Scales & Strife

Though Cassia attempts to reason (in draconic) with the goblinoid lizard creatures (which Damien identifies as kobolds), they demand the party surrender their belongings. Upon hearing this, Blitz, his patience already short from being targeted with rockslides, attacks the kobolds and the party engage them in battle.

After a fierce battle in which Blitz gets stuck in a hole and Alice/Myria reveals the new form of Piety, a tall red Tiefling woman with a strong/aggressive personality.

In the aftermath of the battle several unconscious/sleeping kobolds are tied up and the party face the moral dilemma of what to do with their opponents. Cassia and Piety are strongly on the side of showing mercy to the now helpless creatures, whilst Damien reasons along with an enraged Blitz, that if left alive the kobold bandits will likely harm many more travellers who are less equipped to defend themselves. As Malik starts tying one up, Damien and Blitz each execute one of the other kobolds but Piety attacks Blitz with a throwing knife, hitting him in the back and knocking him unconscious as he had already sustain several wounds during battle. She then threatens Damien with another knife. Damien and Piety face off, each ready to fight. Thankfully, between Cassia and Malik they manage to talk them down.

As the majority of the party carry on slowly in sombre silence, Damien and Malik decide to hang back for a short while to further explore the cave. They discover a large dragon skull in a back part of the cave but decide to retreat and rejoin the party upon hearing noises of more kobolds. From their battle the party/Malik obtains a large stone shield engraved with a scale pattern from one of the kobolds.

Meanwhile the kobold corpse that was set afloat on the river has been carried along by the current and is floating alongside the cart, keeping pace with it for the time being.

They reach the city of Inkbury and Damien attempts to go for an illegal swim in the river that passes through the city whilst Malik districts the guards with an illusion of a floating kobold in the river. Unfortunately, one of the guards sees through the illusion and the party head on their way to an inn where they rest and stay their horses and cart.

The party splits into three pairs with Blitz and Blomf ask around in search of an underground fighting ring to enter and find a man who informs them to go to the tavern The Slimy Toad and repeat a code phrase. Alice and Cassia seek out Melassina Moonflower, the seer who Alice hopes holds answers to her questions. Damien and Malik end up talking to the guards in front of the keep and in an attempt to reach the keep’s library Malik tries to impersonates the High Priest. The guards see through their ruse and they are taken to the dungeons by the keep.