Nashkel Mine

Round 3 Player Phase!!!

Sheemish dwarf heritage lets him see even with the lights out. And he knows somethings wrong. Moving quickly to calliope he administers first aid quickly. It’s surprising what heated metal and metal adhesive can do in the right hands.

I thank Dieter by swinging at the advancing Kobold again.

HP:10/28
AC:18

Round 3 Summary

The two remaining kobolds fight to the bitter end. The dragonshield nearly drives his short blade home into Runeson's side, but once again Dieter's interposing shield spares the paladin (again Dieter's Protection fighting style turns a hit into a miss!). The move costs Dieter though, for as he deflects the dragonshield's blow, the other kobold springs up into the air to drive its dagger down deep into the top of the fighter's shield arm (Dieter takes 10 piercing damage). The wound hurts, but Dieter is tough enough to slay his evil aggressor and still remain standing.

Sheemish works with his healing materials to get Calliope back on her feet as the fight continues just mere feet away. Stella buys them some time and space with a shining arrow that hits the kobold hard. Somehow, the tough little critter manages to keep itself up, going practically berserk in its efforts to kill the party all on its own.

Struggling to get a clear shot at this last enemy, Imoen drops her bow and pulls out a pair of daggers, then sprints forward to attack at close range. Her first dagger misses, but she manages to stab the kobold in its scaled foot (dealing 3 damage), distracting it enough for Calliope - risen like an avenging angel with burnt and bloody wings - to unleash a torrent of wildfire that finally ends the dragonshield.

The fight took only moments, but as lights from the last spells die down, the party is left considerably winded and wounded. For all their size and obnoxious yipping, these kobolds fought with devious cunning and determination. No wonder any miners who might have heard or glimpsed the monsters thought they were devils.

It takes only a few minutes more for Draco (and Calliope's wildfire spirit, if she recalled it) to return to the group.

Investigation of the kobolds' corpses yields a moderate amount of treasure (party gains 60 gold pieces), some crude arms and equipment - none of it worth keeping - and a peculiar glass vial containing only a miniscule portion of a slimy green liquid.

Peering around the corner where the kobolds came from shows the 'Dead End 2' as marked on the map. The veins of ore showing from the walls here are streaked with the same green slime found in the glass vial the kobolds had on them.

Taking a much-needed break after the battle in order to bind wounds and mend gear, the party rests more easily knowing that Draco (and Calliope's wildfire spirit?) is out there keeping an eye on things and misleading any kobolds it encounters.

After an hour of rest in the mine, everyone feels considerably better about continuing the dangerous investigation.

Despite having seen a kobold scout through Draco's eyes, the party doesn't encounter any others as they investigate the mine's main level. And so after the better part of an hour they arrive at the so-called 'transition shaft', which seems to be a wooden elevator contraption. The platform itself is currently out of sight, presumably at the bottom of the shaft. Part of the contraption includes a wheel that can be turned to lift the platform, but it looks like it will need some well-applied strength to get it moving. There's also a large bloodstain on the ground at the shaft's edge, still slightly wet. This blood must have been spilt within the last day or two.

Between Dieter and Runeson the wheel turns easily, and soon the platform ascends to their level. There are two more half-dried bloody puddles staining its wooden deck.