First Chapter

"Well that's just great," muttered Targon, as much to himself as the rest of the party. He had been inspecting the rubble of the collapsed ceiling that now securely blocked their only known route out of the sewer and back to civilisation.

"Never mind that," explained Kathra, "I am sure a city the size of Waterdeep has a thousand ways into and out of this place. Besides," she smiled and sloshed her boots in ankle deep waste, "I have a feeling we are going to be down here for some time."

"I have never seen an elf so happy about being underground before," Falhnen whispered to Neysea, "maybe she has dwarf flowing in her."

Missing Falhnen's attempt at jest completely, Neysea whispered back, "Did you see the way the grate slammed shut just before the ceiling collapsed?"

"I did. Do you suppose that this was not an accident?" Falhnen speculated, frowning at Neysea's uncertain, yet assenting, nod. "Who would do that? Who but The Lords and Khelben knows that we came this way?"

"I do not know," Neysea admitted, "but I'm sure that we do not want to find out."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," the conversation was interrupted by Targon's reply to Kathra's assessment of the situation. "We might as well get moving. Greenwood and Shallowtaint, you two –"

"My name is Kathralanarshah," the elf interjected calmly. "Kathra if you must," she finished with a sigh at the ranger's furrowed brow.

"Very well, you two keep behind. I would rather not have the deaths of two elves on my conscience this early in the morning."

"Indeed," Kathra Shallowtaint said under her breath as she followed her new companions through the mire - the ranger Targon Crypthound, the exotic northern warrior Neysea Snowwolf and Falhnen Greenwood; half human, half elf and blessed cleric of the goddess Tymora.

Due to the lack of natural light in the bowels of the great city, the two humans were forced to rely on the illumination caused by various mosses and lichens growing over the red stone of the subterranean walls. Although the dim light only afforded the humans a very limited sight range, this was more than sufficient in the twisting labyrinth of corridors that made up the sewer. The elves had been blessed with natural infravision, allowing them to discern shapes and objects in complete darkness, and so kept watch into any distances before and behind the group.

Rounding a corner at the end of the sealed corridor the party found themselves standing at the entrance to a small room.

"Hold!" exclaimed Targon a little too harshly. They each held their breath as the word echoed around the room, broken only by the random dripping of refuse pipes. "Hold here," he hissed quietly and pointed to the north east corner of the room. "There's something on the ground over there."

"Whatever it is, it's not alive," ventured Falhnen, his elf blood allowing him to see, to some extent, the heat created by all living beings.

"Let's just be careful," Targon said as he slowly stepped out of the corridor.

The room extended roughly fifteen feet to the left and right of the party, and another fifteen ahead of them. It was rectangular save for a small alcove opposite the corridor, and a large rusted door on the far side of the wall to their left.

The party each armed themselves as best they could given their rushed preparation, their lack of experience and their subsequent lack of weaponry. The ranger, Targon Crypthound, brandished a wickedly spiked mace in his right hand and a slightly worn short sword in his left. Neysea the young warrior held just a small short sword of her own, keeping it steady and levelled with both hands. Flexing the fingers of her left hand Kathra assured herself that they would be limber enough to carve out the intricate gestures of any spell that she should call to mind. Her right hand clasped the hilt of a small dagger - a precaution that no mage could afford to be without.

Mouthing a silent prayer of protection, Falhnen pressed a small blank silver medallion to his lips and then hefted a large jagged stone that he had plucked from the wreckage of the collapsed ceiling.

Opening a large belt pouch containing several more of the missiles, he made a few quick, tentative gestures to assure himself that he could reach and throw as quickly and as comfortably as possible.

"I'm a healer, not a murderer," the cleric shrugged when he noticed Kathra eyeing his rocks with a raised eyebrow and more than a little apprehension.

Approaching the large bundle in the corner, Targon exhaled in a long sigh of relief when he shoved it with the toe of his boot, revealing its true nature. Neysea couldn't suppress a small squeal as the movement caused a skull to escape the bundling and half submerge into the filth on the sewer floor.

Kneeling over the remains, Falhnen gently unwrapped them. "Looks like a cloak, or used to be. See how it drapes the arms here? And the arms are folded across the torso," thinking aloud, Falhnen examined the skeleton. "It looks as if he was resting when -"

"How do you know it's a he?" Neysea, having recomposed herself, was leaning for a closer look, though still keeping her distance.

"Well," Falhnen resented his thoughts being interrupted, but was always happy to exhibit his astounding knowledge base, "when working with skeletal remains such as this, the pelvic region is really the only way to tell. The width from here to here is noticeably larger than that in females of all humanoid species, and the vast majority of non-humanoids."

"Oh," Neysea nodded in understanding and decided to turn her attention to the rest of the room.

"Which brings us the next question," Targon looked at Falhnen, "what species is it?"

"And a good question it is too," congratulated the half-elf. "I think the bone structure eliminates dwarf or orcish; it's far too slight. It's far too small to be an adult human or elf, and the skull is too rounded for an elf child. My guess is either a human child or an adult halfling, and judging from the location and these lockpicks I found under the cloak, I would wager my coins on the latter. Almost definitely."

"Very impressive, now can we get moving?" Kathra asked impatiently.

"Sure, can you just hold for a couple of minutes? I would like to study this further if I get an opportunity," Falhnen began to bundle up the skeleton in the tattered cloak.

"You are not bringing that with you," Kathra stated. "The dead should not be disturbed."

Finished securing the skeleton, the cleric spent a moment commending the departed spirit and seeking forgiveness for disturbing its rest. He then stowed the bones as best he could inside his travelling pack and stood up.

"Targon." Neysea caught the attention of the other three and pointed to the base of the door, now the only viable exit to the room. Following her indicated direction, Targon's eyes widened in surprise when he saw clawed fingers thrusting through a small drainage grill in the bottom of the door. Feeling around and apparently failing to lift the door, the fingers withdrew out of sight to be replaced by the dog-like muzzle of a creature. Sniffs and growls were forced through the nose and teeth of the beast as it seemed to discern the scent of flesh over the stench of refuse.

"Move over there," Targon shoved the half-elf and half dragged Kathra over to where Neysea was standing, to the left of the door, where they would hopefully be out of sight should an eye appear at the grill.

"There's a lever here in the wall," Neysea explained to Targon, "I think that it would open the door. I've heard noises from through there for a few minutes, so I guess either there's no way to open it from the other side, or that... whatever it is, hasn't figured out how to."

"Good work," complimented Targon, inwardly cursing himself for being too caught up with the dead halfling to conduct a proper examination of their surroundings himself. It was then that he noticed the distinct reek of a wet dog in a swamp that overpowered even the smells native to a sewer.

"It is a kobold, likely only one by the sounds. It is nothing to be concerned about," explained Kathra.

"There will be a lot more than 'likely only one' if we do not do something fast," Neysea replied impatiently as the growls and whimpers became more fevered.

"Right," decided Targon. Neysea and Kathra, I want you two in the middle of the room, try to get its attention when the door opens. Falhnen, you stand behind me and back them up in case there is more than one."

A little incredulous about being designated bait, Neysea and Kathra strode into position and prepared for battle. Falhnen gathered a rock in each hand and rapidly judged distances and trajectories between himself and where he anticipated the kobold would move. Targon stowed his mace and raised his sword over his head. He lifted his left hand to signal Falhnen to prepare to pull the lever where, from his position to the left of the door, the ranger would get the first strike at the kobold. Falhnen draped his wrist over the lever, prepared to hurl his crude missiles the moment the door began to open.

Targon's left arm dropped, Falhnen's wrist dragged down the lever, the door mechanisms cranked into life and the door haltingly began to rise. The kobold gave a yelp of surprise and joy as the gap beneath the door widened. The creature was eager to get at the fresh meat on the other side, forcing itself into the sludge on the ground in order to squeeze through the opening. The thought of throwing the lever back upwards and crushing the kobold under the door came uninvited to Falhnen's mind even as the creature dragged its legs out of danger and began to stand.

The grunts and growls emitted by the struggling kobold ceased on the end of a soft whistling as Targon swung his sword downward with both hands, severing the head from the scaly shoulders. Kathra and Neysea still stood tense, waiting, neither exactly sure of what had just happened.

"Well that couldn't have gone any better," Falhnen walked out from behind Targon to get a better view of the carcass – a small reptilian humanoid covered in small, tight fitting, dark rusty brown scales. Two stubby light coloured spines adorned the head of the creature, situated just above its staring beady red eyes. Its tail was rather like that of a rat, mused the cleric.

"I almost feel sorry for it," Targon said as he toed the dead kobold and uncovered the creature's weapon, "I doubt anyone would have much use for a chipped, rusted old dagger would they?"

"Let's just keep moving, can we?" Neysea suggested, impatient to get away from the death in the room.

"Pertinent," agreed Kathra, impatient for her own reasons.

Passing through the doorway, Neysea noted with some pleasure that there was indeed nothing on the other side to open or close the door.

"Well, looks like we have our first real decision to make," Targon announced,

"Exciting, isn't it?"

"I am glad I brought an extra change of undergarments with me, that is for sure," Kathra returned with a roll of her eyes.

They had entered a short corridor with a door on the right situated halfway down the path and, at the end, a second door to the left.

"I suggest that we explore as we go. There is every chance that there would be less back-tracking that way, and the sooner we get done, the sooner we get out of this sewer, these boots are starting to leak," shuddered Falhnen.

"Sounds feasible, any objections?" Targon raised his eyebrows and looked at the two women. No objections forthcoming, he nodded and reached out to press a blue gem-like button beside the northern door. "I guess this opens it?"

Gears above them rumbled to life as the door cranked upwards to allow the companions free passage. Sloshing through the mire for a few minutes the four soon found themselves in another, much smaller room. The entire chamber was easily visible from the entrance, even to the humans who noted with some dismay that it was devoid of anything but more filth, save for a pipe on a far wall that was streaming fresh refuse.

"Well, I guess it's fortunate that we didn't have to come all the way back here for this," remarked Kathra. "Anyone want to stick an arm up that pipe? Could be a gold coin up there."

"Yeah, or a brown – " Neysea began before Targon interrupted.

"Let's just try the other door."

They headed back to the south door and Targon pressed his finger to the blue gem. Kathra, Falhnen and the ranger passed through the doorway to continue on before Neysea called them back.

"Hey wait, there's something on the wall here. It looks like scratches or markings."

"Let me see," Kathra walked back to take a closer look. Brushing much of the scum off the marking, she traced her slender finger along the lines. "It means Entrance, probably of kobold origin. Let us continue."

Neysea's eyes widened in wonder, "You speak kobold?"

"I recognise a few runes, yes. The language, if you could call it that, is taught in some of the more battle-oriented Gnome clans. Know your enemy as they say," the elf explained. "Their contraptions fascinate me," she added sharply, intercepting the girl's next question and walking back over the threshold.

Neysea quickly caught up with the rest of the group as they tracked their way further into the sewers beneath Waterdeep. They walked down a twisting passage that lead through a small room before abruptly ending at another door with a small alcove to each side.

"No gem," Falhnen commented, indicating the blank space where the previous two doors held the button to open them.

"The first door did not have a gem," Kathra made her own indication of something blank in the cleric.

Targon walked into the alcove to the left and ran his hand over a square protrusion in the east wall. Clearing muck from around the edges he ascertained its purpose almost instantly. "I'd wager that this opens it," he said as he mashed his palm into the button. Chains clicked through cog teeth as the door slowly began to rise, almost immediately drowned out by a garish howl from beyond the portal. Soon another and another howl joined the first.

"Close it! Close the door!" Kathra shouted above the din, rushing over and frantically pressing at the button. "Amadril! Amin gurtha!" Cursing the ranger for his ignorance the elf ran back to the door and pulled a small bauble from one of her pouches. "Do not just stand there fools, be ready!"

The other three quickly realised the danger they were in as the door continued opening and the howls quietened slightly beneath the barking yaps of a single kobold. Standing before the mage and the cleric, Neysea and Targon readied their weapons and stood prepared to accept any charge that may come at the party.

Yaps and howls prevailed as the door completed its climb into the ceiling, but the charge never came. Instead, four kobolds presented themselves at the end of a brief path jumping and taunting the companions.

"What are they doing?" Neysea glanced sideways at Targon and then quickly back to the kobolds.

"I guess they want us to attack," the ranger answered.

"Let me try," Kathra stepped between the warrior and the ranger. Whispering words of magic the elf held out her hand, palm up, containing the small pebble shaped bauble. Almost immediately upon finishing her chant the object glowed bright green and launched itself towards one of the kobolds. The creature barely had time to blink before the missile slammed into the centre of its chest, exploding instantly and throwing the kobold back into the room beyond. The howling ceased with the explosion as the remaining kobolds were knocked a step by the concussive force of the spell. Shaking their retched heads groggily, the beasts soon recovered and began the jumping and howling anew.

"I don't think that worked," said Neysea.

"I am well aware of the fact, thank you," Kathra said dryly, none too pleased with her apparent failure. "I dare not waste another on this rabble, we can charge them down."

"Agreed," said Falhnen. Neysea and Targon nodded in agreement.

"On two," Targon said. "One, two!"

The group shouted and rushed at the dancing kobolds who quickly gained their footing on the slimly cobblestones. Gripping daggers in clawed mockeries of human hands, the diminutive savages grinned in anticipation as the intruders slipped and slid closer.

Not three feet past the door the floor fell slightly with a click beneath Neysea. She shouted in surprise as her foot caught on the edge of something hidden in the slush and she fell to her knees, breaking her fall with outstretched arms. Even before the warrior stopped sliding in the muck the door behind the group thundered to a close, the resulting wave of sludge lapping at Neysea's thighs and forearms.

Hearing the shout from Neysea, the click from under her foot and the slamming of the door, Targon and the other two slowed their charge slightly as realisation rapidly dawned on them - they were trapped.

Taking full advantage of the situation, another kobold stepped out from the room ahead and shouted to the three others before lifting a short spear towards the prone human and leading his own charge. The ranger's attention turned back from Neysea and the door towards the more immediate threat of the kobolds bearing down on them. A large stone sailed past Targon's left shoulder and thudded into the face of the leading kobold, felling it instantly.

The remaining creatures dashed forwards, eager to sink their daggers into any part of Targon they could reach. Targon stepped against the wall to his left, preventing himself from being surrounded and swung his mace at the closest kobold keeping the point of his short sword aimed at another, forcing it to hold its charge or be impaled. The mace missed its target, the kobold not quite in range dodging regardless. Kathra stepped forward to thrust her dagger into the crusted scales in the centre of the creature's exposed back. A forth kobold died on the end of Targon's sword, skewered before it could arrest its charge in the slimy morass of the sewer floor. Now alone against four tall ones the remaining kobold scrambled to flee, slipping and falling in its haste. Rising to its knees the creature fell again, for the last time, a dagger buried to the hilt in the back of its neck.

"Nice shot," commented Kathra, nodding approval.

"Thanks," panted Neysea, grimacing in pain as she tentatively straightened her knees and stood. "Bastards," she breathed after surveying the carnage.

"Are you alright?" Targon asked Neysea, genuinely concerned. "You took a pretty nasty fall."

"Yes I think so, just my knees and arms ache. It was pretty slippery so I don't think my hands are cut or anything, though who would know?" She smiled slightly, shaking off the mud and filth coating her hands. "Where's my sword? And what did I step in?"

A click sounded and they all looked back as the door once again clanked into the ceiling.

"A pressure plate, or rather the impression left by a pressure plate," Falhnen answered, fishing around the area that Neysea tripped with his boot. "It's here, come feel." He applied pressure again, causing the door to slam back into the waste.

"Quit it," Neysea said as the wave sloshed against her calves. "And help find my sword."

"Fine. But it was very intelligent of the slimy little beasts to corner us like that, wouldn't you say?"

"It would be even more intelligent of you to help find my sword," Neysea narrowed her eyes at the healer, "trust me."

"I think I have it," Targon declared as he slithered his foot towards the wall. Satisfied that the sword was against the stone he then slid the tip of his own sword into the guck covering the floor and slowly lifted the handle of Neysea's weapon up the bricks. Once it was clear of the waste he reached out with a rag he had stripped from one of the kobolds and held the sword aloft. "No sense in all of us getting covered in crud," he smiled and handed the weapon back to Neysea.

"You are too kind sir, I thank you," the swords-woman wished that Targon would flounder in the sarcasm.

Bowing with a flourish the ranger frowned and began shuffling around the area that the apparent leader of the small kobold band fell.

"Now what?" Kathra asked, her impatience again finding a voice.

Targon looked up at the elf still frowning, "This one had a spear, it looked like it could be useful."

"For your third hand?" remarked the elf dryly. "I will take a look at the other weapons however. One can never own enough daggers." She began to rifle through the corpses' belongings as Falhnen and Neysea stood watch ahead into the room and Targon continued his search for the spear.

After a couple of minutes the cleric turned back to the mage, who was completing a short search of the third kobold, and said, "The dead must not be disturbed."

Kathra glanced up at Falhnen and roughly jerked the blade from the back of the fallen kobold's neck. "These are vermin, they have no soul to disturb," she spat.

Targon chose that moment to trudge past the elf woman grumbling something about disappearing spears and stinking sewers. He then looked back to Kathra, "Are you done?"

In answer to his question she stepped onto the back of the kobold and proceeded past him, "I must check the other one. Here," she said returning Neysea's dagger.

The four crept into the room that once contained the five kobolds, the only sound audible over the sloshing around their feet being the constant dripping of distant drain outlets. The room was roughly square in shape, each side measuring eighteen or twenty feet at a glance. The only exit was the continuation of the corridor they had been travelling. In a corner a small wooden box supported two packages, keeping them just out of reach of the rancid waste flowing gently past.

Targon and Falhnen walked over to inspect the packages while Neysea took point at the exit to the room. Kathra bent over the remains of the kobold she had slain with the spell and used the point of her dagger to lift the clothing away from its tattered chest. She gasped in surprise when she saw the end of a scroll case protruding from a pocket that had been sewn onto the inside of the rough apparel. Tugging the case free the mage eagerly opened it and withdrew the scroll contained. She unrolled the parchment and began to quickly peruse the runes contained on it.

"Whatcha got there?" Falhnen asked, suddenly appearing at the elf's shoulder.

"Askar Iskadrow!" exclaimed the elf, her agitation causing her to revert to her native dialect. "Never do that again half-human."

"My father was an elf. I understand and speak the words as well as any of our blood and I would have you informed that I am neither impetuous nor an albino drow."

"You are right. Please accept my apologies, but you startled me," Kathra said. "It is a scroll that will allow me to better sense magical enchantments and curses for a time. I believe that it could be useful."

"Sounds very useful. Targon picked up some food from the box over there, I guess that the kobolds were about to eat before we interrupted them. It seems harmless enough, not that different to what we were given in the Inn last night, just lacking a bit of preparation. My guess is they snatched it from the surface somewhere."

Finding nothing more of interest in the room, the party set out once again. The ranger and Neysea leading, followed by Falhnen and Kathra. The path quickly turned to the left after exiting the room, disappearing into blackness. Slime and moss clung to boots as the four walked on and soon the corridor branched yet again, continuing into more darkness to the left. To the right the path turned yet again after a short distance, limiting how far the party could see in that direction. Another large iron door blocked the path ahead of the group.

"Well, now wha -" Kathra shut the word before she fully spoke it. A loud splash around the corner to the right sent the whole group into silence. Moments later several large ripples flowed smoothly from around the corner.

Readying their weapons, the four companions awaited whatever had made the splash. Each imagining some unnamed horror suddenly undulating towards them. Long minutes passed and nothing more happened. No sound, no movement.

Falhnen, risking to break the eerie silence, whispered, "What was that?"

"That was a splash," Kathra whispered back.

"An elf and a sense of humour..." the cleric retorted with a glance that was part smile part sneer.

"Human and a bearable stench..." the mage replied with disdain.

"Enough!" Targon rounded on the two and commanded with a fierce whisper, "We've been travelling but for two hours and already you are at each other's throats. From what Khelben and the Lords have said, if we are divided amongst ourselves when this evil appears then we are already lost and I, for one, desire to see the sky and breathe fresh air once more before I fall!" His words were accentuated by the sudden awareness of where they all were and what they were doing.

"Indeed, you are right," Falhnen conceded. "We will stand no chance if we are not trusting of each other."

"If there is even anything to stand against." Kathra pointed out that the fact itself that there was anything more than sludge and kobolds beneath the great city was merely here-say. "But I too bow to your wisdom, 'Ant rell stacia iva i`Nevae' – 'Many stars are required to light the darkness'. My mother would tell me this when I was young, when I would ask her what the stars were for." The elf gazed unseeing at the strands of green slime tethered to her boots, momentarily lost in the memory, but soon retrieved her wits, "Which direction do we continue?"

"I don't see any way to open this door from this side," Neysea informed the group, having completed a short search for buttons, levers and pressure plates. "I think we should go this way," she started walking slowly backwards towards the darkness to the left, fearfully watching the corner from which the splash had sounded.

"I suppose it is as good as any," Targon said. He too kept one eye on the corner as he stowed his weapons and followed Neysea down the path.

Shrugging, the two spell casters also resumed the journey. The corridor continued for some time before a series of corners left the party slightly disoriented. They faced yet another closed door, large and patched with rust. A lever was situated in the wall to the left of the door. Squelches and yaps could be heard quite clearly from beyond the door, betraying the presence of more kobolds.

Targon quickly looked around the immediate area before pointing at Falhnen and then at the lever, indicated that Neysea and Kathra should stand just left of the door in front of the cleric and then took his place in front of the iron barricade. Raising two fingers of his left hand, he quietly drew his sword. Following his example, the rest of the group prepared themselves. The ranger closed his left hand and then raised a singe finger, the kobolds past the door continued barking casually, unaware of death's approach. Targon closed his fist a second time and then pointed at the cleric, who quickly dragged the lever downward.


The kobolds instantly ceased their yapping as the door clanked into the ceiling, revealing a human male standing alone in the corridor beyond. He wore no armour and carried only a short sword in his right hand and a mace dangling at his hip. His left arm was held straight, palm out, to his left as if trying to drive back some invisible force.

"Kill it!" Ordered Zop`lick, not of a superior rank to the other kobolds by any means, but unofficial leader of the little expedition. Grasping wickedly pointed daggers the kobolds rushed at the human, grinning with pleasure as a look of surprise and fear twisted its visage. Before they had even taken a third step towards the door, the cowardly creature ducked out of sight, fleeing.

"He cannot escape us down here!" Zop`lick shouted with glee, mud and gunk flicking up from behind him as his clawed feet rapidly carried him out of the doorway with his small band. Wickedly pointed daggers fell from lifeless hands as the kobolds were immediately set upon by an enemy they never saw.


"What's good for the goose is good for the gander," Falhnen commented after the battle was resolved. He was followed into the room by Targon and Neysea as Kathra once more looted belongings from the fallen kobolds.

The room was small and squared, about ten feet wide. Apart from the door in which they entered there was only one exit, to the left. Just outside of the room, the path turned once more before dividing into two more short corridors. Each direction was blocked by another door.

"Well it is a sewer," Falhnen thought aloud, "it has to criss-cross the entire city of Waterdeep. There is certain to be a few intersections."

A sharp, distant yap echoed through the door from the left. All in the party now recognised the distinct barking of a kobold. No more sound emerged so it was impossible to know if there were more than one of the creatures. Impossible without investigating.

"Shall we?" Targon smiled and raised his eyebrows at the others. Obviously beginning to delight in ridding the sewer of the abominable life forms.

"Sure, maybe they are the ones the Lords are so upset about," Falhnen ventured.

"I would relish any opportunity to drive more of the vermin face down in this filth," Kathra said, grimly eyeing the door to the north.

"I am not staying here by myself, that's for sure," stated Neysea.

Having decided the next course of action, the party turned down the corridor to the left. Three feet from the heavy iron door the floor gave slightly beneath Neysea's tread. Gasping quietly at the audible click that followed, she and the other three gritted their teeth, hands clutching at weapons, as the gate ahead of them clanked leisurely into the stone above.

Small lizard-men did not come flooding out of the shadows, as expected. All was silent except the now familiar ambience of the sewer. Targon slowly dragged his sword from the scabbard strapped to his back, Neysea following suit. Knowing that at least one kobold lay in wait for them ahead, Targon cautiously led the group under the door and into the room beyond.

They entered another square chamber, as the last, devoid of anything of interest. Targon noted a button on the wall beside the door before leading the party through the room and into the corridor beyond. The group was approaching a corner when Targon stopped so suddenly that Kathra almost walked into him, losing her footing on the slippery stones. Only her keen elf reflexes, and a crack between two stones on the wall, prevented her from falling into the sludge.

"What are you doing human?" the magic-user demanded sharply.

"Quiet!" Targon hissed. "I saw movement ahead, around the corners." He edged forward slowly, his mace flush with his left leg prepared to lift quickly in a vicious uppercut, his short sword raised slightly and protectively across in front of him.

Neysea gripped her sword with both hands, swinging it gently from side to side as she walked forward. Kathra, unwilling to waste another of her precious spells on something as worthless as a kobold, drew two of her daggers, ready to throw or stab as the situation warranted. Falhnen held a stone in his right hand, his left hovering around the bag containing more of the ammunition.

"Was it a kobold?" Neysea whispered to Targon.

The ranger only shrugged and watched the path ahead. Leading the two magic users around the corner, Targon and Neysea were the first to be attacked.


Howling like insane wolves the four kobolds charged, taking the ranger and warrior completely by surprise. Ducking under an ill-prepared defensive swing, Slith`Nar grinned as she saw an opening in the human man's guard. Leaping forward with her dagger gripped tightly in her outstretched claw, she was scant inches from plunging the knife into the man's unprotected stomach before something heavy hit her in the chest. The blow knocked the wind out of her and sent her careening into the wall to the right of the human.

Targon swore as the kobold dagger gashed his right side, his mace attack striking moments too late to prevent a hit. He finished the stunned kobold by swinging his sword downward and to his right, cleaving it almost in twain before the weapon struck stone. Vibrations numbed his hand, threatened to shake his weapon from his grip as another of the kobolds charged at him. He raised his mace protectively in front of himself, unable to do anything more.