Around midmorning you are surprised to see Op Code and Calvin riding back towards you at a full gallop, from where they had been scouting on ahead.
Reigning their horses to a stop when they reach you, they report.
"There's several hundred kobolds in a camp just up the road, around that bend, maybe a half a mile away," says Calvin excitedly.
From off in that direction you hear distant cries and trumpet calls.
"Time to scour the evil heathens from this world," Salaam says as he grips his hammer and prepares some spells for combat.
Orlon prepares a blade barrier spell, to cast at the right moment.
Phil casts fly on himself and prepares to cast ice storm for when he sees the hoards.
Oh Well pulls out his long sword #1 and waits for the onslaught.
Who Knows grabs his short sword of quickness and his magic dagger.
Valdar also flies up into the air, and hovers.
Vardui speaks a word and turns invisible.
Darian looks at Gilstrock and grins. "This is going to be fun! The mages can cast fireballs all across their ranks and we can mop up the rest."
"Would be even more fun iffn we did nothing, you know, disappear and watch dem good fer nuttins cavern rats root all around heres fer us and us be invisible or the like and just watch," offers Gonzo. "Iffin der be something worth our while ta blast wid a fireball, den dat be ta me liken."
Darian's grin fades. "Perhaps, but they might hit a town or an unsuspecting caravan. At least we're capable of handling that many kobolds. And if there are a few hundred of them, then it will be a challenge. They're going to come like a swarm of ants. And we're not going to emerge unscathed without some luck."
"Not to mention, that we're going to attract some serious attention with this battle. So much for a quiet ride up the coast," Niko sighs.
Gilstrock says, "Eh, quiet schmiet. Darian's right. Kobolds are nasty little buggers who pester and harrass the decent folk around them. Vermin. Each one wiped out makes the world just that much a better place, so, hey, let's enjoy it!"
Darian grins and smacks him on the back. "That's the attitude!"
Gilstrock draws Thawbreaker, and beads of condensation form on the blade of the longsword. He swishes it about a bit as if that would help him make his point, so to speak.
"So, shall we take volunteers to form up the front line?"
Op Code steps forward, sword #1 in hand, "I will help form the front line."
He quickly uses his potion of giant sweat.
Darian nods. "Good, that's three. Op Code, what does the potion do?"
Niko sighs again "Well, I suppose if we're going to do this, we might as well get it over with quickly. Swords or sorcery? Which is it going to be?"
Gilstrock replies, "Well, what we usually do is this. Gonzo 'n me and Angst and us folks like that, we all draw our swords and spears and things and go running towards the bad guys. Then Occa and Stiff twitch their little fingers and blast the bad guys to smithereens before us men can get any good licks in. Darian, he's kinda a fence sitter, sometimes with the men, sometimes with the... esteemed wizards. And, while all of this is going on, Pharian makes fun of Jesse for using her wand of magic missiles."
Darian grins at the description. "I get the best of both worlds."
Gilstrock shrugs. "Works most of the time. The rest of the time we either all get killed, and Stiff, who stayed home, has to pull our fat out of the fire, or we all almost die, but then we get to use our swords, but we're floatin' in the air, see, because we didn't plan ahead. Oh, yeah, and there was the time that Jesse broke the vampire's staff of power, but we're not gonna talk about that.
"So, there, you know everything I know about our group tactics," Gilstrock concludes.
Niko listens to Gilstrock's words carefully before releasing a belch and saying the two most sagacious words in the Common language: "I see..."
"Don't worry, Niko, it's not that bad. After all, we took out two or three score dragons without a scratch. Gilstrock just likes to remember our worst moments. He's a pessimist at heart. Either that or it's some of Pharian's cynicism that's soured him."
Niko looks at Darian in disbelief about the dragons "I've heard some big fish stories, but you my friend, have the whopper of all time. Three score of dragons, please! And without a scratch! Next, you'll be telling me how some of you actually went and killed the Spider Goddess herself!" Niko laughs heartily.
Darian says with all seriousness, "No, I wasn't part of the group when that happened. Lord Valdar and Stiff were there, though."
Stiff nods.
Niko seems awed at Valdar and Stiff. "Truly, you were there? But that would make you (looking at Stiff)...er, a lot older than you look. I guess that means you're one of those arch-mages."
Niko reaches into his backpack and pulls out a large flask of dwarven whiskey, which he begins to quaff rather quickly.
"And, yes, we did take out that many dragons. I wouldn't lie about something like that. I never did get a chance to count them because things happened too fast, but I believe there were at least forty. Lord Valdar, did you get a count?"
"I think there were 20 in the chamber, but we'd killed lots more before we got to that point," says Vardui from above.
Darian seems confused and starts pointing at imaginary dragons. You can see him mouthing numbers. He stops, scratches his head and begins again. "I think you're right Lord Valdar. If I remember correctly, I counted twenty-five, but being around all those dragons was rather intimidating. I could've counted a few twice."
"My apologies Niko, it appears I was exaggerating."
Gilstrock laughs along. "Yeah, I wasn't sure if I believed them either when they told me THAT. Three score dragons, though, no problem. Ratamatazatapazagorazanap, however, he was a problem."
"PROBLEM... naaaaaaaa that weenie be chicken... iffin he stayed around long enough, he'd be dead," quips Gonzo.
"The first time, not the second, Gilstrock. Now I have his number. If he hadn't been so craven as to only appear as an illusion, you would've removed his head from the rest of him. Next time, we'll get him."
"With as much attacking as us fighter types get on these guys, isn't this going to be a little to easy?" asks BrightAxe as he gets both axes out preparing to swing. "Maybe we want to save the magic for something that could be chasing them or assisting them."
"Ever tried to fight a swarm of rats? They may be tiny, but in great numbers they can overwhelm you. If there are several hundred of them out there, we're going to need the magic to keep the numbers manageable. Otherwise, we'll be overrun. Besides, the mages should have a chance to have some fun as well. Of course, we're going to get ourselves noticed, but I don't see any other choices. Besides, we have two arch-mages, not to mention a lot of other very skilled mages. We're not going to run out of magic killing kobolds."
Gonzo, however, is thinking along similar lines to Brightaxe.
"Now, tells me, what iffn der is more den jez kobold rats comin' fer us... has youse guys tought o' dat yet? Me idear of hidin' an' hittin' em after weez has checked out da competition seems ta me ta be betta' den standin' here ready ta receive what-ever dey is 'bout ta dish out ta us... I'm not condonin' lettin varmits live ta torment da good folk o' da lands... I am however lookin' out fer Stiff haffin ta pull our butt's outta da greez as da sayin' goes," soapboxes Gonzo. "I'd like ta haf a chance at ol' Ratz-azz... befo' he has his at us fer once. Me thinks if der is trouble brewin', der's always da chance dat his chicken liver is close by... an' if he's not da one riling up da natives, den we takes da one who is."
However, nobody pays them any further attention, as Phil and Valdar announce the approach of the enemy.
"There's only a half a dozen of them," the latter says. "Probably a scouting party."
He speaks a word of power and five magic missiles spring forth from his outstretched finger.
"Damn!" he says. "One got away!"
"Too late for me," says Vardui. "He's hiding in the woods, now."
You wait a little longer, but there comes no ememy onslaught.
Finally, you decide to move cautiously forward.
A half a mile down the road, past the five corpses of the scouting kobolds, the remains of a hurriedly abandoned camp are obvious. However, the kobolds are no longer here: they have fled east into the forest, rather than face a party which includes at least two magic users.
But, their trail is obvious, and could be followed easily if you wish.
"On my world, kobolds are generally led by a more intelligent leader, hence he or she might be using them as a ruse to divert us or to trap us. So, any decision should be made with caution." Salaam advises the group.
"Lord Valdar, this is your mission. The kobolds could be a ruse to delay us or to bring us into a trap. What do you want to do?"
"That would be quite an elaborate ruse," comments Pharian.
"My preference is to continue on our merry way," says the elf-lord. "But I hate the idea of leaving these creatures at our backs. What do the rest of you think?"
"I think we should continue on our way, but be on the lookout for their possible ambush or reappearance," Orlon suggests.
"I firmly believe we should eliminate them. As I have said, on my world, kobolds are evil. We can not let an army of those wretched creatures have free reign on Darian's friends by the bridge," Salaam says with a slight smile.
"I don't think Kobolds could harangue us," says BrightAxe. "If we deal with them it would be solely to rid them of the countryside."
"Personally, I feel if someone was trying to slow us down," he adds, "they would've used something to make us cautious or wary a diversion which we couldn't tell how powerful the opponent was."
"How quickly can we dispatch them, do you think? With some fireballs and the like, we should be able to rid most of them quickly. That seems to be the operative phrase. If it takes too long, we could get gummed down for little gain. At the same time, if there are a lot of them around, the surronding towns would be grateful if we rid them of this potential menace," says the bard thoughtfully. "How long across is their front? If we were to sneak there, under invisibilities, and then do a series of large attacks, we could probably get most of them out of the way quickly. That would then probably break their morale and they would flee. Alternatively, their leader would appear and try to rally them, at which point, one of our tanks takes him out."
Calvin, one of the original scouts, scratches his head.
"They've fled into the forest...fireballs would set the whole area ablaze," he observes.
"Not too many towns around here," adds Vardui.
"I don't know if they had a front," continues Calvin. "They were just camped over there...which was a pretty stupid place to camp."
"And," concludes Valdar, "It looks to me as if they have fled already."
Sheathing Thawbreaker, Gilstrock says, "Ahh, hell with 'em. This is starting to sound too much like work. Let's keep going."
Niko speaks up. "Yo! Lord Valdar, these vermin have already fled into the forest, which means two things: 1) Mass destruction spells are out of the question, unless you're willing to explain it to the local druids and denizens of the forest; and 2) The forest is the perfect place for a mass ambush, which are what kobolds are notorious for. My point is that we are better off facing them in the open rather than tring to track them all down in unfamiliar territory. Granted, this leaves us more vulnerable to guerilla attacks, but we can alleviate this by having several members hanging back. Protected by invisibility spells, naturally. I'm willing to volunteer myself...and Damian!" Niko belches and smirks at Darian.
"My thoughts as well," agrees Valdar.
Niko grins ."Well, now...I guess I can finally say there's at least one elven lord with some smarts!" Niko raises his whiskey flask in salute to Valdar.
Valdar looks rather sternly at Niko, but says nothing.
"Lord Valdar, we should probably just continue."
"Niko, I gather you mean me, Darian, not Damian. And, yes, I am willing to act as a rear guard."
Niko takes another swig of his whiskey and grins "Arg...Damian, Darian...what's the diff? You knew who I was talkin' about!"
"Darian, I can see why Jesse and you became friendly during my absence... seems we think alike," Salaam says with a friendly grin.
Jesse shakes her head and says something under her breath.
Darian looks uncomfortable. "It didn't start out that way. We were friends for a while."
"Please don't be uncomfortable. What is in the past is done... I was away, possibly never coming back. And I, as well, found love elsewhere," Salaam smiles as he think of his emerald skinned love, Jen.
Jesse smiles at this. "Indeed, a strong and wonderful friendship." she says softly, almost shyly.
He looks at Jesse. "Have you two talked since you came back, Salaam? If not, then maybe you should."
"Yes, we have. and all is settled between us. We are good friends.. nothing more, and I am no threat to you in any way, Darian and sorry if I made you feel bad," Salaam says in an earnest tone.
Darian nods. "It's okay. I just didn't want you to think that I took advantage of Jesse's vulnerability."
"I do not know, maybe you did... but unfortunately the pain she has been through before you or even before me has gave her strength beyond her apparent fragility of being a female. No offense meant, just appropriately describing a lady!" Salaam says as he nods to Jesse.
Gilstrock says, "Fragility! You should meet some of the women where I come from!"
"I said Lady, Gil, not woman!" Salaam responds.
"Ain't that the same thing?" Who Knows scratches his head.
Salaam rolls his eyes and mutters, "Heathens!"
Valdar regards Salaam.
"Don't go imposing your ethics and morals on the rest of us, Salaam," he warns. "Though going by your behaviour, I'd say you don't have too many of either."
"I am not talking about morals, every civilization has their own brand. I was talking about mere etiquette when talking to and treating a lady," Salaam retorts with a smile.
"In that case, I have to agree," says Valdar, smiling.
Jesse throws up her hands. "Men." she says and moves away from the group, taking out her lute in the process.
Darian grins. "That's the mistake we always make when we talk about them. We forget that they can speak for themselves."
"I heard that Darian dear." calls Jesse as she begins to play on her lute.
"I know, honey. I meant for you to hear it."
"No, all Ladies are women, but not all women are Ladies."
"Well...." Gilstrock says, drawing out the word. "I've met some I would call ladies who weren't actually women."
Darian scratches his head. "Excuse me?"
"I could never figure you humans out!" Who Knows scratches her hairy knuckles.
Niko pauses in mid-drink, before spraying forth whiskey as he laughs. "I hope you didn't find this out while you were in bed with them!"
Gilstrock sneaks a glance in the direction of Valdar, before quickly looking away. "Oh, never mind, didn't really know what I was talking about."
Valdar winks back at Gilstrock.
"I'm every inch a male, Gilstrock," he says.
"For all we know he's another Jesse in disguise. Or maybe he just has the hots for you Valdar," Orlon busts out laughing.
"I should be so lucky," laments the elf-lord.
"Hic! Hey! I've met many ladies who were women!" Niko interjects. He then looks confused ."Or was that the other way around???"
Looking over toward Gilstrock, he asks, "Hey buddy, got any ale on ya?"
"I believe we said our peace together," she says, smiling to Darian and Salaam.
Darian looks at Salaam. "Then you're comfortable with the situation?"
"I didn't get a chance to give a proper good bye," he says with a wink to Jesse, "but yes, I am fine with your relationship. Enjoy, she is a wonderful girl.... I know I have no need to warn you about hurting her.."
"Of course not. I'd never do that."
Gilstrock, ever the diplomat, says, one would hope in jest, "Yo, Darian, if you need me to kill him for you, just give me the word."
Darian grins. "Thank you, Gilstrock, but it won't be necessary."
Salaam just looks at the barbarian and mutters, "Typical!"
Niko moves his horse over toward Gilstrock. He draws his cutlass in his left hand and waves his flask of whiskey in his right ."Ooh! Me, too! There's nothing more worth killing for...or dying for except love!" Niko belches and almost falls from his horse.
Pharian looks at Niko. "You seem to have a problem with gas," he says.
"Only when I drink!" Niko says cheerfully. "Could be worse," Niko adds, "It could be coming out the other end!"
Pharian winces at the thought. "It could be worse," he agrees.
Darian's eyes narrow. "Whatever you say, Niko. Now, put away the whiskey and drop the act of drunkenness. There hasn't been enough lapsed time since you started drinking for this behavior to be natural."
"Should I whip up a batch of Marques' special coffee for Niko? Maybe that will snap him out of his druken stupor act," Orlon nudges Valdar smilingly.
Valdar smiles and nods.
"What act?" Niko asks innocently.
"Niko, stop drinking the whiskey and put it away. No one here is going to tolerate a drunk or one who plays a drunk."
Niko glances at Valdar and sighs. Putting away the flask, he mumbles, "This would never happen if I still had me ship!"
With those words you continue on your trek, leaving the kobolds to their fate. The rest of the day's journey is uneventful, and there is no sign of pursuit. The road continues to follow the coastline, perhaps a third of a mile or so inland.
The coast has been very low for most of the journey to this point, with numerous sandy beaches and rocky lowlands. As the afternoon progresses, though, the land starts to rise, and when you camp for the night it is atop a bluff overlooking the ocean. The coastline is become more jagged, as well, with many small bays and inlets.