Our journey to the kobold hive sent us into the sewers. Mind you I am 3’5″ and there is nearly 3′ of sewage running under the grates beneath us. We manage to find our way around eventually by keeping track of the markers that had been placed by workers maintaining the sewers. We’re being followed. By what? Could be anything down here, alot of bad business takes place down here. I find I have trouble concentrating from the stench and am practically useless as I try my best to keep from throwing up.
As we get closer to the supposed hive, it becomes apparent that whatever lurks in these particular tunnels has some interest in us. Cherry attempts to set a snare in a place our tailer might pass. An orc emerges. He asks our business and Heddro tells him “I’m here to collect.” The orc seems displeased and draws the attention of two other orcs guarding the entrance to the hive. Brutal, nasty creatures, they are quite tough, but we somehow manage to kill them and venture further in.
The way from here is more difficult. An incline tunnel extends about 40 feet down, lined with moss and slippery. Now and then a rock or brick juts out of the slick surface. Heddro monkeys his way down the tunnel making it look far too easy. I attempt to tie a rope and go down easy, but end up slipping and tumbling into everyone. We all come rolling and sliding out of the chute in a bruised, mossy pile. I am disgusted and humiliated and my dress is ruined. We now have two ways to go, right or left.
We head off to the right and happen upon a room with at least 8 orcs, one clearly an overseer. They seem to take notice of us and in an attempt to turn them around, I project a sound like a dire wolf into the opposite corner of the room. Some turn to examine, but for the most part this is unsuccessful and the orcs bombard us with hatchets. I drop a flaming sphere into the room and hold strong while my friends do their best to engage the vicious orcs. I’m not quite sure where it came from, but an axe came flying in my direction while I was concentrating on the sphere and ripped right through me. I thought I might die. I dropped to the ground in pain. The axe cut an enormous gash just below my arm and I thought I might bleed to death. Luckily, my friends were able to finish off the orcs, but I didn’t notice. All I could think about was how badly my side was torn up and the cold sting and throb of the wound. I clenched my arm tight to put pressure on the gash and prayed to Sehanine.
Something happened then that I was not expecting. Heddro came to check on me. I was embarrassed to be crying in front of him, but this was the worst pain I’d ever been in. He patted me on the back and handed me the potion that I had earlier given to him. I gladly accepted it, especially since he could have left me to recover on my own time. I picked up the axe that had split me and put it in my bag and slowly stood up to join my friends. I hate orcs. I hate them so bad. That could easily have been my neck and I can be sure he would have beheaded me with one brutal throw. I hoped that these were the last orcs we would have to see for a while. We came here for kobolds after all.
Another passage led us beyond this chamber into a smaller room. More orcs, but only a couple of them. Several kobolds were here and a few were sitting at a card table in the center. We charged in. I didn’t even give the orcs a chance to hurt me again. Our assault was fierce. One kobold hid under the card table and the last kobold left fighting suicided in the name of the dark queen. We turned over the table to the cowering kobold who promised to show us their hidden cache if we let him go. He pointed to a lose stone in the floor and inside we found several fine magical items. He scampered away. We took the heads of a kobold and the orc boss as proof that we had stormed their hive.
Our quest was rewarded and we each found something very useful in from the kobold cache. Heddro’s criminal status in Woodwell was forgiven. We would have a very difficult decision to make now. We find out from Kriv that Trueflame can arrange special travel by way of portals to any major city if emergency calls for such a thing, but that we should only use this if it is absolutely necessary. The priests performing the ritual cannot to this sort of thing more than once in about a week due to the sheer energy and stress involved.
Having no news from Herrick at this point other than the knowledge that he was on his way to Wyrmhaven, it was my feeling that we should let him be for the time. Heddro’s previous employer was proof enough that we are known to be consorting with Herrick over the matter of the eggs, and if they are still following us, we want to be as far away from Herrick as possible right now. We came to the mutual conclusion that we should venture to Monolith. Kriv and Iceborn wanted to find Esmerelda because they were just certain she had the last egg. Though I know better, I know she is evil, I fear for her father’s safety and I do not want to keep this dirty little secret in Woodwell any longer. It just isn’t safe.
I make arrangements. I send an animal messenger to Herrick letting him know we are headed to Monolith, taking the special package along. I purchase a wooden case and line it with soft fabrics to keep the egg safe in my bag and bundle it inside a new dress. My old one is bloody, muddy, torn and worthless.
We would make our plans known to Trueflame in the morning and begin the trip to Monolith.
