H6. Nima Cinnarid's House

This encounter location is shown on map 5.6. If the characters seek out Nima Cinnarid at home, read:

Traveling to the north end of the Ironlot, you approach the humble abode that Sleese Firemark directed you toward. The green-painted wooden walls are streaked with dirt washed down by the rain. A sign hanging on the front door reads: “Sickness within. Do not disturb.” Curtains at the windows all appear to be closed.

The front and side doors to the house are locked, but can be picked with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools. Knocking once on the front door yields no answer, but a second knock summons a coughing, creaky voice from the other side that falteringly tells the characters to stay away for fear of catching the sickness. Any character with a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 15 or higher, or who is successful on a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check, recognizes that the voice is nervous—and is definitely not a female gnome. If the characters mention anything about the prison break, the voice pauses, then states, “Actually, I think I might know something about that.” As the front door is unlocked, the voice invites the characters in. The interior of Nima Cinnarid's house is dark except for a guttering candle on the back table, shedding dim light in a 5-foot radius. Four Kobold Underlings lie in wait in the shadows. Any character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 16 or higher, or who succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check, sees the kobolds hiding and ready to spring. When any character moves more than 10 feet into the house, the kobolds attack. Anyone who was not aware of the hidden kobolds is surprised. When the kobolds are defeated, the characters have 2 rounds to loot or investigate the corpses of any slain kobolds. After that time, the kobolds’ bodies explode as in Area H1. See the “Exploding Kobolds” section in that area, the kobold underling stat block (earlier in the adventure), and the “Alchemical Items” sidebar for information on removing and keeping the Explosive Seeds the kobolds carry. As in Area H1, a successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that each of these kobolds has a deep-crimson mud staining its feet, plus a lead key hanging on a cord around its neck. Neither of these things can be discovered if a kobold explodes.

Development

If the characters manage to subdue a kobold, it gives up what it knows with a successful DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation) check. The kobold can reveal that it works for someone called “the Master,” and that Nima Cinnarid has been kidnapped and is presently held high up the mountain at a location called Silver Falls. If its life is spared, the kobold promises to guide the characters to the Silver Falls cavern area. The kobold accompanies the party through the “Mountain Climb” section below but attempts to escape at any opportunity.

Signs of Trouble

Any search of the house reveals signs of a struggle from a few weeks past, including broken furniture and an emptied chest with a broken lock. A few heavy coats and sets of work boots sized for a gnome are all stained with red dirt. A broken worktable has been dumped into a corner strewn with scraps and garbage. Searching through the refuse reveals a number of torn parchment notes, one of which provides a clue to the location of Silver Falls. (Show the players Handout B.)