The kobold found a boulder and climbed up to be closer to eye level with all the giants in the room.  He plopped down, looking tired and resigned.  "My name is Vasiir Thitmoor.  I am a special attache to a foreign embassy from across the ocean.  My resemblance to these western kobolds made me the perfect choice for spy among their kind.  I speak seven languages including Invari and the Western kobold dialect without flaw.  I was sent here by my government to infiltrate this movement and find what they intend to do.  It is all tied up in the Message brought by the Evangiel somehow.  No one told me how and they may not know themselves."  As he speaks, Thit catches the eye of each member of the party.

"The Anthros and the Invar both carry deep ties to the land, but the Invar also bear a connection with the arcane.  Anthros druids served the purpose of the kobold leader you encountered here.  His general, Cackdu Mot, gathered the army you defeated and trained most of them.  Others, like the assassin I dispatched too late to save Chadaros, gravitated toward Cackdu and his promise of glory and reward.  It was easy enough to slip in as one of those.  Severbough was taken periodically into that back cavern.  His tie to the life of the world was the strongest of the group, though he is still only a fresh druid just raised from acolyte.  They wanted to begin their tests with him before attempting to capture more powerful subjects."  He pauses, knowing there must be a thousand thousand questions.

It doesnt take long after Thit begins speaking for Adryn to get lost with the unfamiliar language. His eyes start wandering across the room to see who seems to be following the conversation.

After a moment he recalls Aethen speaking in a similar language he leans over to Aethen and whispers, "Are you getting all this?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:21, Sat 22 Jan 2011.

Seeing the confused looks in most of the group, Thit repeats his words in Kradok and Anthros.

   Aethen begins to relay what Thit had said to Adryn, but Thit addresses the problem.  He breaks off his translation and waits for the kobold to finish before asking his question.

   Before the words leave his mouth, however, he realizes the answer and holds his tongue.  Why would Thit have had reason to trust people who could so easily sacrifice or dispose of him for their convenience.  Aethen glances at Grondor and Flynn in response to his thoughts.

Vertium had been silent, his obsession with his new-found book taking over his thoughts once the immediate danger of combat was gone.

Vertium listened to the Kobolt as it started speaking Invar. He made a mental note to keep an eye on the Kobolt. His timing at killing the assassin seemed just a little too convenient...

Since no one seemed about to talk, Vertium took the lead. " Interesting, though that does not explain what the Kobolts were looking for in these caves. Could you enlighten us Mr Thitmoor?"

"I don't know.  I was never trusted enough to be allowed past that staging cavern.  If we want to find out, we could follow the tunnel they escaped down.  Whether or not you go, I must.  I have to complete my mission."  He translates his words into the same languages for the benefit of all.

Adryns morale compass tells him he should pursue the kobolds further, however he is internally conflicted with his obligations to his mentor, Severbough. As respectful as possible, Adryn speaks up...

"I fear that if we leave these kobolds to their own devices, they will merely continue their plans else where. It was fortunate that we were able to interrupt them for now, but next time they might see their plans to fruition. I feel that would be unacceptable.", Adryn looks towards Severbough for signs of approval.

"Adryn, Aethen, listen to me.  *cough*  These...these kobolds are nothing.  Freed of the terror by the hands of your friends, they *cough* they will scatter and not bother you again.  Leave me here with Tabryn and the others.  You two go with these and...and finish this.  Back in the tunnel there...there...*cough*  *cough* there is evil..."  Too tired and wounded to continue, Cannial collapses back into sleep.  He will heal, but it may take some time.

Flynn regards the others with a wry smile while Thit spoke his piece. He decides saying that he was suspicious of the kobold earlier would do little in light of this information. He lounges back and speaks, "Heh, I don't think that deceiving friends is the best way to get any kind of help. And now you want us to scurry down this rabbit hole for you now that you've 'come clean'. Is anyone taking this seriously?" The Invar looks around the group slowly to gauge the others reactions.

"I remember a younger thief doing much the same to me years ago, and he's stood fast since his first unwise decision." Kahmaul chides the Invar.

"Well... My mission was to find and return you Acolytes and the missing Severbough. It seems that I have failed one of you, and I don't like to fail. I am not against going further but I must keep my mission at the forefront of my priorities..." He looks a bit pained before looking back at the cave. His expression shift as he looks at the remaining acolytes, "Though, if my charges need protection, I will have to ensure their safety..."

"While I understand your position, Flynn, I had no choice.  I didn't know who you were and I couldn't reveal myself to the kobolds while it remained a possibility that I might still need my cover should you all have failed."  He too looks back down into the depths of the cave.  "I must complete my mission.  While I would appreciate the help, I also appreciate that you don't trust me...and with good reason.  I also appreciate that you have your own objectives to fulfill.  I will do the best that I can with whatever resources are available."

Thit looks around, translating himself sentence by sentence as he speaks.  "Know this.  If it requires it, I would sacrifice each and every one of you and give my own life to complete the mission.  Our lives are nothing compared to the survival of the kinds.  But I will not take that choice away from you either and coerce you into helping me.  I will wait fifteen minutes, then I will return to the tunnels and find what I may."

Vertium considered the situation for a moment. Everything had started with the Evangiel. The visions, the book and eventually his departure from his native village. If these events truly were linked to the Evangiel, then there was a chance that he may find some clues that may help him accomplish his next task. On top of that, the Invar's curiosity was piked by the current events.

There was no reason to trust the Kobolt but Vertium was curious and he still had 1 or 2 tricks up his sleeves ready to deal with a possible ambush. " My quest here is finished. The druids are safe. If these events are truly linked to the Evangiels, I believe we may well discover some truths and secrets worthy of our interest. Furthermore, if my instincts are correct investigating this matter may lead us to witnessing history in its making. I have always wondered how different the events recorded in my history books were from the actual events themselves. So, I propose we follow Mr Thitmore in his investigation, if it turns out he lied we can deal with him appropriately."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:58, Tue 25 Jan 2011.

   "Well, considering that I'm entitled to 1/5th of whats in there, I never had no problem goin' back.  I got some shinies," and Grondor raps on his armor, "but I wouldn'a argue against goin' back fer more!"  He chuckles at his small joke.

   Grondor stops for a moment and then looks to the small kobold.  "Provided that we're told whats what, if we commit that is.  I don't be meanin' to chase down more lizard folk for your aims with no purpose."

watches the group and listens to the conversations going on.

"I would like to see this through, and there still seems to be some information to be found in here."

"I will help in getting to the bottom of this", Adryn says nodding towards Severbough.

   Aethen nods in agreement with his fellow brother.  "I will also return.  T'would be a poor testament to those who have fallen if I did not."

"Thank you," he says to the volunteers.  The kobold double agent then turns to Kahmaul and Flynn and waits for their answer.

Kahmaul just smiles, "That's all I needed. My mission continues so long as any of you need protection. To the caves we go then."

Flynn shakes his head. Again Kahmual gets suckered for a heartfelt apology and the whiff of injustice on the horizon and they both rushed off to go risk their lives. He was almost ready to begin arguing but it seemed the group was already set. He doesn't speak out loud for fear of showing his own discomfort but instead waves everyone towards the cave before saying, "Then what are we waiting for?"

It takes little effort and time to release the kobold prisoners into the wilds of Midrath Koar.  They bolt immediately, few bothering to even stay together.  Those few might survive.  The Koar would devour the others before the rapidly approaching night ended.

The cavern retained no danger but the dimness, but Thit moved cautiously nonetheless, wary for the remaining specialists.  None surfaced to bother the company's forward progress toward the tunnel.  The tunnel itself ran for more than two hundred feet back into the hill and down so that the company found itself assuredly out from beneath the hill, but underground anyway.

At the end of the tunnel, an unshaped scar under the mountain with no signs of artifice or even support, the group encounters a grotto.  Fetid water stinking of mold and dead things trickled through the middle somewhere, though it was heard and unseen in the absolute darkness.  The tunnel had twisted at the last and ran twenty feet into straight darkness that no phosphorescent plant inhabited.

Thit, going first and able to see anyway (likely magical means), finally reports that no one is there and lights a torch.  There is indeed a bolthole at the back of the grotto leading up and out.  It is big enough for the largest of the company to travel two abreast.  With the night having fallen it is difficult to tell if the bolthole leads straight up into the night-time Koar or twists and turns so as to prevent even daylight from lighting the place.  Judging by the smell, it is the later.  Most mold abhors sunlight.

The torch also reveals a great dias on the far side of the fetid stream.  The dais is surrounded by bone pillars twice the height of any Anthros in the group.  There are five surrounding it, arching in like fingers of a giant claw.  In the center of the dais, a wooden staff that may once have been beautiful, had been driven into the stone.  It wept green-black ichor down its length and into the water.  A slight swirling vortex, almost unnoticeable, of pulsing blue and green sat suspended directly above the top of the staff by about an inch without touching.  There are five pair of manacles, one at the base of each pillar.  They look strong enough to hold any one of you.

There is nothing else of note in the room after the first sweeping look from the entrance.  Approaching the dais makes you feel cold, as if you had dipped too long in a lake frozen over the top.

Thit swears loudly in Unbular.

[Private to Kahmaul Quddus: You do not feel the effects of the cold or any other effect, but your detect evil ability is automatically triggered without even an active thought.  The evil aura of this place is more powerful than anything you've yet felt.]

[Private to Vertium Thrusius: Even approaching the grotto you felt ill at ease.  Inside you feel downright ill.  Approaching the dais makes you stagger and want to vomit.]

The sudden outburst from Thit quickly catches Adryns attention. From what little time he has spent around Thit, such an unrestrained expression of emotion seemed out of character for him.

"Well, that certainly doesn't need translation", Adryn said, chuckling slightly. "What seems to be the problem, little one?"

The unnerving chill surrounding the dais make him keep his distance for now.

As they approached the opening, Vertium started walking slower unconsciously moving towards the back of the group. Only his curiosity pulling him forwards towards the opening. He looked at the others to note their reaction but as far as he could tell, they appeared relatively unafected by whatever was waiting for them on the other side.

By the time they entered the opening and started approaching the diais. Vertium started feeling a mix of intense curiosity and horror. He was soon staggering and as he got closer, he feel on his hands and knees barely keeping in his previous meal sweat poring down his forehead.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:16, Thu 27 Jan 2011.

Kahmual shakes his head wearily, "There is a heavy presence of evil in this place... Touch nothing until I can identify its source... Though that Dais might just be the culprit."

GM: I need spellcasters of any sort to roll any appropriate roll you want to try and determine what is going on.  Spellcraft, Lore, Identify, etc.  Post it here in character or PM me in the OOC thread, whichever you like.

Adryn focuses on his surroundings trying to ascertain what might be going on here...

[Private to GM: 18:59, Today: Secret Roll: Adryn Longmane rolled 8 using 1d20+2. Druidic Lore. ]