(OOC: apologies if I missed it but do we know where to take the goblin scalps once we have them? And how many we need in order to make this venture profitable? If we don’t, then: )
”Tyrod, Laitraxa can ask them where they’re planning to sell their scalps and for how much!”
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DM for Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver// Story Guide for COYOTE and CROW: Cahokia Forever//Dev Horndin Curious Critters//Co-creator: Princes of the Apocalypse - A DnD Story
"Well we largely wait for a few to stray from the main body and then pick them off when they're apart. As to thinning, don't suppose we could really. Gettin' too close runs the risk of a stampede. Your ship, that's likely to spook'em."
Common knowledge has it that several boarder towns pay for the scalps. Assuming they're asked, they'll say they're planning to head to Top Knob, a hamlet a few hours from here.
Eclipse grins. “Sheep to the slaughter it will be then.” And shouting into the wind, his eyes bright with the rush of danger, he says, “Here’s the plan mates. We’ll show them the Sky-ship, make a racket, get them stampeding North and into the sea. Laitraxa will glide in just at the back of the herd, threateningly, and cut off stragglers. Once they’re separated from the rest, we’ll come in behind Laitraxa, make sure the stragglers don’t rejoin the herd, and once we’ve got some space from the mass, those are the ones we’ll pick off with ranged weapons. Our friends in the wagon are welcome to join, there’ll be plenty to go around. Then we go back to the coast and see how many have been crushed or drowned in the press of bodies.”
”What think you all?”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver// Story Guide for COYOTE and CROW: Cahokia Forever//Dev Horndin Curious Critters//Co-creator: Princes of the Apocalypse - A DnD Story
Laitraxa, seeing Tyrod waving at her (since she has to initiate the message) sends him a "Yes?"and then relays down Eclipse's question, and back up.
Laitraxa will then message Eclipse directly. "We don't want to risk a stampede, and flying the ship directly over them might do just that. Perhaps we patrol the edges and see if we can find an isolated group."
Another pause, then to Eclipse again: "What should we do about the hunters? Let them on their way, or ask them if they want to join us?"
Seeing the ship in range (assuming it also has been descending), Laitraxa will start headed back to it, as her glide is starting to run low on altitude (probably about 60 ft when all these messages are done)
Assuming Eclipse relays enough of that in a mental reply, Laitraxa sends another message to the wagoneers. "I think the plan is to isolate a group and set the rest stampeding away. You'd be welcome to join, put that gun and bow to use from the deck. When they stampede, are they more... aggressive, or do they run away?"
A lazy wind coming off from inland starts to push back the mist and the scent of goblins, salt and brine, taking a little of the chill with it. The air is clear, and that brilliant orb of gold in the sky should bring the temperature up some as it raises toward noon. That being said, the scent may climb with the temperature...
"Well, you set them to runnin', it's a coin toss. If'n your look to make-em panic, I think those of us on the ground might want to be scarce." The shorter one tugs at the sleeve of the taller, who leans over to have something whispered in his ear. "The wife here was sayin' we could make a try from in the ship if thass all somethin' your at ease with. Don't mind bein' a farther off a them in gen'ral really. What-say?"
Laitraxa sends a message in reply. "I think you're welcome to it! We'll land shortly."
She glides back to the ship, landing on the deck as it continues its own descent. She looks to the members of the Reaver's Word. "They're willing to help. And would rather be airborne than groundlocked if we are to start a stampede."
Jenaer chuckles, “Who wouldn’t, but we need someone to pick up the stragglers. It certainly won’t be me down there, and as much as I hate to say it, their lives are significantly less important to me than the rest of you.”
The couple seems to confer for a moment before moving their wagon into a divot in rolling grasses. Even in the tall grass it's barely hidden from anything on the ground, but there's not much cover to choose from. They walk about 150 meters ahead of their wagon and standby, looking up at the ship. Tothose on the deck, the sun has started to reflect off the sea, glinting intermittently off the flats between the waves.
(OOC: Quick question, as I made an assumption that the goblins don't have missile weapons. Are the goblins bearing arms? Especially, do any have bows or throwing weapons? If the goblins have ranged attacks, then my idea to send down Laitraxa was a bad one, as she'll draw lots of fire.)
"Hang on a moment, crew. I wasn't suggesting we take strangers on board. They should stay put for the moment and pick off stragglers after our maneuvers! Unless anyone disagrees, Laitraxa, can you please let them know?"
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DM for Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver// Story Guide for COYOTE and CROW: Cahokia Forever//Dev Horndin Curious Critters//Co-creator: Princes of the Apocalypse - A DnD Story
Laitraxa looks at Eclipse. "Ah. They said if we start a stampede then anyone on the ground would be swarmed by the horde. I thought we could invite them on as a spare set of hands so they wouldn't die. Use the cauldron to cut away a small group of goblins, then take them out from a safe range, then collect the bodies."
"Well, it would be rude to rescind our offer," then to all, "Let's keep our eyes on them while they're on board!"Eclipse pilots the sky-ship down to allow the newcomers to climb up with Tyrod's help. As soon as they're both on the rope, Eclipse pulls the ship back up again to 100' or so, then lashes the wheel in place long enough to offer a brief introduction, ask their names, and suggest they occupy a spot on the ship's gunwale between Jenaer and Tyrod on the ballista. Assuming the helm is aft, Eclipse should be able to keep them in view while they are midship.
If that all unfolds without incident, then to Laitraxa, "Are you ready to terrify some goblins?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver// Story Guide for COYOTE and CROW: Cahokia Forever//Dev Horndin Curious Critters//Co-creator: Princes of the Apocalypse - A DnD Story
For some reason when I read 'Eclipse pilots' my brain wants to turn it into 'Escape pods'...
Anyway...
The goblins are not moving as a group, but plenty of them are moving as individuals. They're forging for clams, wrestling, grooming, screwing, swimming, tossing sand or rocks at each other, or some combination there of. None are wearing clothing and none are wielding or carrying a tool more complicated than the occasional stick. More than a few of them are kind of sitting around engaged in nothing in particular.
The couple climb the rope slowly, and looking at them more closely, it seems like they've chosen their clothing to insulate themselves from the outside world, with goggles and scarves. Their still rather spindly and short, such that they'd probably have difficulty seeing over the goblins below if they were standing in front of any. The taller one, by about fifteen centimetres, introduces them both as Hager and Jane Underhill.
"Jane here" he explains, "Don't speak more than a few words of Common, so I'll translate."
With a +2 or better modifier in History, you notice the following:
The surname Underhill and the given name Jane are both very common albioni names.
If you have a +3 or better modifier in Insight, you notice the following:
Hager paused ever so slightly before giving their names, like he had to take a second to think of them. It's also odd for someone with such a Common name not to speak Common.
Ok so for whatever reason I don't see the spoiler text I just typed, but when I went go to edit it back in the text is there. Do you guys see the spoiler text?
Bazlachi had stayed silent during the entirety of this so far, he wasn't normally a man, or nephilim, of so few words; but here he watched as great minds planned the battle. He knew where his figurative and literal strengths were.
Unfortunately he had no ranged weapons, but there were always things to throw!
OOC: Balachi will begin to gather up whatever improvised thrown weapons he can in case they are needed.
(The first spoiler seems fine, maybe I’m not looking hard enough, but I couldn’t find any mention of Albioni in your Race folder, are they the equivalent of halflings?)
Jenaer nods politely at the pair. ”Pleasure to meet you Mr and Mrs Underhill. Hager, what is the common greeting in Albioni? I would very much like to make your wife feel welcome.”
Bazlachi will be able to find several belaying pins, which we could say have the stats of a boomerang, though, of course, they don't come back. There's also some expendable odds and ends that could be tossed with about the same stats.
Albioni are halflings. The term 'halfling' is a xenonym in Q'rath Set (like 'Eskimo' [Inuit] or 'German' [Deutsche]), and since it implies they're 'half' of something, it's sometimes considered offensive.
Hager says, "Howdy", in albioni, then adds, "Hello" in albioni, and continues in Common, "if you're feelin' formal."
Both take up position halfway along the side of the ship, with Hager taking the blunderbuss off his shoulder and loading powder into it. Jane slings her quiver to her hip and leans it on a small side satchel. She opens the satchel and flips the top flap back, revealing four small vials. She takes the stopper from the front most vial and pockets it. At first she tries to hold the bow horizontal over the rail, but her height doesn't let her aim downward easily that way, and she shortly switches to trying to aim between the bars, under the railing.
(OOC: In the future I think we should load up some large rocks to drop from the ship. They could also be used to balance out the ship. I figure that's something we'd have to do so it wouldn't tilt to one side. )
Tyrod says hello in alioni to the underhills. "That's about the extent of my albioni. Picked up a little bit living in the Southshires. That's a nice looking weapon you have there. Did you make it? How far off the ground is the best distance for it? It looks like they don't have any bows or anything that can get us up in the air. So hovering like 30 feet up and firing on them should work well, I bet."
He commands the rope in drawfish and it comes back up and coils itself on the ground.
"Let's go find some goblins!"
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Tyrod- Sky-Pirates of Q’rath Set: Crew of the Reaver's Word
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Tyrod turns to Eclipse and says, "Raxa says they are hunters like us, looking for scalps."
"I guess that means they know about the goblin horde in front of them, not sure what their plan is. But I don't think we have enough ballista shots."
Tyrod - Sky-Pirates of Q’rath Set: Crew of the Reaver's Word
(OOC: apologies if I missed it but do we know where to take the goblin scalps once we have them? And how many we need in order to make this venture profitable? If we don’t, then: )
”Tyrod, Laitraxa can ask them where they’re planning to sell their scalps and for how much!”
DM for Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver // Story Guide for COYOTE and CROW: Cahokia Forever // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Co-creator: Princes of the Apocalypse - A DnD Story
The Reaver's Word is flat bottomed...
"Well we largely wait for a few to stray from the main body and then pick them off when they're apart. As to thinning, don't suppose we could really. Gettin' too close runs the risk of a stampede. Your ship, that's likely to spook'em."
Common knowledge has it that several boarder towns pay for the scalps. Assuming they're asked, they'll say they're planning to head to Top Knob, a hamlet a few hours from here.
Eclipse grins. “Sheep to the slaughter it will be then.” And shouting into the wind, his eyes bright with the rush of danger, he says, “Here’s the plan mates. We’ll show them the Sky-ship, make a racket, get them stampeding North and into the sea. Laitraxa will glide in just at the back of the herd, threateningly, and cut off stragglers. Once they’re separated from the rest, we’ll come in behind Laitraxa, make sure the stragglers don’t rejoin the herd, and once we’ve got some space from the mass, those are the ones we’ll pick off with ranged weapons. Our friends in the wagon are welcome to join, there’ll be plenty to go around. Then we go back to the coast and see how many have been crushed or drowned in the press of bodies.”
”What think you all?”
DM for Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver // Story Guide for COYOTE and CROW: Cahokia Forever // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Co-creator: Princes of the Apocalypse - A DnD Story
Laitraxa, seeing Tyrod waving at her (since she has to initiate the message) sends him a "Yes?" and then relays down Eclipse's question, and back up.
Laitraxa will then message Eclipse directly. "We don't want to risk a stampede, and flying the ship directly over them might do just that. Perhaps we patrol the edges and see if we can find an isolated group."
Another pause, then to Eclipse again: "What should we do about the hunters? Let them on their way, or ask them if they want to join us?"
Seeing the ship in range (assuming it also has been descending), Laitraxa will start headed back to it, as her glide is starting to run low on altitude (probably about 60 ft when all these messages are done)
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Jenaer smiles, ”Sounds like a fine plan captain. Sewing the seeds of chaos in our prey... could have a few casualties, but great profits too.”
Gilgin Hardhammer - Mountain Dwarf Cleric (Forge Domain) - Icewind Dale
Petal - Forest Gnome Druid (Circle of the Land - Forest) - Unsung Heroes of Embera
OOC: Posted at the same time!
Assuming Eclipse relays enough of that in a mental reply, Laitraxa sends another message to the wagoneers. "I think the plan is to isolate a group and set the rest stampeding away. You'd be welcome to join, put that gun and bow to use from the deck. When they stampede, are they more... aggressive, or do they run away?"
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
A lazy wind coming off from inland starts to push back the mist and the scent of goblins, salt and brine, taking a little of the chill with it. The air is clear, and that brilliant orb of gold in the sky should bring the temperature up some as it raises toward noon. That being said, the scent may climb with the temperature...
"Well, you set them to runnin', it's a coin toss. If'n your look to make-em panic, I think those of us on the ground might want to be scarce." The shorter one tugs at the sleeve of the taller, who leans over to have something whispered in his ear. "The wife here was sayin' we could make a try from in the ship if thass all somethin' your at ease with. Don't mind bein' a farther off a them in gen'ral really. What-say?"
Laitraxa sends a message in reply. "I think you're welcome to it! We'll land shortly."
She glides back to the ship, landing on the deck as it continues its own descent. She looks to the members of the Reaver's Word. "They're willing to help. And would rather be airborne than groundlocked if we are to start a stampede."
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
Jenaer chuckles, “Who wouldn’t, but we need someone to pick up the stragglers. It certainly won’t be me down there, and as much as I hate to say it, their lives are significantly less important to me than the rest of you.”
Gilgin Hardhammer - Mountain Dwarf Cleric (Forge Domain) - Icewind Dale
Petal - Forest Gnome Druid (Circle of the Land - Forest) - Unsung Heroes of Embera
The couple seems to confer for a moment before moving their wagon into a divot in rolling grasses. Even in the tall grass it's barely hidden from anything on the ground, but there's not much cover to choose from. They walk about 150 meters ahead of their wagon and standby, looking up at the ship. Tothose on the deck, the sun has started to reflect off the sea, glinting intermittently off the flats between the waves.
ECLIPSE FARAWAY
(OOC: Quick question, as I made an assumption that the goblins don't have missile weapons. Are the goblins bearing arms? Especially, do any have bows or throwing weapons? If the goblins have ranged attacks, then my idea to send down Laitraxa was a bad one, as she'll draw lots of fire.)
"Hang on a moment, crew. I wasn't suggesting we take strangers on board. They should stay put for the moment and pick off stragglers after our maneuvers! Unless anyone disagrees, Laitraxa, can you please let them know?"
DM for Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver // Story Guide for COYOTE and CROW: Cahokia Forever // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Co-creator: Princes of the Apocalypse - A DnD Story
"I don't think we should land, I can just let the rope down and we can pull them up." says Tyrod with a look to the captain.
(OOC: are the goblins moving anywhere, or just kinda stationary?)
Tyrod - Sky-Pirates of Q’rath Set: Crew of the Reaver's Word
Laitraxa looks at Eclipse. "Ah. They said if we start a stampede then anyone on the ground would be swarmed by the horde. I thought we could invite them on as a spare set of hands so they wouldn't die. Use the cauldron to cut away a small group of goblins, then take them out from a safe range, then collect the bodies."
Aldrik Reinholdt in Dragon Heist
Daventry in The Candlekeep Mysteries, and her bag
ECLIPSE FARAWAY
"Well, it would be rude to rescind our offer," then to all, "Let's keep our eyes on them while they're on board!" Eclipse pilots the sky-ship down to allow the newcomers to climb up with Tyrod's help. As soon as they're both on the rope, Eclipse pulls the ship back up again to 100' or so, then lashes the wheel in place long enough to offer a brief introduction, ask their names, and suggest they occupy a spot on the ship's gunwale between Jenaer and Tyrod on the ballista. Assuming the helm is aft, Eclipse should be able to keep them in view while they are midship.
If that all unfolds without incident, then to Laitraxa, "Are you ready to terrify some goblins?"
DM for Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver // Story Guide for COYOTE and CROW: Cahokia Forever // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Co-creator: Princes of the Apocalypse - A DnD Story
For some reason when I read 'Eclipse pilots' my brain wants to turn it into 'Escape pods'...
Anyway...
The goblins are not moving as a group, but plenty of them are moving as individuals. They're forging for clams, wrestling, grooming, screwing, swimming, tossing sand or rocks at each other, or some combination there of. None are wearing clothing and none are wielding or carrying a tool more complicated than the occasional stick. More than a few of them are kind of sitting around engaged in nothing in particular.
The couple climb the rope slowly, and looking at them more closely, it seems like they've chosen their clothing to insulate themselves from the outside world, with goggles and scarves. Their still rather spindly and short, such that they'd probably have difficulty seeing over the goblins below if they were standing in front of any. The taller one, by about fifteen centimetres, introduces them both as Hager and Jane Underhill.
"Jane here" he explains, "Don't speak more than a few words of Common, so I'll translate."
With a +2 or better modifier in History, you notice the following:
The surname Underhill and the given name Jane are both very common albioni names.
If you have a +3 or better modifier in Insight, you notice the following:
Hager paused ever so slightly before giving their names, like he had to take a second to think of them. It's also odd for someone with such a Common name not to speak Common.
Ok so for whatever reason I don't see the spoiler text I just typed, but when I went go to edit it back in the text is there. Do you guys see the spoiler text?
Bazlachi had stayed silent during the entirety of this so far, he wasn't normally a man, or nephilim, of so few words; but here he watched as great minds planned the battle. He knew where his figurative and literal strengths were.
Unfortunately he had no ranged weapons, but there were always things to throw!
OOC: Balachi will begin to gather up whatever improvised thrown weapons he can in case they are needed.
(The first spoiler seems fine, maybe I’m not looking hard enough, but I couldn’t find any mention of Albioni in your Race folder, are they the equivalent of halflings?)
Jenaer nods politely at the pair. ”Pleasure to meet you Mr and Mrs Underhill. Hager, what is the common greeting in Albioni? I would very much like to make your wife feel welcome.”
Gilgin Hardhammer - Mountain Dwarf Cleric (Forge Domain) - Icewind Dale
Petal - Forest Gnome Druid (Circle of the Land - Forest) - Unsung Heroes of Embera
Bazlachi will be able to find several belaying pins, which we could say have the stats of a boomerang, though, of course, they don't come back. There's also some expendable odds and ends that could be tossed with about the same stats.
Albioni are halflings. The term 'halfling' is a xenonym in Q'rath Set (like 'Eskimo' [Inuit] or 'German' [Deutsche]), and since it implies they're 'half' of something, it's sometimes considered offensive.
Hager says, "Howdy", in albioni, then adds, "Hello" in albioni, and continues in Common, "if you're feelin' formal."
Both take up position halfway along the side of the ship, with Hager taking the blunderbuss off his shoulder and loading powder into it. Jane slings her quiver to her hip and leans it on a small side satchel. She opens the satchel and flips the top flap back, revealing four small vials. She takes the stopper from the front most vial and pockets it. At first she tries to hold the bow horizontal over the rail, but her height doesn't let her aim downward easily that way, and she shortly switches to trying to aim between the bars, under the railing.
(OOC: In the future I think we should load up some large rocks to drop from the ship. They could also be used to balance out the ship. I figure that's something we'd have to do so it wouldn't tilt to one side. )
Tyrod says hello in alioni to the underhills. "That's about the extent of my albioni. Picked up a little bit living in the Southshires. That's a nice looking weapon you have there. Did you make it? How far off the ground is the best distance for it? It looks like they don't have any bows or anything that can get us up in the air. So hovering like 30 feet up and firing on them should work well, I bet."
He commands the rope in drawfish and it comes back up and coils itself on the ground.
"Let's go find some goblins!"
Tyrod - Sky-Pirates of Q’rath Set: Crew of the Reaver's Word