Upon return from Rivenden, the group spends their short amount of downtime on personal objectives, partying, and training with Athen Ligrant and Bird Feather. Near the end of this period, they were given the option of 3 contracts, choosing to handle the most immediate threat first: dealing with a den of Kobolds who are stealing stock from merchants passing through the Silimar Woods between the Railroad and Weft. Additionally Athen Ligrant made note that a shipment of arcane items were stolen en route to Lifewood Labor to aid its members. In order to prevent the Legion Marred from dealing with this and potentially confiscating these items, the group is tasked with stopping the Kobolds from stealing from merchants.   The group made their way through the thick canopy of the Silimar Woods though nearly stepped into danger on their travels. Thankfully their passage led them to the foot of one of the Chromatic Mountains where they decided to begin the search for te Kobolds. Mal Auvryani discovered foot prints leading to the mountains and Charlie Anderson sent Archimedes ahead and caught a handful of Kobolds making off with freshly pilfered goods, following them to a cave before returning to the group. They decided to camp for the night, intending to travel to the cave the following morning. In the night they were visited by a Kobold who managed to pocket one of Dorian's eye-patches before escaping in the darkness.   Once morning came the group decided to travel to the cave discovered, discovering a hidden passageway disguised as a stone at the back of the chamber which led down into a dark tunnel, believed to be the entrance to the Kobold's den. The tunnel held only basic pitfall and can alarm traps which the group made little effort to avoid, intending to speak rather than fight. Thanks to Shahana Zinvalur's song detailing familiar landmarks in the tunnel, the group discovered tat this tunnel seemed to loop back into itself endlessly but Mal Auvryani's keen eye and skill with disarming traps allowed the group to find one of the entrances to the true den below.   On entrance, the group squeezed themselves through claustrophobic tunnels into a common room of sorts, dimly lit but emptied of any other creature. They looted the room for a fine dagger with a small 'T&T' etched into the blade and a handful of other resources. Following the sound of metalworking, they headed down one of the paths into a tall cylindrical chamber flanked by brightly burning furnaces and tiered levels which hold heavy hitting auto-hammer devices. No signs of life aside from a silhouetted figure on a balcony above who pulled a lever and disappeared down a tunnel. The room began to fill with thick lighter-than-air gas which accumulated above them like a boiling sea and the exits were sealed tightly. Intending to dismantle the trap, the group destroyed the furnaces and deactivated the lever, but the sea of gas continued to pour down, only slowed by Shahana Zinvalur's wind spell. In order to escape the room, Charlie Anderson shrunk down one of the doors, allowing them to exit back towards the common room again, though not before tossing a torch into the room to test a theory of the nature of the trap. Once the room was sealed again the torch ignited the gas and the room was pressurized, activating hidden mechanisms to reopen the doors. The group returned to the common room and took another path into a mess hall with nothing of note inside.   After destroying a wooden door with a carved sleeping dragon on it's surface, the group entered the sleeping chambers which were, again, emptied of any Kobolds. Dorian searched the room and found a stolen wallet, pocketing the funds and taking the identification papers with her. The group returned to the common room to deal with the final room to investigate, passing over the additional room in the mess hall, finding that the heavy stone door that was once blocked was left open. Looking inside, they saw a large pile of gold and treasure but before they could enter, they were harassed by a voice buried in the pile. This entity, determined to be the leader of the den, insults the group, goading them into entering the chamber and additionally asking them to not touch the pile, in a brash effort at reverse-psychology. Charlie Anderson retrieved a handful of coins from the pile and a strange sphere, discovering the lot was covered in highly flammable oil that is difficult to clean off and hidden under the strongly scented candles. Words were exchanged before the trap was sprung and the candles began to fling sparks in various directions, igniting the hoard as well as striking Shahana Zinvalur and Mal Auvryani. Charlie Anderson salvaged a handful of items from the blaze: a pair of gloves, a stone (determined to be the source of the voice), and a suit of armor and determined that the sphere, stone, and gloves were magical.   After the blaze dissipated and a short conversation, the voice from the stone retrieved by Charlie Anderson became interested in meeting the group, beckoning them into the chamber and into their throne room. Before the group was another hoard of wares: reams of fabric, whole trees, wagons, barrels of ale, and assorted other riches all topped with a simple wooden throne where Langly Snaketail was seated. The group spoke with Langly in order to stop the Kobold's from ransacking carts who pass through the Silimar Woods.   Over the course of this conversation, Langly was revealed to be the Avatar of Tiamat the Dragon Queen of Chromatic Dragons. Langly mentions a passing dislike of Xiroth the Marred and an awareness of the Rites of Divinity, known as the Trial of the Allfather. Langly, knows of the rites, but not of the components to it and as such, began gathering any resources that could potentially be of use to her, the group capitalized on this by noting that they do know what is needed and are working towards them on their own. Langly eventually agrees to stop mindlessly stealing in exchange for the knowledge of the Rites. In addition, she also allowed each member of the group to take one item from her hoard: a cloak (taken by Charlie), a pair of slippers (taken by Mal), a strange twig (taken by Shahana), a gold mask (taken by Zahiri), and a simple bag (taken by Dorian). Many of the items were determined to be magical in nature and the group spent a short rest investigating and attuning to these items discovering some of their true natures. The book contained the notes of an unknown Enderson Rettle, maps to an unknown location, and several spells of use to Charlie Anderson.   Over this short break Langly Snaketail slipped away to speak with the other Kobolds and, as a final test to the group, activated a final trap hidden in the hoard: a draconic golem construct embedded in and constructed from the elements in the pile at the center. The group battled this creature, determining that the entire room was integrated into the mechanisms of the construct determining how it damages others and takes damage and emerged victorious. Having appeased Langly Snaketail, she emerged with 2 other Kobolds: Sturm and Drang who will accompany her to Weft. She led the group out of the den through a series of hidden paths, back to the Silimar Woods and the group made plans to return to Weft.  

Contract

Kobolds have seized control of a vital trade route between Weft and the Railroad, preventing information and resources from passing in or out of Weft and the rest of Euri'dor. The contract is to free up this route by any means so that the group can resume amassing resources.   Additionally, Athen Ligrant fears that a shipment of arcane items may have been taken by the Kobolds from another rebel society and desires their safe return. Finding this shipment and transporting it to her will grant an additional reward.  

Objectives

• Stop the Kobold blockade

Rewards

• 600 gp
• Additional bonus if items are received