Slaughter – Kultak's Story
Inside the cavern it was peaceful, but for the scurrying footsteps of small beings that were his work peers, the most superior beings of all, kobolds. A large barrow full of gold emerged out of a tunnel behind him and the single wheel driving it creaked in protest. "Hello Proctuk" said Kultak cheerfully as he swung his scrawny arm equipped with a pick at the stone wall. "We have had a good day today, many treasure we find" Replied Proctuk, his face beaming with a look of glee confirming his claim. "Mining chief hard job" said Proctuk gladly, showing off the importance of his recent promotion. "That is great Proctuk, maybe I be promoted one day too" replied Kultak. Proctuk wheeled the barrow past Kultak and was followed by several other kobolds who's barrows were just as full. Wow Kultak thought they were being more productive then ever since their ex-mining chief of fifteen years died. This would be a great year for them unless… Kultak shook away the thought such thoughts tended to bring bad luck. As Kultak chipped a large piece of rock from the wall with the pick he heard a distant draconic shout "Adventurers, The Adventurers are here". Kultak ran towards where the barrows were heading, up a slope and into a large cavern covered with beds made from stone and the remains of many dead rats and bats which he had joined his kin eating just the day before. The kobolds he'd seen before had already dropped their barrows of gold and ran to the left of the tavern grabbing a variety weapons from a rack including light maces and swords. Proctuk grabbed himself a sword and also pulled a glowing longbow and a quiver off the rack and ran toward Kultak. "Quick take your bow you are our best archer!" he yelled. "Is it true is it really adventurers" asked Kultak. "Yes, nearly down this level they are" replied Proctuk throwing the bow and quiver to Kultak who caught them gracefully, quickly equipping them into place "Kurtulmak save us" he preached as he struggled to control his fear that was making it hard for him to ready his first arrow. "You important person Proctuk are you to run" asked Kultak. "No" he replied "I not to be coward like the last mining chief". "You fool these are adventurers some of us must hide or tribe not survive". Kultak shouted at him. "No, keep dying because we be cowards" Proctuk argued. There were now three dozen kobolds standing beside and behind them equipped with spears, swords, bows and rotting leather armor ready for battle.
The kobolds' waited in intense fear and many of them jumped when the saw the outline of three unknown figures appearing in the darkness. One wore full plate mail and held a huge two-handed sword which appeared to cast an eerie glow on his masculine human face. Another on the right in the middle of the three, was shorter then the man and wore bright red robes, his head a fountain of thick hair and braided that came down to his shoulders showing the common haircut among halflings. The third person wore leather armor and looked like the last to move out of the darkness because it seemed to bend the shadows to hide him. He was a tall as the fighter but his face was shrouded in shadow by a hood and he held a shimmering dagger which stood out and filled Kultak with the fear of inevitably being cut by that or the fighter's sword. Kultak knew he would die he just hoped it wouldn't be too painful.
"Look at all that gold!" shouted the rogue accidentally revealing his position to some of the less alert kobolds. But he didn't care these were only kobolds after all. "Great" agreed the fighter "I've been wanting to get my armor enchanted for a while". "Should I just incinerate all the kobolds with a fireball" asked the wizard. "and ruin the fun" replied the rogue "no way". "Whoever kills the most gets the biggest share!" shouted the fighter in challenge as he pulled down the visor on his helmet and swung his sword in a showy eight figure shape. "Why do you kill us mercilessly?" yelled Kultak at the adventurers, but they didn't understand a word of his draconic nonsense. "Take the gold and leave us!" he continued to shout. But the adventurers began moving forward with smiles on their faces. They enjoy killing Kultak thought, they are evil merciless murderers. He pulled his arrow back hard in his bowstring with an adrenaline rush of anger that caused him to straighten his aim towards the halfling's head and watched the arrow fall to the ground as if hitting a wall and saw a slight blue glow surround the halfling shimmer for a few seconds before disappearing again. The fighter reached the front ranks of the kobolds and tore through six of them in one clean sweep of his sword causing their blood to shower all over the kobolds behind them and causing many of them to start shaking uncontrollably wondering how much it was going to hurt to be chopped in half. The rogue slashed his dagger left and right cutting open the throughs of kobolds one at a time with deadly accuracy turning the dark stone floor of the cavern bright red everywhere he stepped. The wizard began muttering strange words and moving his arms in an intense forceful way that made Kultak feel very intimidated and knowing he couldn't hit him, took his aim at the lightly armoured Rogue while moving back to keep ahead of the tidal wave of blood and severed kobold limbs that threatened to drown him. His arrow flew and the rogue seemed to anticipate it soon as it left his hand and easily sidestepped to avoid it.
The wizard finished his incantation and fired a ray of fire that turned a line of kobold into charred clumps of charcoal and only narrowly missed Kultak because he was lucky to not be in its path. He fired another arrow with less concentration as he had move back more quickly now as the screams and whimpers of the kobolds unlucky enough to not die instantly echoed throughout the cavern and the arrow bounced off the fighter's closed visor. Kultak guessed Proctuk was already dead and decided to take his own advice and make a run for it. But after turning around he saw a long wall of fire blocking the way into the lower caverns and the bodies of several kobolds who tried to run past it cackled as the fire cremated them. He hoped some of the kobolds escaped and jumped into the fire with his eyes closed and hoped for a quick death.
Kultak still felt his own existence and didn't feel any pain so he opened his eyes, expecting he would be in heaven although he was always sceptical of that possibility. Instead he found himself in a strange shrine chamber he hadn't seen. The shrine chamber was a small cavern devoted to Kurtulmak that was decorated with ragged banners depicting his holy symbol. Kultak looked around and saw whimpering kobolds being treated for burns, dagger wounds and missing limbs and many of them already dead. Rushing around the room in an attempt to heal all their patients were about a dozen clerics of Kurtulmak. "What happened?" asked Kultak looking at his hands and legs to see if there were any burns. One of the Clerics who was standing in front of the shrine approached Kultak and said "We tried to teleport as many as we could here, this is a secret chamber made by our tribe centuries ago". "Why didn't I know about this place" Kultak asked. "Because if our kin knew the reality of how often we were subject to adventurer attacks, there would be wide spread panic, this chamber is the only way to make sure some of us survive each attack and make sure we don't go extinct". Kultak noticed that this kobold was one of the most articulate he had ever met and began asking him more questions about the shrine, Kurtulmak and about the history of their kobold tribe. The stories lasted until the next day.
After a restless night of no sleep Kultak got out of a bed that was supplied to him by the inhabitants of the shrine, his thoughts had been full of hatred towards the adventurers and how he wished his arrows could have his at least one. The cleric from before greeted him and asked him how he felt. But instead of answering Kultak demanded "I want see the battle place". The cleric's eyes opened in surprise "Are you sure" he asked "The scene is really disturbing. "Yes, I sure" he replied with annoyance in his voice. The clerics opened several secret stone doors that blended perfectly with the natural structure of the caverns and led Kultak back to the large cavern.
The entire floor was covered with dried blood and hundred of limbs were strewn about the floor. He also observed that all of the barrows of gold were gone and nearly every weapon the kobolds had were also scavenged. Kultak's fist clenched as he saw in the distance the severed head of Proctuk. Kultak vomited creating a puddle of digested bat and rat and then turned towards the Cleric. He got down on his knees and said "Please allow me join Kurtulmak's ranks so that I get vengeance against evil that is the surface world". The cleric patted Kultak on the shoulder and replied "Of coarse all are welcome to serve Kurtulmak".