That afternoon as we made our way back toward the sycamore tree where the mites reside, we discussed what we should do next. Zander expressed a desire not to relinquish control of the tree to the kobolds, and went so far as to suggest that we should cut it down rather than allow the Sootscale tribe to claim it. Maria was most displeased with this suggestion, though she agreed that the kobolds should not claim it. Simon wondered if we should claim it ourselves, but none of us could say how we might hold it if we did so.
As we traveled we found other sites where the kobolds and mites had battled. A second examination of the tree found no evidence of any other exit, though we had yet to climb up to the peak of the hill on which the tree grows. Because the mites live in darkness we wondered if we should pursue them immediately. There were paths to the summit. We climbed up, and Reislin was the first to spy an opening among the great old tree's roots leading to an underground shaft.
Maria cast a spell to illuminate our way as we climbed down. Maria, who wears the heaviest armor, had a bit of difficulty with the climb but managed it in the end. The entry took us down some forty or fifty feet into a tunnel with a low roof that caused us all to have to bend slightly to stand beneath it. We followed this tunnel into a larger chamber. Chahana led our band, which sadly led her into a trap. The mites had pulled a bear trap into their tunnels and Chahana had the misfortune to step in it.
As Chahana was struggling to free herself despite the pain it caused her, two mites appeared from behind a small workbench that was scattered with various tools. One of them produced a kind of slingshot which it used to hurl a caltrop at Maria. The other attempted to strike Chahana but failed to touch her. Reislin shouted "Stop!" and conjured a flame in her hand but this did not appear to make any impression on the mites.
I scanned the mites, seeking to see any aura of evil about them, but I found none. Perhaps it is because they are such small creatures, or perhaps they are not truly evil but only malicious. Zander was unable to move into the chamber due to the cramped size of the shaft through which we had entered. The mite with the slingshot hurled another caltrop with no more success than the first. Simon squeezed into the room and thrust his spear at one mite. Chahana found that the trap was not achored and began to move further into the chamber herself with the trap still clamped around her leg.
The small stature of the mites proved a challenge in addition to the low ceiling of the chamber. Only Zander managed to hit one of them with the cold iron dagger he had borrowed from Maria. Reislin cast a spell to allow her to understand their words but she could not make them understand her and what she heard didn't prove very informative. I moved to Maria's side and slashed a mite with my scimitar. They are not sturdy creatures. It fell to my blade. Its comrade send some magical effect at Simon that did not seem to have any effect on him. A moment later Maria's blow left the second mite lying motionless on the chamber floor.
Zander had taken it upon himself to look for Svetlana's missing ring, but he found no sign of it in the chests within the workshop. Chahana was at last freed of the bear trap and I extended some of the Dawnflower's mercy to heal the injury it had dealt her. She then found a pole that she could employe to check for other such traps.
There were two exits from the workshop. We first took the left-hand exit, finding ourselves within a second chamber occupied by several mounds of what appeared to be offal. Each mound was topped by a large ovoid that was probably an egg of some sort. Looking after these eggs were three centipedes as large as we, and another mite.
Zander immediately moved up to the nearest centipide and left it badly wounded. The mite charged at him. I moved up beside him and the mite slashed me, though the wound was a minor one. I slashed it in return. Chahana then struck it with her sword and the mite collapsed. The centipede bit me in the heel and I discovered that it was venomous as the injury stung bitterly and my foot began to grow numb. I drew back, fearing that I would lose the ability to move. My comrades soon dispatched the centipedes, and after a few moments the stinging and numbness in my leg ceased to trouble me.
At this point because we had seen no sign of other mites we decided to exit the tunnels for a short rest and avail ourselves of the magic of the sapling rod to heal our hurts. When we had moved a short distance away from the tree and Simon planted the rod, the sapling grew three fruits that resembled no fruit I have ever seen before. I consumed one, which removed any lingering effect of the centipede bite and cause the wound in my heel to look as though I had suffered it days ago rather than only a short while ago. After the fruits were plucked the sapling transformed back into a rod and my companions set the remaining fruit aside for later use.
When we had rested, we returned to the mites' lair. The two who had fallen in the workshop were still unconscious. Having already encountered the centipedes, we went through the right-hand exit from that chamber, which led into another descending shaft. My comrades heard noises which they described as giggles and cries of pain, but I did not hear them. Zander and Simon crept forward to see what it was. They observed an egg-shaped small chamber, walls covered in protruding roots. To the east of that lay a broad chasm, its width twice the height of any one of us. More roots formed a sort of bridge across this gap. Within the small chamber were half a dozen mites torturing a caged kobold.
Zander hissed, "They've seen me!" and Chahana entered the chamber, drawing her sword. Three of the mites headed toward Zander. Maria dropped the stone on which she had cast her light spell and entered the chamber as well. Soon we had all climbed down out of the shaft to strike the mites within. Reislin used her magic to cause one mite nearest the imprisoned kobold to fall into a slumber. I joined my companions in attacking the mites, but the low ceiling hampered me and my blade could not connect. The kobold, who had been shouting in the common tongue for us to help it, took the sleeping mite's knife and freed itself from the cage, then ran to attack the mite nearest to Chahana.
The doughty little kobold, whose name we have learned is Mikmik, nearly died in the ensuing fighting, but Zander healed some of his injuries and it was he who slew he last mite. He explained that he had been captured after Tartuk sent him with a group of others to recover the Sharptooth statue. His companions had all been slain.
Maria then looked down into the chasm and warned us that something was moving within it. Zander also went to look. Immediately another centipede emerged, but this one was three times the size of those in the nest chamber. Its size was in our favor, for that made it difficult for the creature to climb out of the chasm. Chahana took a flask out of her pouch and hurled it onto the creature, where it burst in flames. Zander backed away and Reislin also threw a flask at the creature. I put away my scimitar and drew out the boar spear I had won, stabbing it deep into the beast.
The giant centipede swung a tail that bore twin long whip-like tails and its mouth sprayed some sticky substance at me. Zander used his magic to heal me of the harm caused by the beast's mucus. Chahana and Maria both hewed the monster, and Maria's last blow caused it to fall back into the chasm and become tangled among the roots. When it was over Simon told us this creature was a giant whiptail centipede.
It was at this point that we had time to speak with Mikmik and learn how he had come to be there. We questioned him about Sharptooth and he told us that after the statue was stolen some kobolds had fallen ill and others had disappeared. He also mentioned that Tartuk had only joined their tribe a few months earlier and had brought Sharptooth with him, which we found most interesting.
While we were talking, Maria looked down into the shaft and observed that something at the bottom had a magical aura. Reislin confirmed this. Maria and Simon then climbed down to see what it was. There she found remains of a person, though all that was left was fragments of decayed clothing and a broken sword. The magical item was a filthy cloak, which she brought back up. Simon had difficulty making his way out of the chasm and tumbled all the way back down again. As she was climbing back up again Maria noticed that some of the roots protruding from the chasm walls had been prepared to tear away if one used them as handholds, which had caused Simon to fall. Even here it seemed the mites had set traps for the unwary. Zander climbed down to give Simon one of the remaining fruit from the sapling, as the fall had injured his shoulder.
When Maria, Simon, and Zander ascended from the chasm they were on the opposite side. Beyond them lay another large chamber, this one with a higher ceiling. Inside that chamber stood a small table and several chairs. On the table was an ivory statue of a crouching reptilian creature. A mite sat in a chair, flanked by three other mites and a tick that was as large as a pony.
Maria called out to these mites in the common tongue, but the mites did not seem to speak it. The seated mite seemed to be their leader and began shouting as he leaped astride the giant tick. Maria rushed forward and Simon fired his bow at one of the other mites. The rest of us began to make our way across on the bridge of roots. The Dawnflower smiled on us and none of us stepped on any weakened roots.
The tick grabbed hold of Maria and began to suck her blood as ticks do, though because it was so much larger this was much more dangerous than an ordinary tick's bite. Maria struck back at it. I ran up beside Maria to stab the tick. Chahan shot it and it let go of Maria. It turned on Chahaa and Maria and I then swung at it. Maria shifted position to flank the creature and our combined cuts caused it to slump to the ground. The mite leader scrambled away and hit me but did me little harm. I did not see Maria snatch the statue up from the table. Mikmik joined us in attacking the mites, seeking vengeance for their torture of him.
When only one surviving mite remained, he screamed and ran out of the room, shouting. There was more shouting from another room beyond, combined with panicked screams. Mikmik ran after the last mite, and then Chahana shot it and it fell.
In the next room we found a cluttered collection of broken objects and half a dozen more mites, all evidently children, the elderly, or women. These snatched up some of the rubbish in the chamber and fled. Maria attempted to pursue them to see where they went, but at soon as they got out of the tunnels she lost them.
With help from Chahana's torch, Reislin examined the fallen leader. He had nothing of interest on his person, but the table proved to be more interesting. What had at first appeared to be only a heap of twigs and dirt proved to be a suprisingly detailed map of the area. There were stones acting as markers, though we had no idea what they indicated. Reislin took out her journal and carefully copied the map.
In the hand of the ivory statue was a note with two columns, which seemed to indicate the mites and the kobolds. In the kobolds column Reislin saw that it appeared to mention a human ring. Had the kobolds then taken the ring that the mites stole from the bandits?
Under the table we found a sack of coins. Reislin checked the statue and it held no magic. It represented not a reptile but a crouching devil. I had not seen it yet else I should have wished to cleave it into pieces with my sword. But at that time Maria had only shown it to Reislin as she did not wish for Mikmik to see it.
Mikmik expressed a desire to travel with us when we returned to his tribe. Though Maria didn't show him the statue, he told us that it had supposedly cursed the tribe and Sootscale feared it. We began to discuss how we should approach the kobolds, avoiding revealing anything to Mikmik. An argument ensued, for Reislin felt that she could use magic to deceive the kobolds by pretending the statue could speak and having it speak to us rather than to Tartuk. This I do not like as I don't wish to befriend the kobolds by deceiving them. Reislin will not abandon this idea, feeling very confident it will succeed. Destroying the statue was also proposed, which would be my preference, but should the kobolds believe they are cursed by it their fear may not be relieved by its destruction. And what shall we do if our plan fails and the kobolds turn on us? Mikmik now thinks we are great heroes, but would we slay all his kin?
Characters are now 3rd level.
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