This is the sixth encounter in my 4E conversion of The Sunless Citadel. I’m posting a new encounter every week.

Encounter 5: Flown the Coop
Encounter Level 1 (550 XP)

The PCs discover a locked, ornate stone door that hides magical reserve of water–and its guardian. Then they happen upon the kobold Meepo, failed Keeper of Dragons, and can learn a little bit about the politics between the kobolds and goblins that inhabit the Sunless Citadel. This encounter includes the following creatures:

• 1 water mephit
• 1 Meepo, Keeper of Dragons (kobold minion)
• 3 kobold skirmishers
• 1 rat swarm

Read the following to the players as they walk down the hall:

Three doors sit in the walls at the end of the hallway: one to the north, one to the south, and one to the east. The door in the south wall is made of dark stone with a relief-carving that portrays a dragon-like fish swimming in some aquatic setting.

Read the following to the players if they open the stone door:

This closet is hewn from stone and contains an upright keg fashioned from rusted iron in the corner. Rusted pipes lead from the keg into the floor

Read the following to the players when they enter main chamber:

Crudely drawn symbols and glyphs in bright green dye decorate this large, irregular-shaped chamber. A large pit in the center of the room still holds the burning remnants of a recent bonfire. A metallic cage in the center of the southern wall stands empty, a few of its bars bent. A small wooden bench draped in green cloth is set before the cage; several small objects sit upon it. A bedroll lies between the bench and the firepit, and pathetic whimpers emanate from it.

Tactics
The water mephit that guards the water cache behind the stone door targets the person who opened the keg. It will use its breath weapon when it can get at least two PCs in the area of effect. The mephit will flee when bloodied.

Meepo reacts with fright if threatened, and will flee toward the room with the kobold skirmishers. The rat swarm will surge over the barrier set between them and the door 1 round after the door is opened. They are hungry and attack the closest target, fighting until dead.

The three kobold guards will attack any non-kobolds on sight, attempting to flank an opponent. If the PCs have Meepo with them, the kobolds will parley.

Skill Challenge: Meepo’s Bargain
The PCs can attempt to calm Meepo and start a conversation. Meepo is generally weepy and obviously frightened of the PCs, but willing to answer some questions. He understands the Common, Draconic, and Goblin languages.

Complexity: This skill challenge has a complexity level of 1. The PCs must make 4 successful checks before 3 failures.

Primary Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Insight, and Nature.

• Bluff (DC 15): The PCs use false pretenses to reassure Meepo. He provides one of the pieces of information below.
• Diplomacy (DC 15): The PCs make an effort to show Meepo they mean no harm, or ask for his help in completing one of their quests. He provides one of the pieces of information below.
• Insight (DC 15): The PCs show sympathy for Meepo’s plight as a means of encouraging the kobold’s cooperation. He provides one of the pieces of information below. A successful Insight check will also reveal that the use of Intimidate will result in a failure.
• Nature (DC 15): The PCs’ knowledge of kobold behavior reveals a clue to the situation. The PCs gain a +2 to their next check and learn one of the pieces of information below.
• Intimidate: Meepo flees toward the room with the kobold skirmishers. Each use of this skill counts as a failure.

Success: The PCs learn one of the following pieces of information for each successful check:

• (Nature) Kobolds often dwell near a dragon’s lair, worshiping it as a god and bringing it sacrificial offerings. Most dragons ignore kobolds, but young dragons have been known to turn neighboring tribes into fanatical cults. The droppings in the cage belong to a white dragon wyrmling.
• (Bluff) “Meepo help capture clan’s dragon. Yusdrayl made Meepo Keeper of Dragon because Calcryx like Meepo best.”
• (Diplomacy) “The clan’s dragon…we’ve lost our dragon. The wretched goblins stole our dragon!”
• (Insight) “Woe is Meepo. Yusdrayl punish Meepo, even though not Meepo’s fault. No one talk to poor Meepo. Meepo miss Calcryx.”

Meepo makes the following offer upon successful completion of the skill challenge:

Meepo take you to meet leader Yusdrayl. Grant you safe passage maybe, if you promise to rescue dragon from those nasty goblins. Yes, yes. Kill goblins and get Calcryx back.

Failure: Meepo flees toward the kobold skirmishers.

Features
Illumination: The firepit provides dim illumination in the main chamber. Otherwise, it is darkness and the PCs must provide their own light source.

Stone door: The door is securely locked (DC 21).

Iron water keg: The keg may be broken open (DC 18) or the wide, metallic bung can be pried loose (DC 18). Inside the keg are 5 tiny sapphires (worth 5gp each), the mephit’s treasure.

Firepit: Anyone who begins their turn in one of the squares occupied by the fire pit takes 2 fire damage from the heat. A jade figurine of a dragon (worth 15gp) is buried under the coals, and can be spotted with a Perception check (DC 19).

Bench altar: The bench serves as a sort of altar to Calcryx. Containers of green dye, a goblin-hair paintbrush, and four small jade figurines of dragons (each worth 15gp) sit atop it.

Cage: The bars of the cage have been bent, allowing Small sized creatures or smaller to pass through without difficulty. The droppings inside came from a white dragon wyrmling.

Green symbols and glyphs: Crude renderings of Draconic read “Here there be dragons.”