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{{Worldbuilders}} {{Infobox_character|affilliation=TBD|name={{PAGENAME}} Vaess|image=|caption=Who really knows what he looks like under the cloak?|relatives=None|languages=Draconic, Halfling, Common, Sylvan|alias=Green Fang|marital=Single|birthPlace=Isonhound WIlds|deathDate=N/A|deathPlace=N/A|species=Kobold|gender=Male|height=2 Feet.|weight=25 lbs|eyes=Gray}} | {{Worldbuilders}}{{Hatnote|This page is about The Green Fang, not to be confused with [[The Green Stag]] or [[Longfang]]}}{{Infobox_character|affilliation=TBD|name={{PAGENAME}} Vaess|image=|caption=Who really knows what he looks like under the cloak?|relatives=None|languages=Draconic, Halfling, Common, Sylvan|alias=Green Fang|marital=Single|birthPlace=Isonhound WIlds|deathDate=N/A|deathPlace=N/A|species=Kobold|gender=Male|height=2 Feet.|weight=25 lbs|eyes=Gray}} | ||
'''{{PAGENAME}} Vaess '''(pronounced Kee-lek Vay-ess) is a Kobold Drakewarden Ranger native to the wilds of [[Isonhound]]. He is a character in the [[Into the Greedy Green]] campaign. | '''{{PAGENAME}} Vaess '''(pronounced Kee-lek Vay-ess) is a Kobold Drakewarden Ranger native to the wilds of [[Isonhound]]. He is a character in the [[Into the Greedy Green]] campaign. |
Revision as of 01:37, 1 April 2024
This page is about The Green Fang, not to be confused with The Green Stag or Longfang
Relatives | None |
---|---|
Languages | Draconic, Halfling, Common, Sylvan |
Affiliations | TBD |
Aliases | Green Fang |
Marital Status | Single |
Place of Birth | Isonhound WIlds |
Date of Death | N/A |
Place of Death | N/A |
Species | Kobold |
Gender | Male |
Height | 2 Feet. |
Weight | 25 lbs |
Eye Color | Gray |
Kihlek Vaess (pronounced Kee-lek Vay-ess) is a Kobold Drakewarden Ranger native to the wilds of Isonhound. He is a character in the Into the Greedy Green campaign.
Physical Appearance
Kihlek is short for a Kobold at just barely 2 feet tall. He has green scales and gray eyes. He weighs about 26 pounds, but doesn't keep track of that sort of thing. Usually he will wear a hooded dark cloak over his armor, with a shortbow slung over his shoulder, and a bag of holding firmly strapped to his lower back. In his hands whenever he travels, he now carries a Rod of Alertness to keep an eye out for trouble. Aside from his armor, he wears a necklace strung with beads, small fragments of bone, and 47 (mostly) whole teeth, he has also added a carved chunk of Wovenstone that is warm to the touch to the necklace.
Personality
It is important to Kihlek that events align with his moral interests. Helping others is good because it also leads to long-term benefits such as safety with neighbors. Stopping wrongdoers helps make him stronger and makes other friends. Torturing prisoners is a waste of time and effort. Either they can be persuaded to share information, magic used on them, or dealt with.
Kihlek does not make obvious gestures of affection, but he truly cares for his adopted halfling family and has a firm belief in protecting other small folk's interests. He also firmly believes in confronting your enemies (so long as doing so is not likely to result in said enemies killing you). He doesn't like lies, mostly because he can't be bothered to try to remember false things when there are so many true things, and he especially cannot abide lies about himself or his people. Secrets, on the other hand, are precious and can be held onto as jealously as a dragon's horde.History
During this time, Kihlek learned the Halfling and Sylvan languages and further honed his skills as a Ranger. He also first learned how to summon Thirku, which made his forest excursions significantly more successful. Despite finding a limited amount of acceptance among the halflings, Kihlek was never truly comfortable as a member of the community. But perhaps most importantly, he began to comprehend the true scale of the world and his growing need to experience it.
Since the Spring of 825 PR, Kihlek finally felt free to travel. He has lived primarily on his own in the wilderness since, never staying too long in one place, seeking greater challenges and the ability to prove his worth to the world. This leads him to his first contact with other adventurers in Into the Greedy Green.
During these adventures, he has traded with a green dragon, slain Drakkoth, slain a black dragon, slain a death giant, and investigated missing persons cases.Languages
Kihlek knows Draconic, Common, Halfling, and Sylvan. He is most comfortable conversing in Draconic, and does so whenever possible.
Powers and Abilities
Kihlek does his absolute best to attack with his shortbow from behind cover. He is shockingly quick at finding or creating cover in all manner of circumstances, and is not above using allies as human(oid) shields. He sends Thirku into the thick of battle so long as doing so isn't likely to get himself attacked by foes.
He uses magically-created arrows from a ring of volleys as his primary weapon of choice. He also has a surprising amount of magic for a ranger, and can unleash detection spells as needed through his rod, or a number of helpful spells, such as curing wounds, or laying a field of spikes.
Attacks and Weapons
Kihlek's favored weapon is the shortbow. He would be happy to use something with a little more punch, or even more range, but finds that heavy weapons like the longbow are unsuited to his size. He hand-crafts his arrows, preferring to use bone tips for the heads when possible, but has begrudgingly found that metal heads tend to be easier to re-use. He keeps a shortsword and a long hunting knife available should the need arise for close combat, but is far happier dealing with his foes at range, where the all-too common size difference is much more of an advantage for Kihlek. Kihlek always attacks in tandem with his companion: Thirku, a drake.
Base of Operations
Kihlek has acquired a secure base of operations off of the river between Seglock and Saltport. The former Ankheg hive was cleared out and has since been repurposed into an elaborate den designed to serve as a secure base of operations for Kihlek and Thirku. There are many traps, and so far, no one else has been permitted to visit the location since Kihlek laid claim to it. Intruders are warned to stay away let they risk entombment.
Adventures in the Greedy Green
Selections from Kihlek's record of deeds.
Mistaken Identity and the "Green Stag"
These people are very skittish. Kept pushing me to join their "crew" which seems to be some kind of tribe who lives on a large raft. The one was most insistent that I couldn't be trusted unless I was part of this "crew," but I managed to mollify them and lead them to the site of the attack on the one's boat. Clearly a dragon's lair, but not one that fit for a green dragon. Island in a small lake that looks far more suited to a white dragon, but shows signs of recent changes. Strategized for a while on ways to lure the dragon out and defeat it. Just before we settled on an approach, the strange one who also hides under a cloak and keeps telling people he "sees" them threw a large rock into the water, surprising everyone and starting an attack by a clutch of wyrmlings. The battle was swift and bloody. Many of the crewmembers were dropped as the wyrmlings unleashed a torrent of breath attacks on those foolish enough to get close. Unfortunately, Thirku was also destroyed multiple times during the encounter as well.
In the midst of the battle, some part of the commotion alerted the "Green Stag" to our presence as well. (Any claims that I purposefully shot an arrow into the cave mouth to alert it are patently false!) The green dragon was massive and exuded an aura of great power; seemingly far greater than something this ragtag group could best. Fortunately, the dragon didn't seem interested in fighting either. It instead offered us an ultimatum: tell no one of its presence, or suffer its wrath and die. (It also offered us the uncontested spoils of the white dragon's lair should we accept.) Unwilling to volunteer even these strangers to an almost-certain death, I accepted the Dragon's offer on behalf of the group and told them not to attack the greater wyrm. It still surprises me that it did not simply decide that slaying us outright would be the safer course of action, but I am glad that it didn't try to chase us through the forest and eradicate us.
As the green dragon flew off, we finally finished off the last of the wyrmlings, leaving their carcasses on the side of the lake. Some efforts were made to harvest useful materials from their remains, but as I failed to slay any of them, I permitted the others to claim those spoils. In the meantime, I restored Thirku and had him begin scouting the island. The frigid waters did not seem particularly welcoming to me, so I ran a line of rope from a nearby tree to the island to make a dryer conveyance. The island was comprised almost entirely with a single, circuitous cave. Within we did not find any traps, but did find the remarkably well-preserved corpse of a giant, the recently slain body of a white dragon, and the white dragon's considerable hoard. The group agreed to split the coinage of the hoard evenly, and distribute notable items according to interest. Seeing as we bested at least some foe in reaching the lair, it seemed acceptable to collect the spoils, although the situation was not ideal. I was able to recover a significant amount of white dragon scales and a Dryad's Heart in addition to the monetary reward. It's actually hard to carry this much, so I will have to find some more portable way to transport this wealth. Diamonds and gems seem the most logical.
Drakkoths attack Hallasen (a village near Seglock)
Guard captain Visio was surprised and impressed when we returned, although he didn't seem to understand my request that he "promote" me. Instead he offered me some kind of trial corporal-ship in the guard rather than acting as a reference and spreading the word that smart people should hire "The Green Fang" for their tricky and dangerous tasks if they want them done right. But this guard work should provide a useful opportunity to keep an eye on the refugees from Hallasen and see if the dragon "Echamus" tries to make contact with any of them again.
In the meantime, we gathered some more information on "the one who waits" and on "Echamus" who is apparently a fairy tale figure. Echamus is the name of “The Moon Child”, or son of the moon dragon Eros. Madame Webe, a Lunalen priestess provided some scant information about "the one who waits" claiming he was just the local boogeyman figure meant to frighten people. It dwells in dark places, preys upon those who stray from the blessed light of the moon, and will one day come into the light and bring with it a series of catastrophic events. (In all, something to watch out for, and keep a note of, but only if a future event seems more significant.)Guarding Seglock
Protecting Hallasen
Word of the attack on Seglock came by the other day, and I think it's time I move on from Hallasen and seek more information elsewhere. With three full cycles of the moon having gone by already, I find it unlikely that I will learn any more about Echamus or "the one who waits" by waiting here. If either has had forces reach out to the area since the initial Drakkoth attack, then they did so with incredible subtlety. Even so, the people of Hallasen know they can call upon "The Green Fang" for aid in the future, and they know to spread word of my reliability to others who may be in need.
The apothecary "Mother Love" is apparently having trouble with a Black dragon in a nearby bog, and that task seems as good as any to jump back into. Perhaps this dragon may know more about the other dragons involved in current goings-on.Solving Mother Love's Problem
Several of the group had difficulty making progress through the swamp, mostly due to being distracted by the plant life, and this has made me consider the potential value in practicing skills in exploring this type of terrain in the future, as such skills will likely prove valuable the next time I need to lead a group through this type of terrain. The goblin tinker Pot'tu'N'Kobb seemed very excited when he ate a plant that caused his tongue to go numb, and another self-proclaimed herbalist said the plant should have been a sweet-tasting healing herb. This would seem to indicate that the dragon's influence on the surrounding area is having a surprisingly thorough effect on things, and in ways that are not necessarily normal. Something to keep an eye on with any future dragons.
With the delays caused by herbalism, we reached the dragon's cave a few hours later than planned, but before we lost light, And despite the wisdom of setting camp outside the lair and trying to draw the dragon out to us, Dur'kalak was determined not to wait and to slay the dragon immediately. The seven of us entered the lair without even a bit of stealth, and I kept a good distance between myself and the leading party members to stay out of an impending breath attack. Surprisingly, the dragon did not lay in wait and ambush us, but instead engaged in conversation, taunting us and trying to convince us to abandon our mission as futile. While the aura of dread it emanated did disrupt our initial positioning, during this conversation those who were affected were able to throw off the terror with the well-timed aid of the bards Tristram and Pum and a blessing from the Cleric Linden Rue. It continued talking to Tristram in Elvish even as I started firing arrows at it, but while I could pick out a word or two from the Sylvan I know, I have no idea what he was telling it.
Battle began in earnest when the barbarians Kluck and Dur'kalak charged into the dragon's face and started to lay into it. From that point on (and really, was there ever any chance otherwise?) there was no more talking, only violence. Unleashing a Tiny Hut by way of a Glyph of Warding, Tristram created a safe space in the midst of the dragon's lair in which most of the group took refuge between attacks. I stayed at the edges of the cavern and continued firing arrows, while Thirku was able to just barely reach the dragon before it took flight away from him. As the dragon realized it would not be able to defeat us, it began to flee, but it was not able to escape before we brought it down.
With the dragon slain, Dur'kalak immediately set to tearing into the corpse, seemingly more for personal vengeance than for any practical purposes. Meanwhile, the rest of us began searching for the dragon's horde. We found an entrance to the horde hidden in the floor of the chamber we fought in, and located quite an impressive haul of items. In addition to the considerable wealth--more than I have ever seen in once place before--there were also three black dragon eggs. Pot'tu tried to destroy the eggs on sight, but was stopped before any serious damage was done. Then the party started a heated debate on what to do with the eggs, whether to sell, destroy, or raise them. Eventually it was settled that the eggs would be taken by Linden, Pum, and Tristram, supposedly to be raised as non-violent/non-evil creatures in the future. This is nothing but foolishness (even assuming the eggs hatch, raising a dragon would take decades, and no dragon will be satisfied being raised by a normal person), but if they want to spend time on an egg instead of a practical item, that is on them, not on me. During this debate, a wave of energy exploded in the lair, marking everyone with some kind of dark magic. The scales on my right hand have blackened in an ominous pattern that looks disturbingly close to the word "Death" in draconic script, and I feel a strange new source of energy in my body. It's unclear if this is a result of slaying the dragon or some kind of effect of the ruins in which we fought, but it is somewhat worrying, and I will have to be extra careful until I learn more.
Since there was far too much to carry, a group of us set off back to town to get a few wagons in order to haul the wealth back with us. Upon bringing the horde and the useful parts of the dragon's carcass back with us to Apara, we were greeted by Mother Love. She seemed very interested in acquiring one or more dragon eggs for "medicinal matters," but those who had taken the eggs concealed them and told her that we didn't find any. She seemed a bit disappointed, and voice some common sense concerns about why anyone would want the eggs to hatch. I raised the promise with Mother Love about providing some kind of potions as a reward and not just baked goods, but it remains to be seen what she may be able to produce and whether she will provide anything herself. That said, I have more than enough wealth to deal with currently, so I will have to look into some form of magical portable storage in the near future, as well as ways to use that wealth to further my goals. At the very least I can spread the word that The Green Fang is now a dragonslayer. This should help me open doors and gain access to new resources. And maybe I have enough funds to try to find some more answers about what exactly happened to the Ixen Jonal. Perhaps the Seglock University can tell me if there is a magical way to view the past, or determine what exactly killed my people. And if I know, maybe I can deliver some proper justice to whatever caused it.Missing Town Leaders and the Protectors of the People
Upon reaching the first village, the rest of the group interviewed a woman (Sarah, I think, but I never caught her name) about where the village leader was last seen and if anything else had been going on lately. I took the opportunity to meet with the one halfling burrow living in the area individually and see if the small folk had any unique information. This was good, because it turned out that Gregory, the village leader's son was seen skulking around a few days ago, which was odd because he had left the village over a year before and hadn't come back, plus, he didn't say hello to any of his former friends. It's unclear whether he is directly connected to the disappearances, or merely doing something suspicious on his own, but I have let people know that they should be on the lookout.
We began the trek to the neighboring village where the leader was last seen, and made camp partway between the villages, hoping to prompt an attack by acting careless. Nothing of note happened until, during a late watch, I noticed some strange Moth-like creatures in the distance. They seemed to be reflecting a large amount of moonlight, and I took note of their general direction, but did not investigate further that night. In the morning, I informed the group, but we continued on to the next village to see if we could learn more rather than pursue the strange creatures.
We interviewed someone in the village about the missing leaders: the initial search party had been gone for about a week and a half when we arrived. As far as any of the villagers know, everyone stayed on the road between the villages and just never made it to their destinations. We also spoke to a boy about the strange moth creatures, which he called friends who wanted to play with him, and got a direction to investigate further. We eventually reached a clearing with the moths, and Oxan took it upon himself to attempt to communicate with them with the Speak with Animals spell. This seemed to go alright, until it became clear that the moths' "play" involved more than he signed up for. We swiftly dispatched them, but during the fight discovered that they can mesmerize people, and can also inject eggs or larvae into a person when they attack. This was immediately concerning because it meant that the boy was likely infested with larvae as well. Deciding we should trace the creatures first before returning to check on the boy, we found a cave (the same cave which Pot'tu had previously seen, and which he "forgot" to mention until after we found it) with 4 bodies and swarming with half-grown moth larvae who had eaten their way out of the people. This plus a trace of residual magic in the area indicated something odd going on. There were also four sets of tracks leading into and out of the cave from the attackers involved. The bodies were rotted and tattered, but identifiable as the missing leaders and their companions. Tristram suggested removing a head in order for someone later to cast "Speak with Dead" on it, which Oxan seemed happy to take care of. Drang was reluctant, claiming it was disrespecting the dead, but dead would be happier being useful and revealing their killers, so it was for a good cause, and the head was removed.
Something deeper and more nefarious than wild creatures is at play, but the urgency of saving the boy who was also infected drove us to turn back rather than pursue the tracks further right away. We returned to the village in time for Pot'tu to force him into drinking a medicinal concoction meant to kill the larvae, which made him sick, but should prove successful. After that, we reported to the Protectors of what we had learned, and suggested another party be sent out to learn more and ensure more villagers are not infested with moth larvae. But more importantly, to track down these killers and figure out what else is going on.
In the wake of this mission, the Protectors of the People put out an additional call for donations and aid, and I volunteered to help provide them with some training and services on a more ongoing basis month-to-month, although the details remain to be settled.Revenge? Drakkoth Peace negotiations for the Order of the Watchful Eye
There were many irregularities about the situation. First, there did not appear to actually be an official armistice in place for the negotiations, nor was it clear what terms had even generally been agreed upon. It also wasn't entirely clear what authority the Order had to negotiate a treaty in the first place, let alone what authority to change terms during the negotiations our party would have. Second, only the Order was involved in writing the treaty, which they called a "Terms and Conditions" document. This document was not only egregiously long and complex, but it also still failed to address key areas of possible contention or difficulty. There was no summary or short form of the arrangement, and it was unclear how much of it had been agreed to prior to being set down. Perhaps worst of all, the treaty was presented solely in Common, with no authoritative copy written in Draconic. When pressed on this point, the author of the report (an individual named "Dippy") practically panicked, but both took no responsibility, and did not assist in any way to remedy the situation. The meeting was set for the day we arrived, and the journey would take most of the day, so there was no time to adjust the document or really resolve some of these problems. We were effectively told to figure it out, give back the prisoner, and return with the agreement to provide the order with more blood.
Passing through the forest road in the direction of the Fire Blood tribe encampment, our group was waylaid by a group of lizardfolk bandits who demanded a toll in coin or blood. Frankly, this was offensive. I was fully set to respond in proper fashion by lodging an arrow in the throat of the "Bonehunter" nephew of the chief of the clan Blackjaw, but the rest of the group seemed to think it would be wiser simply to satisfy the group. Cecil attempted to use his name and boasting to convince the lizardfolk that we were not worth their trouble, but it seemed that his words were less effective after going through translation by me or the lizardfolk's own translator who delivered their demands in common, and relayed our words in Draconic. This translator was a young orphan boy, who had apparently been either taken in or was a slave (it wasn't entirely clear, but when Trina offered him freedom, he didn't exactly seem enthused by the idea). Eventually, after what felt like an hour of holding my bow knocked and ready to fire, Arlin managed to convince them that he could provide them with 40 pounds of food using his magic spell to create food and water. Moreover, he convinced them that he could create triceratops meat, a personal favorite of their chief's. (I was always under the impression that magical food tasted bland and flavorless.) The lizardfolk then gathered containers, Arlin cast his spell, and we were on our way, finally, to the meeting place with the Fire Blood tribe.
Upon arrival we had to cross a short river. (Reminder find a way to walk on water or breath underwater soon because "wading depth" doesn't seem to translate well from big humanoids to reasonable Kobold sizes.) We announced our presence and released our captive, "Dun-no." Upon releasing him, Dun-no was healed by one of their shamans, and we had the opportunity to talk to their chief: Thrakazo[g/d]. His speech wasn't very good, even for a Drakkoth. In any case, we presented the treaty terms and conditions as well as a brief summary that Vessel and I put together on the way. There were immediate problems with the terms: the amount of blood requested was 5 gallons per month, and given their small numbers, the Drakkoth seemed unlikely to be able to do that healthily. There were no provisions about a rate per member of the tribe, nor was there any provision included about providing healing, just that the Drakkoth would drop the blood with a neutral merchant. The whole deal was clearly going to sour before it even got anywhere, but we worked out several concessions and adjustments to the terms in order to ensure both the Order of the Watchful Eye and the Drakkoth could both get the peace they wanted. But apparently, the chief had been perceived as weak by his lieutenants, and in the midst of finalizing the terms, there was a challenge to his leadership.
I was happy to let the power stuggle play out. There is no sense in negotiating with a leader who can't even speak for his people. But apparently our presence must've deeply offended the pride of some of the other Drakkoth, and instead of keeping the conflict to themselves, they also engaged our group. Vessel and Arlin stood in the front, and the protoforged was nearly slain outright before magical healing could be applied to them. The Drakkoth were divided, and loyalties were entirely unclear. Despite Arlin's best efforts at supplying healing for the chief, he died in what was frankly a pitiful display of combat prowess. I think he landed maybe 1 blow in every 4, while he took 3 of 4 aimed at him. The rest of the Drakkoth had shown a lack of conviction, so I insisted they finish what they had started in the coup attempt. When the final remaining lieutenant slew the chief, his victory would prove to be short-lived.
We heard a roar coming down from the sky as the fight neared its conclusion, and as the final blow was struck, a large, golden dragon burst out of the clouds and unleashed a powerful wave of fire against the Drakkoth, starting with the new chief. Seeing as the rest of the group was unprepared to face down a dragon in an open field (and really, it's not ideal terrain anyway) we withdrew across the water and watched as the entire Drakkoth encampment was destroyed in short order.
Once the dragon departed, we returned to search both for survivors, and for anything of value the Drakkoth left behind. While there were no survivors, we were able to recover enough Drakkoth bodies in decent enough condition to hang and drain 5 gallons of blood into a barrel. We also found a few magic items which the others in the group had more use for, such as a lightning Javelin. We then made our way back to Gammelgard to report the results of the mission.
As far as I know, there is now only one known living Drakkoth: the one held in captivity in the Seglock University. Why the dragons seem so set on eradicating them is still a mystery, but it seems likely that Seglock might come under some kind of additional threat as long as that creature is kept there. It may also prove to be a potential way to bait a trap for the gold dragon if plans to move it were spread about.Revisiting the Town Leaders Incident
Among this group were Drang, Hugo, and [list players later]. I halted them, corrected their course, and left Thirku to guide them after me while I continued to scout ahead. Within a short while I discovered the bandit encampment, a patch of tents in a large forest clearing. It seemed also that they had recruited a pair of stone giants to help them, which was slightly concerning. Giants are enormous. Like, 10 kobolds high. I circled around them to ensure they wouldn't be able to escape, while the rest of the group waited for my signal to engage. Unfortunately, it seemed that the bandits were in fact cultists, trying to pull off a ritual of some kind, so the finer details had to give way to a full attack before we were all in ideal positions. I summoned spikes beneath their feet and began firing arrows while the others focused their attentions on the giants. In a surprisingly short time, the giants were felled, thanks to the expert and magical attentions of smiting magic. (Note, if I ever need to fight a paladin, getting the drop on them and staying at a very healthy distance will be vital. And for a warlock, try to get them to expend their energies on other targets first, like illusions, dummies, or traps.)
We interrupted the ritual, and yet something still passed through the ground. Energies ripped open a black pit in the earth, swallowing some of the cultists, and almost causing several of my allies to fall in. What was worse is that a black giant creature made of shadows clawed its way out of the abyss and started attacking everyone in sight. We beat it, thanks in part to Gideon's ability to draw it away from its hovering position over the pit so the melee-focused members of this group could contribute. I was doing mostly fine, and Thirku was in no serious danger either. As the shadow creature was slain, two cultists tried to flee, turning invisible, but thanks to my Rod, I was able to see them and stop them both from escaping. One was killed in the attempt, getting shot, but then falling and drowning in the water. The other was captured. We also captured Gregory, who appeared to be this group's leader, and he will be interrogated by the PotP in the near future. I've been invited to participate, and will do so.
On the return trip, we all had some discussion with Gideon. He was somewhat cagey about how quickly he had moved from place to place, but I got a strong sense that he was a dragon. It makes the most sense given what I know of him and the powers he used in the fight, although he seemed rather weak for a dragon in the battle.Gregory's Interrogation:
Assault on the Hag's Lair
My group went for the hags' primary lair, which would be free of hags, but would undoubtedly contain other traps or hazards. It was deep in the swamp - a territory which I've become a master of since my encounter with the black Dragon before. Once Gideon dropped us off in the swamp in the general vicinity, I was able to lead our group of adventurers quickly toward the destination. The swamp had an eerie feel to it, and was full of corpses. As we got closer to the lair itself we found more and more dead bodies. We also heard children's voices coming from the swamp around us, although we could not immediately discern the source of the sound. One of these bodies, which we pulled free from the muck, was spoken to. (People with their speak with dead spells. Convenient, but disturbing). This revealed that apparently, the man was a school teacher who had been taking children out on a field trip before being attacked and killed. There were also a large number of floating, insubstantial lights which passed through solid containers. Both Harold and I used our bags of holding to capture a few, which seemed to be able to catch and contain whatever substance these were. (I've since learned that these appear to be the souls of the children, and now have four of those to deal with, which was not my intention in collecting the strange motes of light.)
Pressing forward, we found more corpses and more lights before being accosted with a deadly foe: an enormous pumpkin-like creature with glowing eyes. It not only seemed capable of dealing significant damage to the melee combatants, but also, when it spat energy at someone and missed, a strange zombie rose from the ground and joined it in combat. These festering zombies released some kind of necrotic leeches that would continuously sap vitality from anyone afflicted with them. The battle was quick and bloody. Several of the front-line nearly died, and only through clever use of healing magic and a turn undead spell, were the zombies dealt with long enough for our group to eliminate the pumpkin fiend. Once it was destroyed, it burst in a wave of energy, scattering the motes of light spread throughout the swamp, and seemingly releasing the souls to return to their proper homes. Surprisingly, this also caused the zombies to collapse, without an energizing force behind them, and the party was quickly able to recover from our injuries. This is when I noticed that the light balls, which I had collected in my bag of holding had not been released, and I began to feel the first traces of worry about what that might mean.
With the lair's guardian defeated, we were able to raid the hideout and recover treasures to spread among the group. Potions, figurines, wax, and a blade were all split among the others, while I claimed a small pair of boots. These boots have proved highly convenient as they let me step on the air as long as I'm moving and can reach an anchor point. These have been especially useful in crafting my new home base, as I've been able to use a lot more of the vertical space in caverns.
The problem of additional children's souls still lingers, but the threat of the hags seems to have been successfully dealt with. We will have to see if their dark master still has enough other agents around to cause us problems, or if we can focus on the growing dragon threat once more.Going Dark?
We gathered in the Order of the Watchful Eye headquarters and received our mission from Falgrim to investigate an additional mine to see if the incidents of portals opening up into the Shadowfell is indeed linked with the presence of a mine for Felstone. Felstone also seemingly has a peculiar interaction with Wovenstone and Aero Stone that can create flying or weightless materals. (A fact which apparently enables the wondrous flying machines that have been spotted occasionally.) Before leaving, the group of adventurers also raised some internal concerns that the public might need to know about the potential threat of Shadowfell portals, but the Order seemed more concerned about potentially improperly creating panic.
Regardless, we were instructed to keep things quiet and not incite a panic, but to determine whether the Felstone mines were all generally at risk for these portals. Previous locations had been near other Felstone deposits, and centered around this region where Felstone was being mined, so it was a valid concern. It was also quietly suggested that the mining company themselves might be either involved or at fault for the creation of the portals, and investigating them might face complications if we were forthright about our intentions to search the place. Circumspection was reasonable, but neither I nor most of the group felt that lying was our best way into the mines, and we took Falgrim's suggestion of how we should handle the investigation as just that, a suggestion. We also got to meet Dippy, which was... an experience. The halflings and gnomes of this Order are very odd characters, and I'm not sure they're all there in the head, nor do I think they're entirely trustworthy.
We trekked out to the mines, and made good time along the roads. But actually getting past the foreman proved quite tricky. Since there had been no actual official request for help, and no evidence of anything actually wrong in the mine yet, he was quite insistent that the mines weren't safe because of mining reasons, like... rocks or something. We tried some minor bribery, some threats, and just pushing our way through, but eventually we were able to convince him that it would just be easier for him to come with us down the elevator and not have to deal with us longer. Immediately upon reaching the mine, something felt off. We started to spread out, and work had stopped in one chamber, plus there was a missing miner. We located a chamber with a strange, glowing wall and started to tell everyone to begin an evacuation when four spectral entities came out of the portal and started attacking.
Vadath took the attacks of the first couple, but two ran past him and through the walls of the mine to chase after easier targets. With quick thinking and careful placement, the whole party was able to unleash a barrage of attacks on these wraiths and prevent them from causing too much harm. We also kept the miners remarkably calm as we escorted them to the exit. Unfortunately, one miner was slain near the beginning of the encounter before we could get the rest out to safety and eliminate the threats. But overall, we were highly successful in determining that the Felstone mine was indeed the site of another portal to the shadowfel. I sent Thirku to do some scouting, and it appeared that entities on the other side were barely aware of the presence of the portal, and the four entities we fought were merely what had been within sight of the portal on the other side when it opened. We also proved that Wovenstone (such as my necklace) is repelled by the energy of the plane. And it might be able to be used (in large quantities) to seal these rifts/portals in the future.
In thanks for saving all (but one) of the miners, and for helping to seal and secure the mines, each of us received 7 chunks of Felstone as a reward, or about 2000gp worth of the stuff. I'm hopeful that I can have it crafted into some useful arrowheads or maybe tokens of some kind.The Search for more Kobolds!
With a secure base of operations and sufficient funds. Kihlek has decided that it's time to really delve into what happened to his clan of kobolds in the past. He is also searching for any other kobolds who might be related, both to see if they know anything of use, and also to potentially put together his own clan. Over the next few months he intends to recruit followers, build a small community, and find out anything he can about what killed his people. This may result in him taking a back seat on some of the major adventures, but he still intends on assisting as required.
Once More Into The Greedy Green
Broken Habits
The Library
The Return of Sardior
Re-establishment of the Ixen Jonal and a New Journey
Kihlek took several years off from adventuring, focused entirely on his duties as clan head and eldest of the kobolds around. (No matter how many times Shnek said he was really the older one now.) With the new blood of Shnek's family mixing with the original Ixen Jonal members now recovered, the clan began rapidly expanding in numbers. As their numbers grew, so did the Green Fang's lair, becoming almost a small town of its own along the river between Seglock and Saltport. This caused some minor tension with the neighboring cities, but at least in the short term this has yet to cause any major incidents. The kobolds also helped significantly in the reconstruction and improvements to the nearby town of Sumpter. Few of the kobolds found themselves drawn to an adventuring life, and the relative safety of the area as well as combined presence of two veteran adventurers among its elders helped improve the living conditions and lifespan of the kobolds, who started to learning crafts and learning fine detail work well-suited to their size. During this time, Kihlek devoted much of his time to teaching each new generation the lore of the Ixen Jonal and the rules which would keep them safe in a world filled with larger folk. He would range the surrounding territories or visit with old friends infrequently, maintaining a positive connection to the people from his adventuring life, and bringing Thirku to deal with any great threats that arose in the vicinity of the Lair.
Yet, after leading the clan for the span of twenty years, and seeing to the hatching of multiple generations of mixed kobolds, now seemingly able to sustain themselves, Kihlek again felt the wanderlust that had driven him to spend so much time outside his own clan in the first place. Yet, as the years passed he found himself craving the experience of exploring again. At the same time, Kihlek felt uncomfortable with simply leaving the tribe, certain that Shnek could handle many threats, but that he might lead them... unwisely in his absence. Yet, the urge to leave only continued to grow, so Kihlek eventually did just that, leaving his valuable Rod of Alertness with Shnek and the next generation of kobolds demonstrating sufficient wisdom to use it well. Kihlek also left behind all of his wealth but a handful of coins, and what he considered his most valuable possession, although much more in terms of sentiment than material: the wovenstone necklace--the same kind of stone around which the Ixen Jonal initially and unknowingly built their warren around--carved by Pot'tu imbued with the power of keeping one warm in any conditions Kihlek's Stone of the Cozy Hearth. This, he insisted remain as part of the clan's history, and so that all could replicate it should they find or purchase the materials and the clan would always be able to stay warm. Any future adventurers from the Ixen Jonal, no matter they be green, red, or mottled in scale, have a right to wear the stone, or any replicas for at least one night in the year as a reminder of their past and that they need not face the cold world alone. He also left the magic spice pouch for the clan, so it could always have variety in its cooking.
Setting out on this new journey alone with only simple supplies, his ring to conjure arrows, his boots letting him run across air, a wooden shortbow, his bracers of white dragonscale, and his life-long companion Thirku, Kihlek began to wander South of Isonhound. He roamed the continent for a dozen years, trekking through forests and swamps, but avoiding the peaks of mountains due to their chill now that he was vulnerable to it once more. He found himself drawn to the coast of Isonhound for a time, exploring fjords and rock formations, before eventually taking ship and crossing the great oceans to the world beyond. Before he left for lands unknown, he visited the clan lair once more, finding it thriving, and surprising to him, finding a pair of adventurous kobolds who wanted to come with him across the world, potentially never to return. It took much convincing, but Kihlek eventually acceded to their requests, bringing with him a pair of new apprentice adventurers of the Ixen Jonal out across Quelmar to experience the wide wonders of the world. Where they end up, and whether they have future adventures remain to be seen, but having learned of the size of the world, Kihlek wants to see it all before he dies.
During these later adventures, Kihlek and Thirku's bond grew, eventually reaching the point where the now large drake could carry all three small kobolds through the sky unimpeded. Moreover, although they were no longer empowered by the energy of the gem dragons, Thirku's and Kihlek's ties to the return of Sardior marked them as a friend to these dragons, granting them respect and access to the territory of any they met along the way.