“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” The rogue shivered.
Witt analyzed the substance, immediately realizing it wasn’t a substance at all, but more monsters.
Dire Slug
HP: 100/100
The slugs had barbed ridges that ran down their spine, and sharp pincers capable of causing immense pain. They also radiated the same toxic goo as the snail. They swarmed the knight, who still stood frozen in place.
“Heal him!” the rogue shouted at the mage.
“I can’t! My heal is still on cooldown. Get in there and help him.”
The rogue shook her head and sighed before emerging from the shadows. For a moment, she looked like a shadow herself before attacking the first slug. Its HP dropped by fifty percent from the surprise attack. Half of the slugs immediately changed course, sliding toward the rogue.
The mage kept a safe distance, shooting darts of white energy from the end of her scepter. They sizzled as they hit the slugs, but didn’t do much damage. Several slugs split off to chase the mage, but she moved with such grace that they could never get close enough to damage her.
While the rogue and mage battled the slugs, the dire snail moved in on the knight. It raised its head up even higher, mouth open wide as it descended on the knight. The knight’s head and shoulders disappeared inside of the slug. Sharp teeth grated against armor as the dire snail attempted to devour the hero.
The stun wore off and the knight’s arms flailed against the toxic underbelly of the beast.
A chill ran down Witt’s spine and he found himself filled with glee. Serves them right. He glanced over his shoulder at Hux, who appeared equally amused.
The knight’s health trickled down each second as he fought for escape. The rogue was now swarmed with more slugs than she could handle, and the mage was having little success in doing more than being a distraction.
The toxic goo ate away at the rogue with each step she took. Without the knight to tank the damage from the slugs, she wouldn’t last much longer.
The knight’s armor suddenly glowed a vibrant red, causing the snail to spit him out. Sludge covered him from head to foot, but it suddenly melted away. Flames coursed down his sword as he slashed at the snail before him.
The snail retreated and the slugs that had been chasing the mage honed in on the knight once again. His flaming sword cut through their bodies with ease, leaving them bisected and writhing on the floor.
Hux stepped closer. “Now is our chance. We must attack before they rally.”
Witt gripped his daggers. The time had finally come. He analyzed the scene, trying to determine the best course of action. The knight was the toughest of the three, capable of taking more damage and therefore harder to kill. The rogue dealt the most damage, but she did it in bursts and was also more elusive. And then there was the mage; this particular one seemed to specialize in utility, not damage. If they could take her out and keep the others from being healed, then they would have better chance at survival.
Witt faced Hux. “I’ll go for the mage. You go for the rogue. Then we finish the knight together.”
He couldn’t risk using his lute in this situation, so they would have to fight without the buff. Song and music would only draw attention to them.
Hux nodded. “Good luck.”
Witt stepped into the room, careful to stick to the wall. The knight battled the dire snail, now wielding two swords, while the rogue continued to fight the slugs. The mage moved around the room, evading her pursuers and casting buffs as they became available. She raised her scepter and pointed it at the knight.
Now was the time to attack. He needed to disrupt her heal.
Flames burst to life across the room at the same time as Witt launched himself at the mage. He plunged both daggers into her back and the light from her scepter extinguished immediately. She screamed as he raked the daggers down her back, tearing through both flesh and clothing. Her health dropped by half from the attack. At level five, she wasn’t much stronger than Witt.
“You…” Her face was full of shock as her words trailed off.
“Me,” Witt snarled, stabbing another dagger into her midsection.
Blood stained her gown a deep red. She raised her scepter, hitting Witt with a bolt of white energy. It stung, but compared to what he had experienced at the hands of other heroes, it barely fazed him.
The rogue screamed in pain behind him, fueling his anger further. The mage tried to run, but she wasn’t as elusive after taking so much damage. He stabbed again. And again. And again. Until her legs gave way and she tumbled to the stone floor. The toxic ooze finished the job, and Witt readied himself for his next victim.
His hands shook as adrenaline pumped through him.
The knight stood between the dire snail and Hux, a sword pointed outward in both hands. The flames no longer coated his blade and the aura had faded from his body.
“What is the meaning of this?” Panic coated his voice. “You were supposed to help us.”
Witt laughed, and he surprised himself with how calloused he sounded. He joined Hux’s side. The kobold mage’s eyes burned with fury.
Witt smiled. “What’s it going to be, us or the snail?”
The knight’s helm shifted from the kobolds to the dire snail as he gauged his best chance at survival. Apparently, he thought he fared better against Witt and Hux, because he turned his back to the snail.
“It’s no matter. I’ll end you, then I’ll clear this room and take all the loot for myself.”
He spun both blades in a circle and marched on the kobolds.
Hux lifted his staff but before he could even cast a spell, the dire slug lunged at the knight like a cobra, enshrouding him in its wide mouth. The knight disappeared in the belly of the beast and a moment later the snail coughed up bits of armor.
Hux burst out laughing, and Witt joined in.
“I can’t believe that worked.” Witt laughed.
“Well done, young Wi—”
A loud shriek echoed throughout the chamber, and Witt found himself unable to move. Armor clanked as the dire slug glided past the only remnants of the knight’s presence. Hux’s eyes were wide as the snail reared up, revealing its dagger-like teeth.
Witt watched helplessly as the snail swallowed Hux. He fought to move, but it was as if every muscle in his body had turned to stone.
Cool goo dripped down upon him as the snail hovered above his small frame. The inside of its mouth suctioned as its teeth spread wide.
Then there was darkness and pain. Witt’s flesh ripped and burned, and then he felt no more.
Chapter Ten
Witt shivered. Being devoured by a dire snail definitely ranked near the top of the worst ways he had experienced death so far. Knowing he would respawn did little to ease the pain and discomfort when death came calling.
Once his heart quit pounding and the memory of his body being both shredded and burned simultaneously faded, Witt smiled. He and Hux had killed three heroes, and it had been an amazing experience. The back of his neck pulsed with frigid revenge. Killing the heroes had not dulled his desire to make them suffer. If anything, it had only grown stronger.
But what if they come looking for me? He quickly dismissed the thought. I hope they do. Let them come to Murkwell and see what happens.
The kobold image that was always floating in the top-right corner of his vision pulsed slightly. When he focused on it, the icon expanded into a sheet of parchment that hovered in front of him.
Notifications:
You have killed a level 6 hero.
You have killed a level 7 hero.
You have been awarded 2000 XP.
You have leveled up. You are now level 5.
You have leveled up. You are now level 6.
You have learned the ability Song of Swiftness (Bard).
Song of Swiftness: Increases movement speed of those in the surrounding area.
You have learned the ability Critical Strike (Barbarian).
>
Critical Strike: Attack deals more damage but lacks precision.
Due to your recent actions, you have been offered a new quest.
Quest: Path to Villainy. By accepting this quest, you will embark on a journey to true villainy. Your power will only be limited by the atrocities you commit and the lives you ruin.
Witt froze. Partly due to the shock of reading the prompts before him and partly due to the ice settling in his veins. His eyes focused on the last prompt. Path to Villainy. This was it. His days of being a simple skald were over. He had the chance to be a truly great kobold. Not even that, a truly great villain. If he did this right, kobolds would be feared the world over. Their days of being knocked around and used as fodder would be done.
He accepted the quest and another prompt appeared.
Quest Alert: You have accepted the quest Path to Villainy. Due to your recent actions, you have gained a negative reputation among heroes and are now known as The Killer Kobold. Heroes will be offered a reward for killing you on sight. You have been awarded 50 villain points (25 per hero killed) and will lose 25 every time a hero kills you. Upon reaching zero villain points, you will lose your reputation and your path to villainy will be over. For every 100 villain points you acquire, the bounty on your head will grow, increasing the threats on your life. Due to your low villain points, you may still travel in relative anonymity unless you are actively engaged in villainy or are recognized by a hero.
Quest Alert: At 100 villain points you will gain influence over your fellow kobolds. Acquire 100 villain points to unlock additional options.
A calmness washed over Witt. The Killer Kobold. He smiled at the moniker. As far as villains went, it wasn’t a bad name. He glanced over the rest of the prompts. There was so much to process in the quest alerts and notifications that he didn’t know where to begin.
The one thing he was certain of was that he needed to gain one hundred villain points. That was priority number one. Witt had witnessed the power that Inspired Frenzy had on his fellow kobolds, but if he could influence their direct action or convince them to join his cause, then there would be no stopping his rise to power.
He would have to be smart. With only fifty villain points, two deaths could end his adventure before it even began. He needed to find Hux and plan their next attack.
He wondered if the heroes operated in a similar fashion. Did they receive hero points or did they level up based solely on experience gained from killing things?
Witt noticed that his stat page had updated with his new levels and abilities, as well as a few new rows for his title and alignment. His stat points had also increased in both Intelligence and Charisma.
Name: Witt
Title: The Killer Kobold.
Race: Kobold
Class: Skald (Barbarian/Bard hybrid)
Level: 6
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
STRENGTH: 10
DEXTERITY: 14
CONSTITUTION: 12
INTELLIGENCE: 9
WISDOM: 10
CHARISMA: 16
Skills: Darkvision, Perception, Languages (Common, Draconic), Pack Stratagem, Music, Lore.
Abilities (available):
Skaldic songs: Only one song may buff a party at a given time. Affected allies must be able to hear the skald for the song to have any effect. Deaf creatures as well as undead, elementals, and constructs are not affected by songs.
1. Inspired Frenzy (bard): Increases Strength and Constitution of kobolds while sending them into a rage. Kobolds must accept the effects of Inspired Frenzy. Caster may also choose to accept the effects.
A raging song can be disrupted, and it ends immediately if the skald is killed, paralyzed, stunned, silenced, or incapacitated.
2. Strong Hand (barbarian): Hold a two-handed weapon in one hand.
3. Ballad of the Bold (bard): Increases Strength and Constitution of non-kobold allies.
4. Cleave (barbarian): Attacks deal splash damage in an arc.
5. Song of Swiftness (bard): Increases movement speed of those in the surrounding area.
6. Critical Strike (barbarian): Attack deals more damage but lacks precision.
Witt wished he could have more insight into what the future held for him. The ability to allocate his own stat points would have been a major advantage. As well as knowing what abilities he had coming, but there was no point in dwelling on the things he couldn’t control. His life hadn’t been easy so far. Why should that change now? He would have to work for everything.
But for once, he knew that he was truly doing good work. Work that would help his people gain the respect they deserved.
Witt grabbed his lute and crawled from his straw bed. Hux lived on the northern side of Murkwell and Witt needed to get there to see what shape the mage was in. He briefly recalled his own terror as his memories came flooding back during his fight with Stu.
He passed Zirn as the tinkerer was leaving the traproom for the day.
“Good day at the dungeon today, Witt?” Zirn’s bulbous goggles stared him down.
“You could say that.” Witt smirked. “I made a killing.”
He nodded to Zirn and left the tinkerer as he navigated the maze of tunnels beneath Murkwell. Eventually, he found himself outside of Hux’s burrow, only the mage was nowhere to be found. Witt ran up and down the tunnel, but there was no sign of Hux.
He hadn’t passed the mage on his way here, so it was unlikely that Hux went out searching for Witt. Where could he be then?
Witt exited the burrow as twilight descended upon Murkwell. Many of the kobolds were preparing for a night of revelry. Food roasted over an open flame and three kobolds rolled a keg of kobold brew toward the fire pit.
Schekt rushed toward the keg, cup in hand. “Greetings, adventurer! Welcome to The Merry Minotaur, would you like a room or a drink?”
Witt shook his head and spotted Hux talking to Kessy out of the corner of his eye. Hux wore a confused look on his face.
“I can’t remember the last time I missed my post for the day.” Hux sighed. “Hopefully the heroes were able to fight off the spiders without me. Otherwise we will be in for a long night.”
Kessy patted Hux on the shoulder. “I’m sure it will be fine. One missed shift won’t be the end of the world.”
Witt stood in silence. How was it that he was able to remember what had happened after respawning, but Hux couldn’t? Then again, he had died many times and respawned without remembering. It wasn’t until the traumatic experience with Stu, where the message “Don’t forget” had been burned into his mind that he had remembered. Was that the key? Would he have to torture his fellow kobolds for them to remember their involvement with heroes?
If it came to that, Witt wasn’t sure what he would do. But first he would try a simpler approach.
“Hux, how goes it?” Witt grabbed the mage on the arm and gave him a light squeeze.
“Ah, young Witt. Good to see you.” Hux smiled.” I am a bit out of sorts today. I overslept and missed my post. How was the dungeon?”
“You tell me.” Witt gazed intently at the mage, looking for any sign of recognition.
Both Kessy and Hux scrunched their eyes.
“How would I know?” Hux shrugged. “I just woke up.”
“You and I were just there together.” Witt explained his trip to the mountain, where he flung himself from the side, his respawn, and their subsequent adventure into the dungeon.
At the end of the story, Hux stared at Witt, his face giving nothing away. Kessy, however, burst out laughing.
“Is this for a new song?” She pushed Witt in the arm, laughing. “I’m not sure how the heroes will react to a song about you killing them, but you’re the skald, not me.”
Witt frowned. Of course, this would have been too easy. I’m afraid my only way to convince them is to die again.
He took a deep breath. “Will you two follow me? I want to show you something.”
Witt walked in silence, mentally pr
eparing himself for what was to come. It would be painful, but he could think of no quicker way to get his point across.
They descended into the burrow, past Knoma’s constantly boiling stew, past the hatchery, and down the empty tunnel until Witt stopped in front of the traproom. Zirn had left and was somewhere above ground, probably readying the kobold cannon for a night of excitement.
“What are we doing down here?” Kessy stepped into the traproom and looked around.
“Just stand here.” Witt pointed to the entryway. “I want to show you something. But no matter what happens, just stay here and wait. Everything will make sense very shortly.”
Both Hux and Kessy looked at him with confused expressions.
Zirn’s new glass projectile contraption was still situated in the middle of the room. Witt had witnessed its destructive power and was careful not to accidentally activate it before he was ready. Carefully, he moved the wooden block topped with a bloodmelon out of the way and stood behind the trap tile.
“What we have here is Zirn’s newest invention.” He winked at the duo by the door. “Enjoy the show.”
Witt took a deep breath and stepped on the tile. In an instant, the tile gave way, activating the button and triggering the trap. There was an explosion of pain as the glass projectiles pierced his skull, and just as quickly, it was gone.
Chapter Eleven
Witt climbed out of his bed and rushed down the tunnel. He found Hux and Kessy huddled over the trap that had exploded his face only moments before. There were no traces of his body, but the broken glass from the projectiles littered the floor.
“Ahem,” Witt coughed loudly.
Kessy looked over her shoulder and gasped.
Path to Villainy: An NPC Kobold's Tale Page 5