Otari Misfits - Session 2

The cliff

Before the party prepares to go down the cliff in the Otari Fishery Basement they discuss how to approach any upcoming encounters with Kobolds. The group agrees, for Igni's sake, to determine their intentions first.   Descending the cliff proves challenging as the natural stone handholds are slick. In the end Avdiy lands badly on the ankle that the Giant Rat had bit earlier.  

The webbed chamber

They make their way through the tunnel which continues deeper underground, eventually opening into a large chamber. Patches of glowing blue fungus cling to the ceiling and provide dim light. They can barely make out vast strands of webbing across the floor and walls of this cavern, stretching between stalactites like shimmering curtains. Igni suspects that this could be the lair of a Giant Spider of some sort. He also knows that these creatures consider Kobolds such as him a good meal.   Glandallin takes the lead making his way through the webbing. Before long he is spotted by the giant arachnid occupying the underground chamber. It descends from a strand of web and bites the dwarf in the neck before retreating back up and waiting for its poison to start taking effect. The dwarf's friends try to make his way to him as fast as they can and try to attack the spider on the ceiling with little to no effect. Glandallin himself even hurls it's treasured Clan Dagger at the beast but misses and it is stuck in the webbing. This leaves the dwarven barbarian enraged. Noticing that it's poison has not taken effect the spider dares to descend again amidst of the adventurers. However, it doesn't manage to catch its prey. This gives Mortarion an opening. He pushes his powered armor to it's limits. Hissing and steaming it empowers the inventor's arm as he wails at the spider's right flank with his morningstar. The thing screeches as three of its leg break and get entangled in each other. From a distance Avdiy assaults the spiders mind giving it a crippling desire to flee. It attempts to skitter away on it's five working legs. Quickly Glandallin intercepts with a wide horizontal swing and embeds its axe deeply in the spider's thorax, killing it. As the creature bleeds out Glandallin climbs up the strand of spider webbing to retrieve his Clan Dagger he notices a gleam in the corner of the cavernous chamber. The group investigates and finds a beautiful shortsword and a labeled healing potion among the skeletal remains of a kobold. Igni takes a moment to break off one of the spiders legs. Giant spiders can be kobold snacks too. Not long after the group of misfits continues.  

A fork in the road

After the web-infested cave, the passageway leading deeper underneath the streets of Otari appears to be mostly natural, but someone, or something, has worked to open the cavern and level out the floor, making the passage easily traveled. A crude barricade made from old wooden planks and part of a barrel blocks the entrance to a side tunnel, while the main passage continues off into the gloom. Glandallin offers to break open the barricade but Mortarion says that with some time he could dismantle it quietly. In the end, the group decides to leave the barricade as it is for now. They continue on to the main passage.  

Kobold diplomacy

Before long the party notices that the natural cavetunnel leads to a hewn stone room. They also notice that they could climb up a cliff to a side chamber. They save the climbing for later. This large room looks like it was once a storeroom for a building above. On the far side, they can make out what might have been a cage or cell at some point, but it is now full of crates and barrels. Four Kobolds are clustered around the door to the cell, trying to pry it open. They are initially too busy to notice the group. However, the group decides to approach the Kobolds openly. They turn around with spears in hand and address their foreign kin. "Who are you and why have you brought the big folk? Are you a traitor?"
Igni explains that they are exploring here. The conversation is tense but Mortarion tries to release the tension by offering to open the locked cell door for the reptilians (Even though he has no idea how to do so). They hesitantly agree but only if everyone drops their weapons and that they don't take the treasure within. All but Glandallin agree.   While Mortarion pretends to work on the locked door Avdiy, Igni, and Glandallin strike up a conversation with the kobolds trying to learn more about them. They explain a bit about what is going on.
"Our nest just became bigger after the earthshock. We found great foodstuffs. Soon we will need to raid for more.. We need a lot more food for our nest."
"Many hatchings ago we were the masters of this cove and the lands aboveground. Many wooden houses for us kobolds to live in. But then the big people came and drove us under the ground. But not for long! We will rise again and rule like Dragons."
Avdiy tries to teach the kobolds the words of his deity Groetus and explains to them that even dragons will die at the end of all days. This is sacrilege to the kobolds, they are convinced of their success.   "Our Boss Zolgran has just hatched the new boss. And the new boss needs a lot of food to become big and strong. Then we can finally take back the lands above. Kobold lands once, kobold lands aways. The long people will finally pay for their crimes against our kind."   Glandallin, having grown impatient with the kobolds had enough. The creatures just admitted that they plan to take over Otari. He charges at the nearest future-raider and swiftly splices him in too. The other kobolds rush into striking position but to no use. Avdiy spreads his hands and in between his exposed, skinless muscles eyes emerge staring intently at the enemies. At once, they fall limp to the floor bleeding from their snouts and ears.  

The forgotten shrine

Avdiy takes a breather from the ordeal as Mortarion and Igni backtrack through the tunnel and climb up to invesigate the side chamber. Glandallin starts breaking open the celldoor, by force. The kobold and the inventor notice that the sidechamber is barred by a door. The ancient wooden door creaks open on rusty hinges, revealing a ruined chamber. Mold and rot stain every surface. On the far side of the room is a stone statue of a giant squid, its tentacles reaching toward an altar in the center of the chamber. The scum covers almost everything, but it hasn’t touched the silver bowl sitting atop the stone altar. The water in the bowl is perfectly clear. The two identify the shrine as one being dedicated to Gozreh, the god of nature and the fury of the ocean. The kobold puts its talon in the water and it feels very refreshing.   In the meanwhile Glandallin manages to pry open the doors with his bare hands and apt application of muscled force. Digging through the rotting crates and barrels he finds a beautiful shortsword, a gold ring and two hundred silverpieces to boot. After a couple of minutes Avdiy has finished refocusing himself. Mortarion and Igni decide to leave the forgotten shrine to Gozreh undisturbed.  

Kobold trappings

In the abandoned storage room there is a door to the north hanging ajar, which leads to a small hallway. Knowing that they are nearing a kobold lair Igni suspects a trap. Indeed, he notices that the last floor tile of the hallway is actually a pressure plate of some sort. Glandallin leaps over it but Mortarion isn't sure if he can make it. He attempts to destroy the trap mechanism by standing next to it and overcharging his power suit to the point of exploding. The hallway is covered in soot and char marks. The inventor then steps on the pressure plate. The trap is triggered and various rocks fall from the ceiling. Most of them bounce off the mans armor and it only injures him slightly. Unintentionally he rendered the trap harmless for the kobold and psychic.  

A shrine to wealth and those who can attain it

The hall opens to a long room. There is a door on the opposite northern wall of the chamber. Two stone statues of priests stand in the corners along one side of the room, facing a towering statue of a man holding out both of his hands, palms up. In front of this statue is a stone altar holding nine golden coins. As the group moves closer a voice booms out from the statue.
“In my hands I judge the value of all wealth, raising up whichever is greater. One of these coins is a deception. Find it using only two judgments and receive my blessing.”
Under the lead of Mortarion the group quickly solves the statues riddle by splitting the coins in three groups. The inventor holds up the fake coin and as he does a part of the eastern wall slides down, revealing a secret chamber.  

Abadar's blessing

The small chamber contains an old wooden chest emblazoned with the symbol of a key. Behind the chest is a massive contraption of gears and pulleys that looks like the inner workings of some unseen device. Avdiy puzzels the image of the key on the chest and the depiction of the statue and recognizes them as depictions of Abadar. The psychic explains to the rest that Abadar is the Master of the First Vault, seeks to bring civilization to the wilds of the world, encourages adherence to the law, and promotes commerce and trade within civilization. He also encourages cooperation among ancestries.   Mortarion's trained eye determines that the contraption on the wall adjusts something in a room north of here. The chamber north is actually visible from peepholes in the wall. The inventor also identifies which lever would change the contraptions functionality from disarmed to active. He is not exactly sure what it would do but Avdiy thinks it might have something to do with the small holes in the floorwork that have the same shape as the peepholes that they are currently staring through.   Unsure on how to proceed with the mechanism the group first searches the chest. They find a heap of coins (214 copper pieces, 22 silver pieces and 3 gold pieces) an emerald in a glass box and a scroll with what appears to be magical writing.