Arrangements on All Fronts

Cassius gazed at the brand-new minion stat block before him. This fellow had truly leapt through the dragon's gate and soared into the heavens. Winged Kobold Sorcerer Medium humanoid (kobold), lawful evil Armor Class: 16 (natural armor) Speed: 30 ft., fly 50 ft. STR: 15 DEX: 14 CON: 16 INT: 10 WIS: 8 CHA: 11 Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 Languages: Common, Draconic Proficiencies: Construction +4, Traps +4, Mining +6, Stealth +6 Traits: Pack Tactics, Fire Resistance Actions: Dagger, Sling, Claws, Bite Class Level: Sorcerer 1 Caster Level: 1 Cantrips: Fire Bolt, Light 1st Level: Burning Hands Challenge: 5 (1,700 XP) The kobold's Challenge Rating had vaulted from a pitiful 1/8 straight to 5. He was now capable of holding his own against a squad of well-trained soldiers, barely squeezing into the ranks of Cinder Nest's elite fighting forces. Below, Duoluo folded his arms and glared at the radically transformed kobold, his expression distinctly sour. "Jinya..." The dragonblood hobgoblin murmured the name under his breath. Before, he could have sent this creature flying with an effortless kick. Yet now the kobold—or rather, urd—stood nearly two meters tall, could fly, and wielded magic. He had become a troublesome opponent. Ever since that earlier clash, the kobold had firmly attached himself to the ogre mage's coattails. One could say that within Cinder Nest today, Langpu's position remained utterly unshakable. Not far off, Langpu watched as well, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in a faint smile and his eyes glinting with inscrutable thoughts. "Not bad at all." The ogre instinctively reached to nudge the spectacles on the bridge of his nose, only to remember that the fine, silver-rimmed glasses had been crushed to pieces during his metamorphosis. He could only lower his hand with a touch of regret, silently resolving to steal a sturdier pair later. The boon ceremony finally drew to a close. Cassius slowly unfurled his wings, casting a vast shadow over the myriad monsters gathered below. Unleashing the full weight of his Chieftain Aura, he radiated an overwhelming, commanding presence that compelled every minion present to bow their heads in heartfelt awe. "A soldier who does not strive to become a general is no true soldier. My Cinder Nest has room only for the strong, and none whatsoever for useless deadwood. "Continue to fight for me. "Prove your loyalty to me in blood and fire. "And you, too, may claim formidable strength and endless life." As the primary beneficiaries, the few chieftain minions who had received the boon were the first to roar in jubilation. The wyvern spewed searing flames into the sky, the kobold flared his newly grown wings, and Langpu flaunted his massive frame and hardened scales. With Cassius's tacit approval—and even encouragement—they brazenly displayed their newfound might. The monsters throughout Cinder Nest erupted in wild celebration. Kobolds, goblins, and ogres alike howled and screeched in a frenzy, their hearts burning with boundless yearning and fanatical desire for power. Raucous cheers echoed through the valley, ringing on and on without fading. ... January. Feather-like snowflakes swirled through the sky, dancing wildly on howling gales. Pervasive ice fog dropped visibility outside to less than a hundred meters. The Great Anzetta Waste had plunged into its bitterest season of the year. Over three months had passed since the indelible "boon ceremony." Not long after his metamorphosis, Jinya had been dispatched to the Gloomy Mine, leading over three hundred of his kin deep into the warm subterranean earth to dig gold for the red dragon. When spring arrived and the snows melted, the kobolds would haul the gold back to Cinder Nest. At the same time, they were tasked with prospecting for elemental ore—an endeavor by which Cassius sought energy to replenish the Eye of the Storm Sovereign. During this span, numerous creatures had caught wind of the nest and flocked to join Cinder Nest. The hobgoblin warlord "Skull Face," fleeing pursuit from the Northern Kingdom, had arrived with an army of over a hundred hobgoblins and a considerable fortune to pledge allegiance. A mere week later, however, the newly arrived warlord suffered an accidental drowning in a cesspool, and his remnants naturally fell under the command of the dragonblood hobgoblin Duoluo. Duoluo finally possessed the quality troop supply he had always dreamed of, rather than the weak, cowardly common goblins who hardly dared step onto a battlefield. Later, a band of over thirty satyrs arrived to seek refuge, hoping to pass the freezing winter within warm Cinder Nest. These satyrs possessed little individual strength and virtually no concept of good or evil; they were boisterous fey driven by curiosity and hedonism. But their panpipe melodies resembled those of bards, capable of producing curious magical effects, and so Cassius took them in as well. Even in such a frigid season, Cinder Nest remained comparatively warm. For one thing, Storm Heights did not reach the northernmost limits of Anzeta. For another, the undulating mountains shielded it from the howling winter winds, trapping what little warmth there was within the valley. The red dragon's lair was particularly warm. Inside Giant's Mouth Cave at that very moment, Cassius slowly opened his drowsy eyes. His massive frame lay sprawled across the spot where the cavern's geothermal heat was richest. "Master, I have brought the man you requested." Duoluo respectfully entered the mouth of the cave, accompanied by several hobgoblin guards. The guards dragged a ragged, disheveled human between them—Hart, the slaver whom the red dragon had personally captured earlier. "Have you completed the task I gave you?" "With complete success, Master," Duoluo answered. With that, the hobgoblin guards flanking him pulled out several scrolls from their backs and presented them. Written in Common with messy handwriting, the parchments also featured a few crude diagrams. Hobgoblins were versed in every art of warfare and military craft, interrogation included. The task the red dragon had given him was to wring every scrap of intelligence from the human's mind and verify its truth. Hart was merely a craven slaver. Duoluo had hardly needed to resort to harsh measures; the simplest threats had been enough to make him spill everything he knew in a torrent. "Then withdraw." "Yes, Master." Duoluo and his guards respectfully took their leave. Cassius fixed his gaze on the nervous human before him and said, "Long time no see, Hart." Hart trembled from head to toe. His knees gave way and he collapsed to his knees on the stone floor, his voice trembling: "L-Lord Cassius, Master of Cinder Nest, mighty Red Dragon! I understand my transgressions now! I am willing to compensate for all losses, if only you spare my insignificant, wretched life!" The red dragon bared a grin, revealing razor-sharp draconic teeth—a smile that sent chills down Hart's spine. Cassius said, "Not only do I require no compensation from you, I am going to let you go back." Hart froze, asking instinctively, "B-Back where?" "Sige Town. Your baron and I might just share some common ground." The baron's cold, sinister gaze flashed through Hart's mind. He muttered, "The baron... he... he will kill me." Unhurried, the red dragon rose slowly, looming over the shivering human. A telling gleam glinted within his golden slit pupils. "No. He won't."