Musings of a Future Baron - 11. Of Mites and Kobolds

Sunday 2 Desnus 4710

We followed Tartuccio to an old sycamore before we had to rest. My dreams were troubled by a burning house and a cold river. A voice whispered, “Shrike River”. It would seem something wishes us to travel there.

Try as I might, I could not get back to sleep, so I stood watch over our little camp through the night. Today will be hell, but we cannot afford to waste time one one person’s exhaustion. Perhaps Tristian would have something to help me shake off my fatigue?

Update: Keston Garess approached us as we neared the sycamore. He still looks as handsome as ever, though he walks with a noticeable limp now. He informed us that the investigation into the assassins determined that Tartuccio was the Pitaxian spy. No real surprise there. Apparently he was supposed to gain Aldori support and the Stolen Lands before handing the lands over to Pitax. I’m not sure exactly what it would have accomplished; as Linzi explains it, there is no way the Aldori would ever recognise Pitaxian sovereignty over the Stolen Lands. Still, Lady Jamandi’s apologies were nice to hear.

Keston informed us that he’d nearly cornered Tartuccio when the Stag Lord’s fog had fallen. In a stroke of pure luck for Tartuccio, his pursuers had stumbled upon a bandit camp and barely made it out alive. Unable to continue his chase, Keston asked me to bring Tartuccio to Oleg’s Trading Post dead or alive. I have the feeling dead is the order of the day, but if I can make the gnome face Aldori justice, I shall do just that.

Tristan was able to grant me Sarenrae’s rejuvenation, allowing me the feeling of a full night’s rest. It was a blessing, granting us the ability to move forward without the risk of me failing in combat.

As we moved forward, we came across a battle brewing between a tribe of mites and a tribe of kobolds. Listening in, I got the sinking feeling that a certain purple kobold was causing strife for his own purposes, yet again.

I stepped forward, offering my opinion on the fight. The kobold chief said a shaman Tartuk told him the mites had stolen a relic. Clearly Tartuccio’s handiwork, most likely to slow us down. Somehow, the gnome turned kobold found a way into their sacred hall, shared by both mite and kobold.

There was no way I was siding with either. Both were being duped, and I told them as much. But I also promised to find proof, knowing exactly where that proof would lie.

It didn’t stop the battle, but we were able to get past the fighting. We even had one kobold show us where their entrance to the tunnels under the sycamore was. As we stepped into the dark and fetid tunnels, I cast a spell of light, the orb hovering over us as we walked.

Another kobold met us inside, showing us a safe path through their traps before directing us onward. It was a good thing he retreated, as we almost immediately came upon a bunch of massive spiders.

And then centipedes.

And undead.

Tristian was a lifesaver down there, giving us aid, and blasting skeletons with his prayers. But finally, at long last, we made it to the mite queen, and to the Sacred Hall… only to be turned away because we lacked the kobold relic. I mean, how the hell did Tartuccio get into the hall if we couldn’t get in without the relics?

Regardless, we were forced to backtrack, searching tunnel after tunnel for the kobold chief. My light had to be renewed several times in our search, and once we found ourselves trapped in a massive web

Finally, it became too much. We were exhausted, and we had to rest.