever! We come make sure kobold-friends is safes!" With a grunt, he starts shuffling his way back the way they came. "Big dragon need more talls to flame. I gets!" And wonder of wonders, the kobolds -buy- his bullshit. Nodding and grinning, he wiggles his way back to where he saw the shoddy brickwork, hands feeling along unerringly to find the gap. Once there, he hunkers down as best he can to peer into the gloom beyond. "Psst! Oy! I'm wi' Nanjusha! We're here tae get ye out o' here!" he whispers. Carefully, he works on pulling the bricks out of place, widening the opening so the captive within can escape.

Aryia watches their guide vanish off into the waters. "F-ck.." she hisses, getting her beating heart under control. She glances up, then strides into the tower with Seyardu. She gets up really close to her, so the cleric could see the gestures. "It's going to blast the castle again. I saw some doors over there," she gestures off towards the courtyard, her hand shaking some with how much adrenaline was coursing through her. "The others went that way-" she points off towards the stairs. "We can run after them once it passes again." <Handspeech>

The kobolds visibly relax when Jinks-bold gives his explanation, going from desperately gripping spears to anxiously gripping spears. Several heads lean, looking past him.

"You are in charge?"

"What is the plan?"

"Oh him too?"

"Nice leathers."

"Why the attack? Today is building?"

They all seem to be crowding as far away from the entrance as possible. There are soot lines on the wall. It seems there's a limit to how far the dragon's breath can make it down here. Jinks is still on the wrong side of the line.

As is Randolf.

The Kobolds cower, hissing, "What do?" <draconic>

One kobold takes a chance, dashes from the small tower towards the eastern door opposite.

Seyardu shudders as the roar of the dragon seems to shake the stone she was bracing against, and Aryia was nearly shaken with it. "It will be alright, Aryia." She signs back, while watching the door in front of them. "I may not be able to get in there, maybe you can. We may need to find another exit with the dragon out though, or try swimming." <Handspeech>

GAME: Jinks rolls Perform/Sing: (6)+18: 24

Crouching, Jinks turns to stare at the milling group with one eye and snout raised. Blink, blink. "This is why this one is in charge. Day off! Biggest one is busy making crispy-crunchy meddlerbites. Can't build in fire." He stands and shoos the assembly away. "Rest day today. Work double-hard tomorrow. Better get good sleepies when sleepies are to be got. Go now home."

Up stands the illusion-wrapped gnome, loping a short distance after the scurrying lot. He watches the kobolds go down the opposite tunnel for as far as the spell's light carries. Thankfully they didn't bother to ask why he had a light along with him. <draconic> The dragon dives, preparing to strafe and set the courtyard alight again.

The roaring flame doesn't come. There is a heavy thump as it lands on the smaller tower, and the sounds of dislodged bricks falling and landing on the sand. Silence, except for the scrabbling of claws.

A loud bellowing, "Sister! The castle is not finished! You promised undead. You promised a princess!" Another breath, the beast sounds angry, challenging, "Stop hiding and fight!" <draconic>

The prisoner's tunnel is long, and twisting, and while the bricks easily come free, it was lined for some distance. Echoing up from the darkness, distorted by the stone surfaces, the dwarf can hear a response. A feminine one, sounding elfin, but her words are too obscure.

GAME: Randolf rolls Escape Artist: (11)+1: 12 (vs DC 30)

Randolf sits back, discouraged by the tiny hole and how far it goes, "Yeah I got nothing."

Seyardu looks back, listening through the door, though it was not particularly necessary. "Dragon is speaking. Seems angered that the castle is not finished, and that there is no army of undead, or a princess for them. How this factors into the queen's plans, I do not know." She signs back. <Handspeech>

GAME: Aryia spends ONE point of KI POOL.

Aryia requests a translation, two 'ok' hands flicking against each other as her eyes are wide. She blinks, then furrows her brows. "F.... f-ck..." she softly hisses to herself. There's a moment where she rolls her shoulders, then cracks her neck. Hard. "Are we... we going to have to fight this thing...?" she wonders between them, her breath shaky. <Handspeech>

"Yes boss," "Okay, boss." The kobolds are very happy to receive orders they want to obey. Helmets are removed, they switch from being soldiers to regular kobolds. There's a small splash at the back of the room.

There's a tiny hole, one a confident kobold could wriggle through, to go headfirst down into watery darkness to an eventual exit. One by one they squirm in.

The last one to go claps Jinks-bold on the shoulder. It gives him a funny look. It would have felt clothes, not scales.

Above, the dragon roars. Exactly what it is saying is obscured although the undercurrent of the message gets through. A much bigger lizard is pissed about something and wants to make someone pay.

The kobold nods, "good thing none find their way here. Luck!" <draconic>

GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/nature: Trained Use Only: 0
GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: Trained Use Only: 0
GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (6)+5: 11
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "well it's a green dragon"
GAME: Seyardu rolls knowledge/arcana: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL)
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "the dice really don't want you to know"

Jinks watches the last of the kobolds go into the pool and then shuffles back the way he came, glancing this way and that before finding a rump-of-Khazad sticking out of a tiny hole. There's a joke here. Coyote laughs. "Cleared out the kobolds," he says at Randolf's back. "That looks like it's gonna take... too long. And the dragons flames can reach down here if he gets bored. I think we need to figure something else out."

Then the gnombold is scampering back up the stairwell, doing his best to stay quiet as he nears the top. He eases open the door and peeks into the courtyard beyond.

Seyardu turns to the mul'niessa, and she squints. "Aryia. It will be fine. If we have to fight it, so be it, but there is likely another option. If it can not go through tunnels then we use that against it. Kobold lairs always have exits." She signs back, before reaching for her holy symbol. The Silver sith-makar glows for a moment before wings sprout instantly from its back. "Green dragon. If it gets our attention, I will draw it to me, this magic should let anything it breathes hurt a lot less."

There's the sounds of heavy movement, a flap of wings. The dragon alights on the ground beside a sleeping kobold. It picks it up, shakes it awake.

Kobolds love dragons, so the stereotype goes. Few like being roughly roused to stare into a fetid maw that is shouting, "Explain!" Even if it is a dragon's. When they don't know the dragon in question and their last waking thought was 'should I add more mortar', it's absolutely terrifying.

There is a high-pitched, kobold scream of terror.

Followed by a >plop<, as the dragon throws it in the lake. Followed by some burbling, and small splashing sounds of it swimming away. <draconic>

GAME: Jinks rolls Stealth: (12)+12: 24
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "but first! let me roll a perception... you get +2 for distance and +4 for door"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+17: (13)+17: 30 (Dragon Perception, vs DC 30)

It is technically a dragon but also an aberration. It is a vouivre. Also, since vouivre eggs often hatch twins, and it said 'sister' it is very likely the twin sister of the one you all killed. It looks a lot like the front half, lower dragon half the swiftclaw turned into. The lack of a humanoid body, having a tail, back legs, must be some sort of illusion. The sand doesn't behave quite right. There are no footprints under the back legs.

The doorway on the eastern wall cracks open, revealing the mesocephalic, scaled snout of a kobold. There's a shift and one glassy-black eye peers through looking for signs of the dragon. The eye blinks and turns glassy...

Another eye appears in the doorway, blue-grey and reptilian. The second kobold wears armored plated in dragon's scales; a dull brass. He balances a lance on its point, a great (for a kobold) tower shield strapped to his back. Sibilant whispers pass from one kobold to the other before the knight is gone.

The door >creeaaaaaks< as Jinks-bold pushes it open to take a look at the dragon.

The dragon's head immediately snaps in his direction. In its fore-talons, it holds another kobold that has come out of sleep and gone into shock. <draconic>

The dragon roars again, "Explain!" <draconic>

<OOC> Jinks says, "Do I need a sphincter integrity save?"
GAME: Jinks rolls Will: (6)+5: 11 (vs DC 17), (+1 for prayer)
<OOC> Jinks says, "You mind if I snake that reroll, Cryo?"
GAME: Jinks rolls Will: (8)+5: 13
<OOC> Jinks says, "Cower it is!"

Randolf is still trying to figure out how to get the prisoner out of there. He ponders whether an unseen servant would help. It might, it might... It could carry away bricks that are removed. Getting the prisoner out will involved time and mining.

The gnombold chokes out a 'gak!' and jumps away from the door. There's a moment where it's left a jar and abandoned and then slowly-- oh so slowly-- the kobold shuffles out from behind the door clutching its shoddy wooden bow like some kind of warding staff. His head jerks this way and that, trying to find some sign of the others.

"Stinky-dumb dwarf put workers to sleep. Ran away. Workers ran away from fire... that way..." <draconic>

Jinks turns, and raises to gesture towards the door he just left and point where the workers fled. His hands tremble on the way to point, "Not dragon. Like knight." <handspeech>

Aryia is trembling against the wall, her gulping. Her eyes go to Seyardu's wings, then back to the hole she made. She bites her lip, then pulls away from the wall to slip towards the hole in the wall. "It's still out there. Waiting. We... we might need to do something. Otherwise it's just going to stay here and wait us out..." <Handspeech>

Randolf gives a frustrated grunt. He's hauled several bricks out of the tunnel, but there's so much more to be done. He looks back towards the spiral staircase, the dragon's bellowing turning his face pale. Cold sweat springs up on his brow. "Just hang tight, lassie," he calls quietly down the tunnel. "We're goin' tae get ye out o' there. Just as soon as we take out the rubbish." He pulls his wand, fingers white-knuckled around it as he shuffles his way up the stairs. "Och, I'm goin' tae -die-," he mutters quietly as he ascends the stairs.

The dragon drops the kobold it was holding, which immediately flees and jumps in the water. The greater lizard turns its attention towards the gnomebold that has stepped out into view, onto the sand, where it could be turned into a pile of ashes and glass with just a forceful exhale.

It stares, breathing, its sides like bellows as it sucks air in, then lets it out. Something rots inside it. The answer is contemplated, questions are thrown.

"You're mine? My sister thinks this is done? Why call when it's not ready?" Much like the castle walls, this picture has a few pieces missing. <draconic>

Seyardu peeks through the door, but seeing the creature in the main area, it seems it has no intent to leave just yet. And it was flinging around the kobolds that were unlucky enough to be left. The cleric sighs, and pulls her polearm from her bag.

"If things go south here, I will go out first and draw it's attention. If it is like it's sister, we should be able to handle I think. At least drive it off. It speaks of being called here, but that does not make sense. Since they are slain and they were called here anyways." She signs back.

Jinks shrinks back away from the creature, holding up the bow protectively and crouching down closer to the ground. He stutters over the draconic, the words gibbering away into a panicked choking sound and a sob. Finally something clicks and a talon points towards the double-doors to his right, just north of where he stands.

"Black Rose knight take girly thing there. Say it happy day. Many good times. No-eat-Kobolds Day!" <draconic>

<OOC> Ashes says, "it's going to pick you up, do you let it?"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+25: (10)+25: 35
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+18: (4)+18: 22 (vs DC14)
GAME: Jinks rolls Will: (3)+5: 8 (vs Something much higher)

Randolf peeks out the door, "We are -not- equipped to deal with this."

The dragon stares at the gnome-bold. Its expression is hard to read, though a low rumble of displeasure suggests it does not like the answer. Or, doesn't understand it. Finally with a hiss, it looks towards the larger doors, then back. "You speak terribly. I eat kobolds if I want, little sister cannot say other wise." 'Little', is emphasized. The beast's nostrils flare, it fixes Jinks with another stare.

"Princess in Tower. Completed castle. Trained troops. Mine, living, hers, undead." It picks Jinks up, turning him around, feeling clothing sliding under her talons, and not scales. "Where is your... what are you? A goblin?" <draconic>

That's an illusion shattered.

<OOC> Ashes says, "sense motive DC20"
GAME: Jinks rolls Perform/Sing: (14)+18: 32

It's confused'. This is not always a good thing. Powerful entities don't like feeling dumb or out of control. It came expecting a fight, but not the fight it found.

Aryia is STARING at Seyardu, her ceasing her movement towards the hole in the wall as she joins back up with the silverscale. "Tell me when, and I'll go with you. We can do this." <Handspeech>

Jinks has the alarming revelation that he might just die pissing himself, confused for a goblin. Now there's a joke. He blinks, trembling in the reptilian grasp (this is becoming a habit) and tries to come up with something. Time to grasp at straws!

"No princess in your tower. No sister, either. Sounds like she picked a fight with the wrong adventurers. One kobold was saying she expelled an egg when she fell?" He cants his head towards the forest road where the battle took place. "Maybe you can stiill find her that way? Catch up with the people who ran her through?"

Seyardu says, "Well, I really don't want to go outside after Jinks said that. She's sticking in the tower.

GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+20: (16)+20: 36
GAME: Randolf casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15

Randolf hunkers within the door frame, peering out at the dragon holding his comrade. He's grown fond of Jinks' company over the time they've known each other. And though he's gripped by mortal fear, he's not about to let his buddy go without a fight. He flicks his wand through a pattern, muttering the command phrase into his beard. "Re ex re su scutus!" His Mage Armor sphere whirls around him, locking into place before vanishing. Sucking a deep breath, he lets it out with a sigh. "Reos, raise Yer hammer an' defend us," he growls. He's as ready as he'll ever be.

Seyardu winces when Jinks starts speaking of what just happened. The hand on her polearm tightens just a bit. "Jinks found out. We need to move in now." She signs hastily, moving to push open the door.

"What." The dragon says, staring at Jinks. A second voice comes out of nowhere, it sounds very similar, reptilian and female. "Her egg? We have to have that! Go get it Yaree."

"Fine." The dragon exhales, sounding almost like a sigh, "Adventurers. Stupid, weak sister. Show me."

Without any further discussion or ado, the dragon launches up into the air and turns towards the area the gnome indicated. The general area; he can explain where when they get closer.

<OOC> Seyardu says, "immediate action liberating command"
<OOC> Ashes says, "okay, roll EA jinks, vs CMD 32"
GAME: Jinks rolls Escape Artist+18: (18)+7+18: 43
GAME: Ashes rolls 4d6: (19): 19
GAME: Falling damaged Jinks for 19 points. 27 HP remaining.

The dragon continues to lumber into the air, banking through the broken part of the castle walls, wings sweeping the sand grains to either side as it gets higher, and higher.

Until the gnome wriggles out of its hand, and falls, making a thump on the ground.

<OOC> Aryia says, "welp, I guess we punching this dragon"
<OOC> Aryia says, "five foot step into door way"
<OOC> Aryia says, "dimensional agility to dragon, stunning fist and pray to something"
GAME: Aryia spends ONE point of KI POOL.
GAME: Aryia spends ONE point of KI POOL.
GAME: Aryia spends ONE use of STUNNING FIST.
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (3)+14: 17
<OOC> Aryia says, "using reroll"
GAME: Aryia rolls weapon0: (18)+14: 32
GAME: Aryia rolls damage0: aliased to 2d6+3: (5)+3: 8
GAME: Falling damaged Aryia for 4 points. 79 HP remaining.
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+9: (15)+9: 24 (vs DC 18)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+6: (17)+6: 23 (Dragon Fly after damage, vs DC 10)

Aryia steels herself, steps into the door way, and looks up to the sky. Seeing Jinks fall gave her some relief that he would be okay for a moment. But that dragon would just end up doing the same thing it did before.

The mute crouches down, tenses, then blasts off. Traveling across the courtyard in a burst of speed. Faded after images show her path. Leaping up to the wall. Flipping off of it.

And she appears right above its tail, dropping a hammer fist down onto the lower part of its spine. She falls, then lands on her feet, eyes wide and fists raised. Holy shit her hands hurt, those scales were tough!

"Jinks! We're going to have to kill this fucking thing!" <Handpeech>

<OOC> Randolf says, "Let's open up with the big guns. Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt!"
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+11: (16)+11: 27 (vs DC 17)
GAME: Randolf rolls 5d6: (20): 20
GAME: Randolf casts Lightning Bolt. Caster Level: 5 DC: 17
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13 (Dragon Fly after damage, vs DC 10)

Randolf's eyes get wide as the dragon starts to fly off with Jinks in tow. "Oh -shit-!" He steps out of hiding, lifting his wand--and then the gnome is free! Free falling! With a snarl, the dwarf snaps his wand through a pattern. "RE EX RE INCARDO LEVINTAS! HAH!" He snaps his wand out at the dragon as it soars over the crumbling walls. ZRRRRAPTT! A bolt of lightning arcs from his wand to slam into the beast! "OY! GO PICK ON SOMEONE YER OWN SIZE, YE OVERGROWN LIZARD!" he roars up at the beast.

<OOC> Jinks says, "Inspire as a move, Mirror Image as a Standard, writhe around like a bruised fish for free."
GAME: Jinks casts Mirror Image. Caster Level: 7 DC: 18
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d4+2: (1)+2: 3
GAME: Jinks spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE.

Jinks' eyes bulge when he finally manages to slip from the creature's grip. He reaches out for something to grab onto but finds nothing before the beach. The sand kicks up around the gnome and he bounces, air exploding from his lungs in a cough.

The gnome half-rolls and lifts his arms only to have them fall back to the ground. He tries to sit up and just gives a twitch. His diaphragm stops spasming long enough to suck in a great gasp of air and he finally kicks over onto his hands and knees. A viscous trail of blood dangles down from his eyebrow into the sand near his hand. Fingers dig into terra firm and he finds the words again.

Jinks falls to his side curling up into a foetal position.

Jinks stays gasping for air.

Jinks sits up, leaning back with his heels against his rump and begins to sing. The Hymn pushes to the forefront of reality's tapestry as a palpable thing. The songs of heroes drape across your shoulders.

"Hear the stars

Speaking in a metaphor.

Oh, as above.. so below..."

<OOC> Seyardu says, "moving to 16,12, and casting blessing of fervor"

Seyardu was hoping the dragon would leave Jinks when it went off to investigate at the very least, but that was not happening. "Cease" She shouts, and somehow, the magic allows the gnome to slip right out of the dragon's claws.

Perhaps she was just used to Aryia, as that fall seemed to hurt a lot more than usual. And the monk in question was already gone and so she runs out into the castle grounds as well. Her holy symbol is brandished, and the group is filled with divine alacrity that was increasingly familiar to some.

GAME: Aryia rolls will: (17)+8: 25 (vs DC 19)
GAME: Seyardu rolls will +2: (15)+10+2: 27
GAME: Randolf rolls Will: (16)+5: 21
GAME: Jinks rolls Will: (17)+5-2: 20 (-2 Shaken)

The dragon keeps flying, slowly climbing and turning towards the lake. It gets a bit of altitude. The strange voice is heard again, singing a counter-song to Jinks. One of blood, betrayal, vengeance and violence. A song of conflict, of discord.

Briefly, everyone is an enemy, foes are all one sees, but the fog of violence clears before anything tragic happens.

<OOC> Aryia ponders. "Can I run over to Jinks and use my Standard to stand him up?"
<OOC> Aryia ponders. "Im taking attack/ac/reflex bonus from BoF at start of turn. Moving to 16,16"

Aryia clutches at her head as she staggers about, her breath catching as rage bubbles forth. But it was wrong. False. This wasn't her. She was focused. Scared.

Finding herself, she slides over to Jinks and grabs him by the arm, and yanks him to his feet. "Come on, we're still in this!" she motion quickly, trying to be encouraging as she can as she looks over her shoulder at the dragon. <Handspeech>

<OOC> Randolf says, "Gonna trundle over to 16,13 so I can get line of sight on the thing and hit it with another Lightning Bolt."
<OOC> Randolf says, "Using my Arcane Bond to re-cast."
GAME: Randolf rolls 5d6: (17): 17
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+11: (1)+11: 12 (EPIC FAIL) (Dragon Reflex)

Randolf's eyes widen as that profane song scratches at the surface of his mind. He squinches his eyes shut, whiskers twisting as he grits his teeth. "No... -no-!" Shaking his head to shake off the bane influence, he trundles out from the protection of the castle walls, such as it is. "YER WORM FOOD, YE SCALY GREEN -BITCH-! RE EX RE INCARDO LEVINTAS!" He roars his fury and defiance, snapping his wand up to fire another lightning bolt at the dragon. ZRRAPPTT! He pumps his fist in the air as the lightning bolt strikes. "YE WANT TAE KEEP GOIN'?! EH? -EH-?! -BRING IT-!!"

<OOC> Jinks says, "Alright. I'll take the attack/AC bump as well, cast glitterdust at the critter (long shot, I know)"
<OOC> Jinks says, "then move 20' to try and spread out to avoid the inevitable breath."
GAME: Jinks spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE.
GAME: Jinks casts Glitterdust. Caster Level: 7 DC: 17
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+14: (2)+14: 16 (Dragon will vs DC 17)
<OOC> Jinks says, "So glittery for 7rds, blinded for 7rds but another save at the end of each turn."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Keep singing as a freebie"

Jinks is hard to get ahold of. There are three of him writhing around. Aryia eventually sweeps her hands through to grab ahold of something and help the gnome to his feet. He's dazed but conscious and uses the tallman to steady himself.

"Look at the man," he sings.

"Searching for a semaphore

"To feed into his mind..."

The gnome finds his feet in Seyardu's blessing. He ignores the blood streaming into his eye and staggers towards the corner of the wall near the smaller tower. He props his back against it and selects a pinch of powder from a pouch. Powerful stuff. He flicks it towards the dragon and the glittering mica spirals through the air before exploding like a brilliant pink firework.

Jinks seems stunned. At least, one of him does. The other two clap hands high in the air in excited success. All bleed into their goatees.

<OOC> Seyardu says, "moving to 16, 15, 15 feet up, using channel energy to heal"
GAME: Seyardu rolls 5d6: (14): 14
GAME: You damaged Seyardu for -14 points. 85 HP remaining.
GAME: You damaged Aryia for -14 points. 84 HP remaining.
      1 nonlethal damage healed. 0 nonlethal total.
GAME: You damaged Jinks for -14 points. 41 HP remaining.
GAME: You damaged Randolf for -14 points. 40 HP remaining.

Seyardu takes a running start and outstretches the temporary wings, stirring up dust on the ground from the stonework as she lifts off over Randolf and Jinks. She brandishes her holy symbol, radiating healing energy over the small group. "You will be fine." She states simply, brandishing the polearm in both hands afterwards as she tracks the dragon in flight.

<OOC> Jinks says, "The dragon commits sudoku in shame for failing the save."
<OOC> Aryia says, "everyone cheers"

"Adventurers!" The dragon swears, "I'd eat you if you weren't so ugly."

It's true, not a fair maiden in sight. Even the Sith'Makar has something rotten with her scales.

There's an explosion nearby in the air, anti-dragon-glitter-fireworks, and it strikes the snout. That strange voice comes out of nowhere again. "Oh Yaree, we're beautiful, we're golden!"

"I'm blind." The dragon says, the now glittering, half-gold dragon. It's back half remains emerald scaled, despite the direct hit. "Oh wait, I'm blind too now."

"ADVENTURERS!" The dragon swears again, turning and firing a cone of fire to its rear, to no effect as it goes into a dive.

"Wheeeeeeeeee! I hope we're heading for water!" The odd voice laughs. The dragon growls, "Say Goodnight Retzi."

"Goodnight Retzi!"

>>Bloop<<

GAME: Jinks rolls Perform/Sing: (6)+18: 24 (vs DC20) (Sense Motive)
GAME: Seyardu rolls sense motive: (7)+8: 15
GAME: Aryia rolls sense motive: (3)+16: 19
GAME: Randolf rolls Sense Motive: (19)+3: 22
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+14: (18)+14: 32 (Dragon Will)

It's either going to pop out in a minute from somewhere on the other side of the island and sneak attack you all, or go look for it's sister's egg.

"It's of two minds," Jinks says, the song falling away, "... moreso than seems usual even for that queer beast." Three of him push away from the wall and fall into step with one another. Their paths cross, merge, and diverge as he goes. He moves in triplicate. "It may leave us or attack from a surprise location. Our time may be better spent trying to free the girl... Randolf found her cell."

Also, it doesn't like the dwarf.

Randolf can only... stare... as the dragon is glittered. And just abandons the fight, turning to dive into the water. "Whuhhh..." He lowers his wand, blinking owlishly at where the dragon hit the drink. He lifts his other hand to rub the back of his head. "Hunh. So -that- just happened." He glances around, brows furrowing warily. "Unless it's meanin' tae double back an' pounce us from behind." He looks back over to his comrades, trundling over to join them. "Aye, she's still alive, but... she's tucked away pretty deep. Those bastards walled 'er up an' -left- 'er there!" He points with his wand towards the door. "We're goin' tae need some diggin' gear tae get 'er out. An' sooner would be better. Poor lass, she must be terrified."

Aryia shudders as she sees the dragon dive into the waters, it blasting off fire in the wrong direction. Too worried about it coming back for that strange bit of exchange she heard, she nods at Jinks, turning back to the group. "Holy fuck... that... that was a..."

She has a stupid grin on her face for a moment. "... I ... punched a dragon!"

Getting over that, she nods briskly, cracking her knuckles. "Let's get her out then, I can try and take a crack at it." <Handspeech>

The door to the smaller tower squeaks open, and a scaled snout looks out. Spotting Randolf nearby, the door slowly closes again.

The other kobolds, knocked out by sneak attack or spell, slowly come to, staring up at the grey sky. One, north of the large tower, remains sprawled on the rocks and contemplates existence. The other, on the beach, opens its eyes and sees a trail of Jinkses and a mul'niessa. It closes its eyes again, pretending it never roused.

GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+8: (9)+8: 17
GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d3: (2): 2 (3 is the real Jinks.)

Seyardu sighs, and the wings fail to catch the wind after some frantic movements, drops to the ground like a rock. "We do not have time to linger, this may be our only chance to get her out of there. Can you show me where the wall is? I can break through it with a bit of time, before this magic wears of."

"Yes, you did punch a dragon. Or something dragon like based upon what jinks said.

The cleric looks to the gnome and question, and brings a hand to swing at the back of their head in a slap.

Which phases harmlessly through one of the several Jinkses. Seyardu sighs again. "And speaking of which, you should have a bit more faith in us not leaving you to die. Now others are at risk, and we need to move even more quickly."

Randolf gestures briskly, motioning for the others to follow. "This way. I'll warn ye, these tunnels are -damn- narrow. I can barely fit through 'em. But yer a wee bit narrower'n I am, Ariya." He peers up at Seyardu. "I dunno if ye'll be able tae fit, Sey. But... let's see what we can do. But aye, yer nae wrong. We need tae put a wiggle on afore that dozy bint comes back."

A minute ticks by. How to count a minute without a timepiece, by heartbeats, by sweatdrops? When the heart is racing the brow clammy, that would make time pass faster. That is not the sensation of it moving now. It seems to crawl.

Mental calculations abound, how long to circle the island underwater, climb or fly to the top of the cliff, swoop down from stealth, attacking from surprise? Seconds, minutes, any moment passes the various time markers.

So no time is wasted standing around on the beach, but it takes a long while to open up the prison. Long enough for spells to wear off. Long enough for the dragon to swim a few laps of the lake. Long enough for it to start to get dark. The kobolds used a lot of bricks, and while it was shoddy stonemasonry by dwarf standards, breaking it up wasn't easy.

The few remaining kobolds in the area carefully crept off.

Leaving Jinks... as the only person that could easily squeeze into the hole. Size has its priveledges.

One Jinks blinks up at Seyardu.

The other Jinks frowns.

Then they both shake their heads and start off towards the tunnel. "I wasn't exactly working from a script. That vouivre is mad as a hatter two weeks without sleep drinking milk of the Black Dream. I was trying my best not to soil myself."

The floating lights still follow the gnome and light the path down the stairwell towards the kobold-built cask.

"If you want to break down the bricks just let me have a head start, yeah?" He plucks a bit of wax-wrapped butter from his pouch and crushes it in a first, humming a brief, rising trill as he takes on a greasy sheen.

GAME: Jinks casts Grease. Caster Level: 7 DC: 16

Slowly, the prison is unbricked.

It was a natural passage into a small natural cavern. It sloped down, it was necessary to belly crawl and squeeze. With the bricks in place, a small kobold might just manage it, enough to push some food ahead where it would drop down into a wider section. With them removed, it would be possible for a lanky elf to wriggle through.

'Ace' is found where the passage widened and rotated before closing down to a small crack that exited. There was enough space for her to turn around, so she wasn't spending her time head-first and down. Fortunate, as water trickles in through the rocks, and pools at the bottom. If the crack is obstructed too much, the chambre starts to fill. There isn't enough space for her to stand, let alone cast spells. Care had to be taken, lest bones from meals fall down and plug the 'drain'.

A haggard, ghostly face stares back at Jinks as he brings his lights near, and anxious moaning. She's unable to articulate clearly. She reaches for him with desperate hands and a whimpering noise.

Her prison was a combination cold-water shower and toilet, too small to stand or move in, with the claustraphobia of being bricked in, and the unyielding rock in every direction.

The princess was left waiting much too long.

Jinks offers a soft smile and extends his hand. He takes the time to concentrate as the soft glow of the pastel orbs float lazily around him in the tight confines of the corridor. His black eyes shift, growing smaller and taking on a more human shape and their color the grey of Endril's. His hair abandons is shock-white appearance, darkening to look more like Nanjusha's mane of brown and growing longer. Hopefully some familiarity is comforting.

"Ace," the gnome speaks softly, holding out a hand. "I'm Jinks. Your friends thought you might like to come back to Alexandria with us. Coyote apologizes for an undo duration of some pretty shit luck..."

Combatty

First Battle

 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 4 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     20   Jinks            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     18   Dragon           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     11   Randolf          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     9    Aryia            6  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     5    Kobolds          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> 3    Seyardu          1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================

Second Battle

 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
  >> 21   Dragon           1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     18   Aryia            6  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     11   Randolf          1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     9    Jinks            1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     5    Seyardu          1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   Name   |   Race   |   Class   | CHP | HP  | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Aryia     |SHADOW_ELF|Mnk        | 84  | 84  |23/18/22 | 34 | 9  | 12 | 8  |
|Jinks     |GNOME     |Bard       | 41  | 46  |18/15/14 | 18 | 4  | 8  | 5  |
|Randolf   |MOUNTAIN_D|Wiz        | 40  | 40  |11/10/11 | 15 | 5  | 2  | 5  |
|Seyardu   |SITH-MAKAR|Clr        | 85  | 85  |19/19/10 | 18 | 10 | 3  | 10 |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Map
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mlxtfhx8i4k

Things to Cheer Ace up
GAME: Aryia rolls craft/tailor+2: (1)+1+2: 4 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Randolf rolls Craft/Baking: (12)+Craft/Baking: 12

Unused Pose
Animal noises. She makes small, terrified animal noises when she sees him. As Jinks' countenance changes to one with more human lines, familiar eyes, familiar hair, her cries take on different tones. Not a laugh, but sounds of relief, and tears that are not joy, but also not misery.

It's over. It's finally over.

She grasps at his hands, and her touch is so weak the gnome has to be the strength for both of them. She is so thin it is not hard to pull her through. Her eyes remain fixed on her saviour, and with the help from his friends, the (unfinished)