From the light Vella has thrown out, you can see there is a large cavern wall that slopes around. there is no other sound, other than the quick breathing of the Kobold as he awaits the answer. He lets the stick fall to the ground, but other than that, makes no threatening moves.

"So who is this Grikgak, and how did he, or you, poison the water?"  Vella demanded, another spell ready on her lips as she scanned the cavern.

As Vella interogated the kobold, Rayorr motioned to the southwest so that Quinlan could see him. There was something that way and whatever it was Rayorr did not want it to surprise them.

He moved forward with Vella and stood a few feet away from her thereby flanking the kobold and said, "A tricky kobold this is. Indeed magus apperus divanatorious upon this one." To most others this might sound like gibberish but to a priestess of Lathandar this meant much. He had cast a detect magic and the kobold radiated it and the results were that some sort of divination magic was upon him.

"Also alone I doubt he is."

The kobold jumps a bit at the voice, but remains rooted to the spot. "Grikgrak is powerful leader. Speak with the power of the God. I am lowly messenger of his most high Grikgrak." he says this with almost a bit of awe mixed with fear in his voice, but his stance straightens with a bit of obvious pride at being a messenger.

"Most likely, his boss is watching us through his eyes." Vella speculated.  Then she turned to the kobold and commanded.  "Take us to your leader."  She winced at the cliche even as she said it.

Content to let the other priestess handle matters here, he started to flank the kobold towards the southwest. He wanted to see if there was, indeed, someone else there. Perhaps, if he drew the attention of the other, he would provide the hidden Quinlan a tactical advantage.

The kobold puffs up his chest for a moment, and pauses, then sighs and flaps a hand in your direction. "The Great Grikgrak will allow it. Behind me come." He starts heading off into the northwest, going about ten steps to see if you are following.

He nods to Vella that she should follow but he does not. Instead, he continues to the southwest where he detected magic.

Vella follows the Kobold along the northwest passage, keeping alert for a sneaky kobold trap.

Stealthily, Quinlan follows the four armed Kobolds.

[OOC: Did you spill the beans about the 4 armed Kobolds?]

(OOC: yeah... probably... haven't really got the hang of this message board yet. I'm sorry, will be more careful in the future)

[ooc: That's OK. Good players know not to pay attention to "spilled beans" and to play as if they didn't know.]

(OOC: I'm hoping you will disregard the spilled beans, for the above mentioned reason [grin])

 As Quinlan dissapears into the shadows of the south, and the kobold leads the party around to the SOUTH, it is obvious all to soon that there were indeed Koblods waiting in the north. Four Kobolds fall out of the shadows and in behind the party as the messenger leads them around the southern edge or what turns out to be a rather large rock. Four more kobolds, join in behind them from the west, and the messenger beckons you to follow him North, into a small room cut into the rock.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:04, Tue 18 July 2006.

Vella walks on, unworried about the multiplying kobolds, though she is ready for treachery as she watches the passing shadows.  "How much further?"

Sorry, the kobold led you SOUTH, the other four came from the SOUTH of that.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:09, Tue 18 July 2006.

Just inside the orrway, the kobold leads you to the left, and pulls a ragged dirty curtian to the side, and gestures you to enter the room. "The great GrikGrak will see you"

Hand on her mace, Vella ducked under the curtain and entered the room.

In the dark, Quinlan mulls over his next move

He continues to follow Vella and remains ready to defend himself if the kobolds try something funny. This was a dangerous situation and he was not going to trust the small humanoids. They were an evil but tricky race.

 Grikgrak, the king of kobolds, sits basically on a rickety old human chair, a sloppy half asleep guard standing beside him. He is dressed in what looks to be three layers of rags, and a single glittering amulet glares from his chest. He looks at you, and in a coomon dialect even wrse thatn his messenger, he speaks.
  "You not farmers. We expected farmer, yet you come with sharp shiny sticks and hard skins. We make deal then, no blood spill." without even awaiting a response, he continues. "For one small grasseater a day and shiny small metal discs you call gold piece, we will stop poisoning water. we no get, we no stop."

"How much tribute do you want?"  Vella asked, her tones not gentle.

Dice rolls privately to our DM:

"What's a grasseater? Do you think he means a cow?" he asks Vella.

The part of the offer that Grikgrak made that was an issue is the a day part. This was blackmail but he expected no less.