Disclaimer:
The magically aided historians who have concerned themselves with the events of this age have pieced together the following accounts that purport to describe what occurred after the party was defeated in the cave. They have attempted to assure the reader that the sources were scraps of parchment paper found among the effects of Brother Francis's estate, apparently written by one of his acolytes, as well as judicious (and entirely ethical!) uses of the speak with dead spell, and attested communing with certain possibly reliable beings from differing planes. It should be noted that other magically aided historians have attempted to debunk these claims and have cast aspersions on the character and motivations of the prior mentioned historians.
Report:
After the ambush the Priest (presumed to be Brother Francis) and two Acolytes were seen* fleeing the Kobold cave. They arrived at the Keep after dark. The Priest was overheard to complain that when his light spell was dispelled, the other adventurers abandoned him in the dark.
Randolph son of Mandolph and his companions (Harold, Garold and Gerrold - who was still recovering from the poisonous bite) were forced to make camp on the return road. During the first watch of the night, their companion Steve approached nursing a headwound and wearing only a loincloth and a sign hung around his neck on which was written: "Will trade Kleerik for Ogrrr."**
It was asserted that in his captivity, the Cleric named Joel Osteen underwent a test of his faith as a competing deity tempted him to abandon his vows with uncertain result.
At the Keep, the party found a cool reception, and the hirelings left Randolph to spend their meager winnings. Randolph immediately set to researching the whereabouts of known Ogres, and in so doing, captured the interest of three more adventurers, a Bard named Kris Aspen, a Dwarven Vaultguard named Jayne Bond, and a mysterious Elf Nightblade who gave no name (but whose voice sounded similar to Joel Osteen's).
Their rumormongering uncovered an Ogre village to the Southwest, but also the probable location of a single Ogre in the Caves of Chaos. They were seen departing the Keep.
A night-time meeting outside the Kobold cave was observed.*** The Kobolds were informed of the presence of the Ogre, which they already knew. They explained that the Ogre mostly works with the Goblins and that's why they needed their own. A plan was made to join forces to wipe out the Goblins in the hope that without their patronage, the Ogre would be persuaded to side with the Kobolds. If that happened, the Kobolds would release Joel Osteen. Having agreed, the party returned to the Keep to plan and lay up supplies.
An Orc delegation approached to warn the Kobold chief that the Goblins would call on the Ogre if invaded.**** The Orcs knew what the Ogre charged (250 gp), but suggested a 300 gp bribe might make him ignore the Goblin cries. The Kobolds agreed, but would rather the adventurers pay it. The Orcs warned them against trusting humans and suggested a higher price.
A Kobold spy's first attempt to contact the Adventurers failed, but he was not seen, and gained access through the Keep's sewers the next day. He hailed the party from a street drain and told them the Ogre would need 500 gp. The party agreed to round up the money and meet the Kobold at the large oak outside the Keep on the following night.
The PCs were only able to round up 360 gp, without selling their supplies, but the Kobolds graciously agreed to take on the rest of the cost themselves.
The Orc go-between took possession of the 300 gp, and in-secret approached the Ogre with the bribe. Bribing an Ogre is always a risk, but in this case, the Ogre accepted the 250 gp.
Footnotes:
* The dissenting historians point out that this information, if not totally fabricated, almost certainly came from a beastperson and so is utterly unreliable.
** Their critics find this level of intelligence and bargaining highly suspect in Kobolds, although it should be pointed out that this criticism divided the critics, with one faction holding that while it was a valid criticism of the first party of historians, it also reflected poorly on the values of the second to stoop to such a prejudicial basis for analysis. The loudest voice for the splitters was so aggressive in his attempts to censure the dissenting historians' spokesman that he was suspended from the assembly for a time.
*** The source of this account is almost certainly the remains of an Orc.
**** Scholars have debated the Orcs' motivations for this warning. One theory is that the Orc tribe that arranged this hated the Goblins and their allies more than it hated the competing Orc tribe in the area. According to this line of thought the upside would have been disarray on the Goblin side of the valley, with all retribution accruing to the Kobolds.
