I fear I must write in haste, for the kobolds may return at any moment. Although we dispatched dozens of them today, we have not since seen the hoard of non-combatants that we encountered on our second visit. I am surely wise enough to realize that non-combatants will soon pick up weapons when the need arises. I sit near
I thought I heard something, and dropped my journal. Now this page is smeared with the blood of a half-eaten rat that was streaked across the floor. I will write over a cleaner area, and perhaps cast a spell later to clean this page of filth.
At night, we were surprised again by the wooden aberrations, and I was rendered unconscious by their poison before they were destroyed. Fortunately, the poison had no long-term effects, and by the morning, I was awake and ready to descend back into the chasm. Of the others, only two were hesitant to reenter the kobold's lair. The Empty Hand voiced his concerns that perhaps we were not well enough rested, but he followed the majority when we persisted. That coward halfling, on the other hand, remained outside, going so far as to say that his adventuring days were over. We told him to watch the Infiltrator, which he agreed to do. I should not let my emotions get in the way of objectivity, but when he came down nonchalantly after the battle, leaving the delirious and defenseless Infiltrator in what we knew well to be a dangerous area, I came very close to filling his diminutive body with bolts of energy that would –. Nay, when I read these pages in the future, I should not see myself as a vengeful person. Suffice to say that the halfling has lost my trust, and that, if he continues with us and the others continue to tolerate him, I will be ever watchful for his foolishness.
The final battle with the kobolds was a quick one. The speed with which we vanquished our foes surprised me, and to this moment, I remain wary that others might return to this place and slaughter us. We made our way slowly and cautiously towards the queen's chamber. I claim we moved cautiously, but that is not to say we went silently. At first, we tried what the other kobolds had claimed was the shorter, more dangerous route, believing that this would catch them by surprise. We realized quickly that we would have to return and use the twice-tried path instead. The short route was wrought with traps, locked doors and strewn caltrops, and the Tracker and the Empty Hand could only shoulder down so many doors before they broke a bone.
Back to the more traveled route, we slowly made our way forward, the tracker leading the way, deliberately pulling tripwires and forcing doors. We made quite a racket, and frequently stopped and waited, our weapons ready, for anyone who might have heard us. A strange silence pervaded the area, however, and until we were very close, the kobolds did not show their faces.
From the time we were first spotted until the time we had won the battle could not have been more than a minute or two. The Empty Hand rushed into melee, as usual, striking out in all directions. The priest used a spell which created a noise so loud that it dropped a room full of the creatures all at once. We hurried on, surrounding the smoke-filled chamber in which we had twice lost battles. This time, we remained outside the room, except for the Empty Hand, who rashly hurried in, allowing himself to be surrounded. Despite his calm and rational attitude outside of battle, I find his that actions border on foolhardy when there is blood to be spilt. True, he is usually successful in his endeavors, but some day we will find ourselves facing an enemy that can not simply be charged and dispatched. Our master would no doubt impart his wisdom, though for now, I will remain silent.
I had one target in mind throughout the short battle. If I could kill or capture the Mother herself, surely the other kobolds would flee or surrender. Allowing the rash Empty Hand to block the oncoming rush, I followed him through the white dragon's chamber and fired a bolt of energy at the Mother. After that, our attentions were focused on each other almost to the exclusion of the rest of the battle. My master had long prepared me for such battles of magics, and I was ready. As soon as she had the chance, the Mother cast some enchantment on me, of which I broke free before it could even take hold. I tried the same on her, and just as aptly, she avoided my spell. The thrill of such a battle was taking hold of me, but, noticing that the other kobolds were losing the battle, she fled. I ran in after her, narrowly avoiding attacks by the creatures around me, until she escaped into her chamber and posted a guard. The remaining kobolds were rapidly dispatched.
I was hesitant to enter the Mother's chamber, wary of traps. My hesitation was justified, for when the Tracker entered ahead of me, he narrowly avoided the effects of a powerful spell. After that, we all rushed in. I tried to wrestle the Mother to the ground, and somewhat embarrassingly, I failed. I know I am not strong, but she is an ancient creature and only three feet tall. My embarrassment was for naught, though, as we soon had her surrounded, and she surrendered. The Empty Hand put her out with a chop to the back of the neck, and we took her hostage.
Just as we finished, the halfling arrived without the Infiltrator, and hurried over to the Mother's throne, to take a share of her treasure which he surely did not deserve, but I have said enough ill of the halfling. The others insisted that we search the remainder of the area, though I urged them to return to the surface and rescue the Infiltrator. The Mother's throne room contained a large chest, which the halfling opened. He immediately cried out in pain, when a needle sprung from the chest, delivering a fast-acting poison which drew out the halfling's strength. Naturally, I had followed closely behind him to ensure that there was no treachery, and a glance into the chest made me immediately nervous. Much of our equipment was there, including my spellbook, but the first pages of this journal in their scroll case were missing.
My flute, which I had carved several years ago in the monastery was also missing, so perhaps they had thrown both away, thinking them valueless. That thought does not reassure me much, though. My flute could be taken for a worthless piece of bamboo. A scroll case, however, is worth something, even if its contents are not. I fear my companions will not see the urgency of searching every space in this tower until we find that sheet of parchment. I can only hope that he who did find it does not know of its significance to our enemy.
There was one item of interest besides the treasure chest, and that was a potted sapling, which looked to be of the same species as the wooden creatures that the Mother seemed to keep as pets. The priest took it, possibly hoping to learn more in the town.
In the center of the throne room was a shaft leading down to the floor below. The only way to descend was by way of a thick vine that crawled up the sides, growing by means of an unnatural purple light. Rather than climb down immediately, we decided to retrieve the Infiltrator and rest until the next morning in the kobolds' barracks. I am against the idea. This is the first place that any returning kobolds will look, but my companions are insistent, and it is better to sleep in a dangerous place with allies, than in a safe place alone.
As I write this, one thought keeps coming to me. For my entire life, I have lived with only eight other people in my sights. I do not know what my early childhood was like before the monastery, but I can not remember having seen anyone outside our small group. Now, the four of us have all but exterminated a clan of one hundred souls. One hundred lives were ended because we four decided that there was a chance they were a link to our enemy. I still do not know whether their destruction was for the good, or whether we are any closer to the enemy, but these thoughts will no doubt plague me for many moons to come. “You killed my children,” the Mother said when we captured her. “All of them.”