Log:Broken Blade: Fragment Recovery

Date	Title	People	Location
May 3, 2015	Broken Blade: Fragment Recovery	Kyson, Korra, Godwyn. Mel, Kira and Cesran (GM)	Kingdom of Rune

You have all been gathered together to help Kyson find at least part of his broken blade. Cesran using a powerful magical spell was able to locate at least part of the blade. It's in a small swampy marshy region that is surrounded by high rocky hills. Cersan has teleported everyone the closest that he could get the entire party which is on the eastern side of the that puts up against one of the hills. It's rather humid as the trees with their broad leaves and branches keep the heat in. It smells of rot and death. Cesran has to leave, but will be back in one day, he has business in Rune that must be attended to. He gives a warning that the blade fragment is likely guarded.

<OOC> Cesran says, "Everyone roll perception checks" GAME: Korra rolls Perception: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Kyson rolls perception: (14)+3: 17 GAME: Godwyn rolls Perception: (4)+8: 12 GAME: Mel rolls perception: (17)+11: 28 GAME: Kira rolls perception: (19)+9: 28

Korra shudders queasily, bracing herself against a slender tree. "Gods above," she moans, shaking as she turns an odd shade of green. "Give me the steppes and the sea and the horse hooves, for all the days I travel!" Swearing a few other choice oaths, she bends slightly at her waist, taking a moment to control her heaving insides.

To (Kira, Mel, Kyson), Cesran pages: You all see what looks to be an unnatural hole in the hill about 5' in diameter. The hole is about 20' from your current position and about 3 feet off the ground

Mel seems to be handling the weather well enough. He's sweating heavily, but it doesn't seem to bother him. Looking forward, he asks, "Is that hole the place we're going? The one with the pit in front of it?" He sets his cloak to keep the sun off as much as he can and takes a drink from his waterskin. "I can probably jam it shut, if you want me to give it a try?"

Kyson is somewhat used to teleporting between Alexandros and Rune but that's through an established Portal with gates on both end; a fairly 'stable' transference of energy. His master's own spell, since there is no anchor at the opposite end, grabs his stomach and bounces it off the ground upon arrival. A faint, if queasy breath escape his lips as he looks down to the ground to get his barings before leaning back to stretch out any kinks. Out of the corner of his eye he spies the oddly shaped cave up ahead and raises an eyebrow in question. "I'm not sure," he begins, "Master said that he saw the fragment in a cave but...who knows which one it could be."

Kira is used to travel. On foot, or possibly in a wagon. This is... very different. Still, it's not enough to dissuade her from helping those in need. It is her Oath, afterall. It doesn't hurt that she had no idea what she would experience until after they were teleported. She rells, wobbles, and isn't sure whether to clutch her stomach or her head. "That was ... an experience." Kira doesn't want to insult the one who saved them many days of travel.

After recovering, she looks around and notices the hole, also... as well as the suspicious signs of a pit in front of it. "Be careful! Someone could fall in and be hurt."

Godwyn is here... yet she is here on an advisory basis. Her armor and weapons are present, in the event that things go catastrophically wrong. To be honest, they shouldn't.

But one can never be too careful.

The Sentinel takes a brief glance at Kira... and smiles. She says nothing for a few moments as she approaches the group from behind, acting as their rear guard. Godwyn places her hand on Kira's right shoulder to steady her. "It's always a rough landing," she intones.

"I should still prefer Breeze," Korra states plainly, getting her gullet under control with a few swallows. A few heavy swallows. "Horses do *not* leave the world trying to change colors and turn sideways!" Shield prepared on her arm, she gazes at the cavern entrance hesitantly, stepping forward with a mushy, muddy sound under her boots. "This must lead into the hill," she says, kneeling down just at the entry. She narrows her eyes, gazing out into the darkness. "Should we prepare a torch first, or trust to a magical orb for lighting?"

"I should still prefer Breeze," Korra states plainly, getting her gullet under control with a few swallows. A few heavy swallows. "Horses do *not* leave the world trying to change colors and turn sideways!" Shield prepared on her arm, she gazes at the cavern entrance hesitantly, stepping forward with a mushy, muddy sound under her boots. "This must lead into the hill," she says, kneeling down just at the entry. She narrows her eyes, gazing out into the darkness. "Should we prepare a torch first, or trust to a magical orb for lighting?" Korra stays to one side of the concealed pit, watchful of the sickly vines and other greenery hiding the bottom of the entrapment.

Kyson slowly approaches the 'tunnel' and yet still keeps his distance, attempting to see down its length without having to actually crawl inside it just yet. The young woman's question is logical. "I have a sunrod - or I could use my staff," he offers. "What does everyone else have?"

Mel nods towards Korra and pulls a flaming brand from his pack. Since his pack is not on fire, it is likely an everburning torch, with the fire being illusory. But it makes light. "We can do both," he replies to her, setting it aside so he can fiddle with the trap.

Mel takes out a small hammer and some nails and pounds them in so that the trap cannot swing open. "Just don't jump up and down on it," he recommends. "But it should take our weight."

Kira lifts a hand and starts to warn the two approaching, but relaxes when they are aware and avoid it. She then turns to the armored one behind her. "Thank you..." her eyes lower to the tabard and her smile grows, "..Sister. I will be fine, and I'm happy to know The Healer's Grace watches over us." She doesn't want to leave the others ahead, and so moves up to join them. Carefully, without interrupting their work on the pit. "Thank you for closing it," she turns her smile to the one with hammer and nails.

Korra reaches down to the ground, raising her gloved hand demonstrably. "I have a rock," she explains, eyes twinkling. "There are many like it, but this one is mine. Combined with an enchantment to glow in the dark, I can toss them ahead in an endless stream. Fear this, the shining pebble!"

Godwyn pats Kira's right shoulder and walks with her for a moment. "In the event that something in here doesn't agree with me..." Her voice lowers a touch. "I trust you to get everyone to safety. We can't be sure who all is guarding this thing."

<OOC> Cesran says, "So Mel, Korra, Kyson, Kira and Godwyn?" Mel finishes nailing the trap shut, and torch in hand, proceeds in.

"I will look after them, Sister," Kira assures Godwyn. "Whatever is in here, this could be its home. The sword doesn't belong to it, so I'm sure we can explain everything and maintain peace and manners."

Kyson follows in behind Mel and Korra, waiting until he's inside the tunnel before he casts a simple light cantrip upon the quartz crystal he has at the top of his staff. Though not a -true- wizard's staff, it allows him the ability to 'risk a little more light' in this long dark of mor...er, tunnel. "We can do this," he mutters to himself as much as anyone around him.

Korra smiles quietly, shaking her head. Wizards, so... dainty. In quarters too close for bow, she moves with shield and curved blade just behind Mel. She leaves the professional to his work; her own is to cover his back from potential dangers, dark eyes quick as they leap along the tunnel's walls, its dark depths beyond the reach of sight.

Mel looks back and nods to Korra, reassured with her huge form close behind him in case something happens. 'Something' happens far, far too often for his liking. He moves along fairly quietly, his footsteps light as he proceeds deeper in, using the light from his Everburning Torch to see by, for as far as he can see with it.

The tunnel is dark and as soon as you get 15 feet away from the tunnel's mouth it starts to decline and turn towards the right. If not for the light sources you'd be in pitch blackness. The tunnel is cramped, about 5 feet give or take a couple of inches here or there. It's been carved and smoothed. You all feel like you are curving downwards for maybe a hundred feet. You can still smell the swamp and the top of the tunnel is damp to the touch. The occasional root will hang down. The tunnel does start to open up after a hundred feet into a cavern that's about 15 feet high and 30 feet across and 40 feet long.

This cavern has been carved to look like a temple, the walls have pillars carved into them and the floor has been carved to look like tiles. The smell of incense is in the air and just out of the light is a statue at the far end of the cavern. The cavern is not empty as just in the torch light you can see one figure kneeling with his head down in front of the statue.

Mel blinks as the passage opens into a room, looking like a temple, perhaps. Seeing it's occupied, he wipes his palm on his pantleg and silently eases his shortsword from its sheath. "Anything special we ought to know?" he whispers back to his companions.

"Does anyone know what kind of animal could dig-Oh!" Kira's question stops when they reach the cavern, since it's craved... and decorated... and occupied. The scents also seem familiar as her mention of another's home is still fresh in mind. "Forgive us," she calls out politely to the kneeling figure, moving forward to greet, "We didn't mean to intrude and didn't know that this was your home. We were told that a lost heirloom might be here. Have you seen a broken sword?"

Crouching down just behind Mel, Korra glances back towards the others, question mirrored in her own eyes. "A temple?" she whispers, grimacing briefly at the outcall of welcome. She turns back towards the hermit-priest, watching cautiously.

The young wizard answers the question in a hushed tone. "This looks like a monk's temple. I'd guess Navos but can't be sure..." Well, he -was- trying to be all stealthy but Kira's ... bravado sort of stole his thunder.

Kira moves forward, but not TOO close. After her greeting and explanation, she waits politely and patiently. They are the ones who interupted and interloped, afterall. The resident could be meditating or praying, and she doesn't want to be any more rude than they already have.

The figure that was kneeling rises up, and it's not very tall, barely 3 and a half feet tall if that. The robed figure turns towards the party and you can see that it's a kobold. In draconic it speaks, "So more have come to try to steal my Mistress treasure. You will be dealt with like the others that have come before you." He makes a motion with his hands and from behind two of the pillars on the far end two more robed kobolds come out bearing crossbows. They take aim at Kira and Korra and fire. One hits Kira in the arm, while the other bounced off of Korra's armor.

GAME: You roll initiative: Roll: 10 + Bonus: 7 = Total: 17

The kobold master monk moves faster then any of you would have thought possible. One moment he is standing in front of the statue, the next he's attacking Godwyn. You can hear the ring of metal as his fists and feet hit against her armor.

As a bolt is launched from one of the two crossbowmen behind their apparent leader, Kyson picks the one on the right and extends his hand to launch two burning darts of arcane energy. Blue-white light surrounds his hands and upon his words, "Telae Incendarae!" they form into two bolts and fly from his fingers like white-hot arrowheads. The kobold is hurt but not dead it will take more than this to kill them.

Kira yelps as the bolt cuts into her arm. "Stop! Please! We didn't come here to fight!" She steps quickly across the cavern to the one wounded by the magic and grabs hold of him to stop him shooting anyone else.

GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+18: (17)+18: 35 GAME: Cesran rolls 2d6+16: (10)+16: 26 <OOC> Cesran says, "Okay Godwyn you've got a kobold monk who just smashed you with one fist. Your go"

"Mistress indeed."

Godwyn reaches for her great sword to withdraw her from the scabbard strapped to her back. "Well I have one of my own. And she says that those who have no mercy, have no heart. And those that have no heart..."

She draws the weapon and it bursts into light, a voice ringing from the adamantine blade. "...will fail!"

She takes in a breath and cries out, "Evil one, begone!" Her body is enshrouded in a pale blue light, the color of Althea, and her silver armor shines just that much brighter. "Come here, fiend... I'm your target." She points toward him. "Face me, or face the consequences!"

GAME: Godwyn casts Challenge Evil. Caster Level: 13 DC: 16 <OOC> Cesran says, "Will save?" <OOC> Godwyn says, "Smite Evil, active." GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+8: (1)+8: 9 (EPIC FAIL)

As one of the kobold monks struggles to get out of Kira's grip to no avail, the other one continues to fire shots against Korra but the bolt bounces off of Korra's armor.

Mud is outside, slick earth left for hard stone within. Korra's warcry rebounds from the walls, a pulse of swift shockwaves. As Kira moves to one, so Korra leaps for the other. One, two, three earth-eating strides-- she approaches too fast for the startled kobold to strike, second shot veering wide as she slices a razor-thin cut along a scaly cheek.

"More to come?" she says with relish, preparing the second strike.

GAME: Godwyn rolls weapon7+Charisma+1: (17)+19+5+1: 42 GAME: Godwyn rolls Weapon7+Charisma+1: (16)+19+5+1: 41 GAME: Godwyn rolls Weapon7+Charisma+1-4-5: (20)+19+5+1+-4+-5: 36 (THREAT) GAME: Godwyn rolls Weapon7+Charisma+1-4-10: (1)+19+5+1+-4+-10: 12 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Godwyn rolls 4d6+26+24+1: (10)+26+24+1: 61 GAME: Godwyn rolls 2d6+13+12+1: (4)+13+12+1: 30 GAME: Godwyn rolls 2d6+13+12+1: (2)+13+12+1: 28

Godwyn levels her weapon toward the master monk. "Let's see how much of a master you are before Althea." With that, she lifts her weapon... and within the blink of an eye, her body is a blur. Three cuts in the space of heartbeats. One of them produces a pale blue flash and a crack of *thunder*, and just like that... Godwyn turns her back and puts her sword away.

Mel watches as the praying person turns out to be a kobold, and has 2 friends. He clutches his shortsword and hangs back, waiting for an opening. Spotting his chance, he moves up behind the one Korra is fighting and when it's concentrating on fighting her, he stabs it in the kidneys. He smiles to Korra, gives her a thumbs-up.

"Keep one alive!" Kyson calls to the two who are grappling with the Kobold crossbowman. "We need to know who their Mistress is." The young man does his best to scan the cavern, attempting to identify the purpose of the temple while the others are dealing with the last of their more 'immediate' threats.

The kobold master monk does try to dodge Godwyn's sword strikes and to his credit he is faster then any other kobold that Godwyn's probably ever seen before, but against the divine might that is behind Godwyn's swings there is little the kobold master can do as he is cut to pieces. As he lies there gasping his last breaths he croaks out, "Mistress I'm sorry I failed you."

Cesran pages: As you have gotten close you see that what the kobold master monk was bowing to was a statue of a black dragon.

"Please stop! It's over!" Kira beseeches the squirming kobold, and possibly her companions. "We don't want to harm anyone." She doesn't, and assumes most people don't, either.

The kobold that Kira has continues to squirm and try to wriggles free of her grip. The one between Mel and Korra just stands there for a moment and some of it's wounds start to heal. This one shouts out for those that speak draconic. "Intruders! Intruders! They've killed Master Kib!"

Korra grits her teeth beneath her helm. Another quick slice, this one much more vicious than the first blow. "That language always grates on my ears," she says with a frown, silver blade glittering in its arc before the kobold monk. "More to come!" she warns, calling back to her fellows. "Brace!"

From one side of the statue comes another kobold monk. He sees the situation and rushes at the closest adventurer, Mel. The small monk kicks hard at Mel's back and this one looks fresh as it bobs up and down on the balls of it's feet.

Mel recoils as the kobold reacts and strikes back at him. He wasn't expecting that, clearly, and he's all thumbs for a moment as he tries to get into a defensive position. "Hey, no, wait!" he protests. But he did stab the fellow in the back, so what does he expect?

Seeing that one of the Kobold crossbowmen that's struggling with Mel is still active, Kyson turns his attention away from the master and the remaining crossbowman that Kira is 'negotiating' with. Again the blue-white glow of magic fills his hand though this time he only sends one, smaller bolt towards the attacker, "Telum Incendarae!" The dart streaks out from his finger-tip and burns into the creature's chest.

Kira sighs. She didn't want anyone hurt or killed, but she can't have them calling in even more people to contribute to the senseless violence. She shifts her grip on the kobold and applies pressure to throat and carotid to try and render him unconscious.

The kobold stops trying to get out of the grapple as Kira starts to put pressure on it's throat. It starts to swing and two of it's punches connect as it is also trying to render Kira unconscious so it can get away.

The kobold between Mel and Korra takes up a defensive stance and he lashes out with a flurry of fists and kicks. Only one connects though.

GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+8: (14)+8: 22 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+8: (17)+8: 25 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+8: (15)+8: 23 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d6+2: (3)+2: 5 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d6+2: (5)+2: 7 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d6+2: (3)+2: 5

Korra keeps her silence and her voice, for now. Another slash at the kobold's back-- another marginal widening of the eyes as she misses, yet again. "How---?" she begins, cutting ff her words with a breath. And another slice!

Godwyn takes watch over the fight for a moment, and... gasps as someone is in dire need of assistance. She makes a rush over toward Mel, and it only takes a moment to place her hand on his right shoulder. "Althea attend to his suffering." In a flash, his wounds knit themselves back together. "We need to close this out before more of them get here!"

"Ow, ow!" Mel shouts as the kobold attacks him. That hurts, though Godwyn's healing is a huge relief. "Thanks! Working on it." Turning on the kobold, he shouts, "Die, scum!" not caring that the kobolds almost certainly can't understand him. They certainly understand his blade, though, but he's versed in dirty street fighting, and when Korra's attacks draw off the kobold's guard, Mel strikes with his shortsword, plunging his blade into it's chest. It collapses, and Mel yanks his blade free.

GAME: Kyson rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2

Kyson, now that the Kobold that Korra was fighting with is down, turns to the one going after Mel. Again the blue-white glow of magic fills his hand though this time he only sends one, smaller bolt towards the attacker, "Telum Incendarae!" The dart streaks out from his finger-tip and burns into the creature's chest.

The Kobold behind Mel let's out a cry of anger, "My name is Durigo. You killed my brother...prepare to die." The first hit connects but he slips on the cave floor making his next two wild misses.

So, holding him still isn't working well when the kobold punches her. "I'm sorry..." She releases him, since he was no longer hindered. To free her hands and feet to strike at him in return, though she still tries to not deal permanent harm.

Korra exhales as the one before her drops like a steel-assisted stone, exhaling a quick breath as she nods her thanks to the others. Pausing only long enough to wipe the sweat from her brow along the back of one hand, she moves forward to the third kobold, blade poising to stab inward-- a quick, jabbing strike punching into his shoulder.

The kobold just growls at Kira as it's hit. It follows up with three quick strikes of it's own, the first to hitting, but it misses the third.

Godwyn hisses through her teeth as Kira gets slammed into with a flurry of strikes! "Goddess preserve me..." She takes in a breath. "Enough of this!" She pulls off the crystal rose from her neck and lifts it high into the air. "Evening Star, grant us deliverance!"

With a burst of holy energy, Godwyn channels the power of Althea into the symbol, and all at once, a shock wave of healing bursts forth.

Kyson heard the remaining Kobold's challenge. 'I will have what is mine!', he yells to the Kobold, Durigo in a close approximation of the creature's own language. Again the blue-white glow of magic fills his hand though this time he only sends one, smaller bolt towards the attacker, "Telae Incinderae!" The twin darts streaks out from his fingertips and burns into the creature's chest, hurting but not killing it.

"Stop this!" Kira still asks, even if the kobold probably can't understand her. Even as she strikes at him in a comparatively gentle manner. He should be able to realize that.

The kobolds fight on, but as they both miss with their attacks this time it's apparent that the fighting is taking a toll on them.

Korra's return slice finally strikes home-- clean and certain after so many smaller cuts, nick and minor hurts-- a punch through scaly ribs, a creak of bone. The horse-warrior twistst the blade with a grimace, jerking it back with a spray of blood. "We killed your brother," she says quiely. "Prepare to join him."

Mel moves as the kobold moves and stabs him. The kobold looks like it's on it's last legs.

The young wizard spies the kobold that Mel's fighting and sees that its on its last minutes in this world. To finish the creature off he sends another of his arcane darts at the creature though there's something to his voice as he speaks the words of the spell. "Telum Incendarae!" The words aren't a 'request' of the magic but now more of a 'command' of it as though he were dominating the magic into killing the thing before him. As before, the blue-white glow of magic fills his hand but this time it's more blue than white, darker somehow. The dart streaks out from his finger tip and burns into the creature's chest. It falls dead.

Kira is hesitant to harm, and even though it isn't permanent injury, her hesitation shows. Her strikes of foot and fist are clumsy from hesitation and the loss of life around her.

THe kobold grins as it sees Kira's hesitation to hurt it. It has no compulsion as it punches her and then goes to kick her. The kick misses though.

Good. Everyone's okay. Godwyn moves to cover the team's backs while they finish their business. Definitely guarded. Which means either they found it, or they were told to defend that position. The question is, which?

Mel seeks to send the fight as he moves up behind the kobold and stabs it. The stab is enough to push the kobold over the edge as it falls down unconsious.

Sweat glistens from her brow as Korra glances at Kira's conflict. "I will have to invest in a net," she mutters to herself. glancing to the others. "Aid her if you can. I'll keep watch here, just in case we have unfriendly welcomes." Sparing a glance back at the struggle (wincing at the kodold's kick), the turns back towards the tunnel, eyeing it silently

Kyson is glad to see the last Kobold go down and calls to the others, "Make sure its tied up - bound hand, foot and tail." The young wizard heads for the 'lead' monk to search is belongings in an attempt to locate the broken blade fragment. "The fragment should be here - about as long as your hand...shiney...but be careful of the blade; don't touch it with your bare hands."

Kira startles as the kobold falls, but immediately recovers to kneel by it. First, she ensures it is still breathing. Then, she binds him. "How should we pick it up? Is it dangerous?"

Korra perks over to the discussion, eyes sinking back into the darksome caves. "We could truss him for now," she suggests. "Question him after, and take a moment to rest. We have no way of knowing what else is down there."

Godwyn glances over her right shoulder. "Very much so. Made of Mithral, cuts through just about everything. Not to mention that something happened to the original weapon that might have tainted it. I advise the utmost caution, Sister."

Kyson asks, "Can someone carry it...the Kobold..." and without warning, stalks off towards the other chamber.

In the other cavern Kyson will first smell a mixtures of smells, acid, with spell components, smoke and rot. It's a chamber about 30 feet wide and long, circular shaped. To the left is a workshop that that has all bottles and potions, along with everything you need to scribe scrolls and enchant items. Towards the back is a small to medium sized pile of gold and silver, and some copper. Precious gems and some items can also be seen. The pile is in a shallow pool of water, no more then 1-3 inches deep. On top of that pile is a small blackness. As Kyson enters the blackness shifts and it's catlike green eyes open and pin him down with their stare. In an almost purring sibilant voice it speaks in common, "How nice of Master Kib to let me have something to play with..."

+++PAUSE+++