"There's more that you can do," said Manisha.  "Do you use grains at all?  Those can be stored, just like nuts.  Also lots of root vegetables and tubers."

"We don't get much grains out in the forest, but yes, many roots and tubers," Biter said.

Manisha nodded.

"I still wish that we had more to trade," she said.  "That's a path to prosperity.'

"We don't have much others would want," Biter said.

"You could, though," said Manisha.  "The key is to figure out what you do better than anyone else.  Or what you do very well, anyway."

"We just survive, new god," Biter said.

"...that shouldn't be enough," said Manisha.  But what could she do?  Every avenue seemed to turn up nothing.  She went out of the cave to watch the countryside and think.

Off in the distance you can see another cave, one much larger than what the kobolds are staying in.

Well, that might be significant.  Manisha went to take a look.

There was an odd smell in the cave, but the first area was at three times larger than the cave the kobolds were in. The floor had many humanoid bones strewn about as well as rotting corpses.

Odd.  Manisha explored further in, cautiously.

As you move deeper in, there's a rattling noise as the bones begin to move of their own accord, reforming bodies.

Manisha felt for the magic in the room as weapons appeared in her hands.

There was magic everywhere in this room, a foul magic. The undead shambled towards you.

(OOC: Initiative time)

15.  How many are there?

There were at least twenty or so skeletons and zombies.

Manisha started out by spraying the ones closest to her with bolts of fire!

All-Out Attack 5 on the nearest 5.  24, 13, 30 (a crit!), 21, 16.  Damage 10.

You managed to make short work of five of them, the rest kep shambling towards you.

(OOC - Only one managed to hit. Toughness DC - 18)

27

The undead couldn't easily hurt her-- she barely noticed their attacks-- but this could get endless.  She gathered the power and unleashed a spreading ring of flame to cut down their ranks!

Power Stunting a Damage 10 Burst Area effect to clear out the small fry.

The bodies collapsed and stayed still.

Good.  But that probably wasn't all-- she went further in, searching as she went.  What was going on in this cave that created so many undead here?

In the next cave you saw what appeared to be a massive hunk of onyx, cut like a gemstone floating above a pillar covered with runes.

Manisha tried to feel out what the magic in this place was-- it was clearly very powerful.

It felt dark and evil.

Well.  That was bad news.  Manisha didn't really know what she was doing, but she wound up and created a powerful hammer to strike the gemstone.