<div class="floatright">(https://dnd35.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/111025kobolds.jpg?w=640&amp;h=504)</div>At this point, it seems, the kobolds have built up some momentum in their level of confidence.  However, as Nuria steps forward their reflective red eyes begin to take in the fact that their initially easy prey (3 on 1 feels pretty good even with a 3x height disadvantage) has some friends along with her.  A little whimper comes from one of them and they scamper about, one of them apparently stuck in a little loop of chasing after his tail, the leader just covering his face for a second, and the robed one grabbing onto the pile of rubbish.<br/><br/>At this point, the robed kobold seems to figure something out.  He stands up and shouts out, before Lorelei speaks, "Shatter-bang!"  The two other kobolds nod and begin to puff up again, trying to look all tough and letting out little hisses to Nuria.  The robed kobold begins rooting around in the rubbish and finds out a rock tied to the end of a rope.  He seems about to do something with this when Lorelei steps forward in her performance.<br/><br/>For the duration of her dramatic display, the kobolds are entranced, watching her with appropriate response.  At the talk of drinking, singing, and playing, their eyes light up and the leader even claps in excitement, the scary women taking their arms causing gasps of surprise and shock, and little whimpers afterwards.<br/><br/>The common speak quickly becomes yapping, the kobolds looking between each other with concerned looks on their faces.  Finally, the robed kobold puts down his rock next to the downward tunnel entrance and the leader steps forward, stowing his switch and giving a bow.  "These koboldses," he exclaims with a very serious look on his face, "Knows smartness and cleverness.  We take reward after instead of trouble before."  With this, he walks forward and holds up a claw to shake on it.<br/><br/>As Lorelei looks about, she begins to piece together what the kobolds do here.  The pit clearly leads down into some sort of cavern system beneath the city, one of the rumored places where treasures and dangers lie.  The angle suggests a climb more or less straight down, though likely with some outcroppings judging by the kobold's plan she begins to understand.  The little rock that the robed kobold picked up is tied to a pan, she notices, which is tied to a chain shirt, which is tied to a pot, so on and so on.  If those were to drop down into the hole, they would doubtless raise an enormous amount of alarm and suspicion.  Had the Delvers attacked, the kobolds could have tossed the rocks and then... Something dire certainly would have happened.  It's certainly a good thing that was avoided.<br/><br/>Except... the robed kobold, still standing by the cliff, has a happily wagging tail at the idea of rewards.  He seems to be picturing all manner of riches and treasures (though the fact that even through the story he couldn't get his eyes above chest-level with any of the Delvers may suggest that not all that's gold to him glitters) and it's just making him too damn happy to avoid his tail swinging and switching about.  Very much in the area of that little tied rock.  He's going to knock it (and the whole clattering metal pile) down into the pit if someone can't stop that from happening.<br/><br/><strong>Delvers!  Wit and smartnesses have won the day!  Unless that rock topples down!  But you've certainly won yourself a trio of kobold guides!  What do you do?</strong>