Bree throws a foul look at Lucy: "Don't try and blame any murders, direct or indirect, on me. I kept you from murdering these people..."
She then turns to the rest of the party: "Luckily we also have some decent people with us. I say tie them up, I don't think I trust these men with 'protecting' this nice couple. Then I think we should be on our merry way" (when they continue on Bree will keep an eye on Lucy, but keep a distance)
(OOC: Lucy's player is unable to post today and I'd like to give them a chance to respond to the latest update. I'm loving the RP in the group! Once this encounter is resolved I'll dish out XP and we'll head on towards the Stone Tooth).
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Laerthalas had wandered over during the...tussle. He looks between the bandits, the old couple, and Lucy. Shrugging, he says nothing one way or the other about the decision. He does make sure to catch the two bandits eyes, however, glaring at them while wiping owlbear blood off his sword.
Garavant considers the various options. "Perhaps we all travel together, at least until we have to part ways," he suggests. "We are heading in the same direction, after all. We can tie up the prisoners, transport them as far as we all can go together, then leave them on the road. They'll at least be closer to a settlement. And we can take turns riding in the cart with them, giving our feet a rest."
Lucy glares at Bree for roughly one minute then exhales loudly and gives in to the persuasion of her companions. "…Fair enough." The elf wizard is still giving a fierce look at the leading highwayman."I will spare your miserable life this time. But remember this! If I find you committing another crime, even if it's as pathetic as robbing a candy from a kid, I'll shoot you with my magic until you become a pile of minced meat! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!" After saying that,Lucy sheathes her rapier.
The highwayman shakes and nods his head at the appropriate points of Lucy’s tirade while his wounded comrade turns visibly more pale, if possible, under the glare of Laerthelas.
The two erstwhile criminals are tied at the wrists and to the back of the wagon before you set off north to resume your journey.
Ferres and his wife, who you learn is called Alva, prove to be delightful company. They share stories of their shared life together, childhood sweethearts who inherited Ferres’s family farm and have traded between the neighbouring villages of Blasingdell and Frostwood ever since. They fill the journey with stories of a life so unremarkable that in contrast to your own it seems fantastical, and the chance to ride on their wagon for long stretches takes a great effort out of the travel.
Once you are through the woods that held the blockade, you find yourselves travelling across open grassland with the mountain range that holds your destination standing in the distance ahead.
At the end of the first day you find a decent spot to make camp. The highwaymen are secured, you take turns on sentry duty, and Ferres cooks a hearty stew made of his own crops.
The next day you break camp, wake the prisoners and head off.
After a half day of travel, you meet the point where you must bid farewell to Ferres and Alva. The bandits, who you learn are called Markus (the leader) and Elliot, have been subdued - although they do at one point offer their opinions on the finest bard in the land when the group’s conversation wanders into matters of culture.
You leave Markus and Elliot tied up at the junction, bid farewell to the elderly couple, and head your separate ways.
The next day and a half pass uneventfully, although the weather does turn colder as you get further north. Finally, on the afternoon of your third day of travel, you reach your destination.
From where you stand now you catch sight of a tall, steep hill that rises to a prominent bare knob of rock—the Stone Tooth. A thin spire of smoke rises from some unseen point high on the hill’s slopes, and you can make out a steep, narrow road or track that runs back and forth across the face of the mountainside.
(Please discuss and let me know how you wish to proceed – a map of the area is below)
(OOC: I would normally run another encounter or two for a three-day journey, but the roadblock prompted such great character work that I think we’re good to fast-travel to our destination)
Map (you are at the start of the trail in the bottom-left corner):
Laerthalas surveys the land before him, looking all around and sniffing the air. "I am sure there will be lookouts or scouts watching the roads, as it is the only obvious means of egress. If I were going alone, I would go the less obvious and swing around the hill and through the trees. But I am not alone, nor is it solely my decision."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"I think we should try to pick off those lookouts and scouts. We could try and make some noise and lure them somewhere. I think scouting it out silently is a good plan, just know what we are up against."
((OOC: Do we have the idea we are really near the camp? Or is it a few hours of travel away?))
(The path is about 1,000 yards from your position to where it seems to join the mountain, although its exact end is not visible from here. With the elevation you estimate it's about 30mins walk to the end of the path. In a straight line it is about 400 yards)
As they travelled the others would have seen Ingrida do her preparations each morning as the warmth from the sun first touched her smiling face. She had her battleaxe laid across her lap and as she prayed with Moradin the axe would seem to glow, maybe it was the magic infused by her prayer, or maybe just the reflection of the sun's rays. After preparations she always cleaned, polished, and checked all of her equipment to make sure it was in good working order. At this point it was nearly automatic for her and she would occasionally whistle as she went about this.
Now, approaching the mountain her demeanor became less happy, though not sour, just focused. "I think you both have the right of it, we need to do this smart, stay off the path, and when scouts or lookouts are spotted we lure them into a waiting ambush."
"The dwarf girl is right.We can do both at once. Divide our party into a bait team and scout team. Bait makes noise and lures the lookouts. Scout will find the peeping orcs and inform the others. And we attack the enemy from both sides. It wouldn't be hard. With my familiar, we can contact each other as long as both teams are in 100 feet rang" Lucy points at Artemis with her thumb. The white owl is sitting on her master's backpack, sleeping comfortably. "…By the way, we had plenty of time before arriving here. Did anyone come up with good ideas on how to kill these orcs and level down the camp?"
Garavant eyes rocky spire as he listens to the exchange of ideas on approaching the orc settlement. He had conducted one-man raids himself before, but in entirely different terrain under very, very different circumstances.
"Agreed," he says. "Split into two teams but stick close together. Let's figure out who's noisiest. As for killing these orcs, I unfortunately only really know one way--one orc, one thrust of my blade at a time. Do any of our magic-wielders have a way to dispatch orcs by the bushel?"
"What brave and bold companions I have. And people call me the Hothead!" Says Lucy ,facepalming herself. "Well…I have a plan. To Carry it out, we must kill the lookouts first. I will join Ingrida, the noisy team. Artemis, you go with Bree, Garavnt, the silent team. Laerthalas, which team will you join?"
(To clarify the plan: Bait/Noisy Team (Lucy & Ingrida) will travel just off the path and the Scout Team (Garavantand Bree) will travel about 100ft away on the other side. When enemies are lured towards the noisy team, both teams engage?
Please confirm any tweaks to this and whether this is a rolling plan moving up the path, or static and trying to attract attention. Also need Laerthelasto confirm team please).
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Bree throws a foul look at Lucy: "Don't try and blame any murders, direct or indirect, on me. I kept you from murdering these people..."
She then turns to the rest of the party: "Luckily we also have some decent people with us. I say tie them up, I don't think I trust these men with 'protecting' this nice couple. Then I think we should be on our merry way" (when they continue on Bree will keep an eye on Lucy, but keep a distance)
(OOC: Lucy's player is unable to post today and I'd like to give them a chance to respond to the latest update. I'm loving the RP in the group! Once this encounter is resolved I'll dish out XP and we'll head on towards the Stone Tooth).
Laerthalas had wandered over during the...tussle. He looks between the bandits, the old couple, and Lucy. Shrugging, he says nothing one way or the other about the decision. He does make sure to catch the two bandits eyes, however, glaring at them while wiping owlbear blood off his sword.
Intimidate: 24
Enzo Ballantine - Shadow Sorcerer
Garavant considers the various options. "Perhaps we all travel together, at least until we have to part ways," he suggests. "We are heading in the same direction, after all. We can tie up the prisoners, transport them as far as we all can go together, then leave them on the road. They'll at least be closer to a settlement. And we can take turns riding in the cart with them, giving our feet a rest."
((OOC: Just for clarification, Bree was suggesting that the old couple take them to a settlement))
Lucy glares at Bree for roughly one minute then exhales loudly and gives in to the persuasion of her companions. "…Fair enough." The elf wizard is still giving a fierce look at the leading highwayman."I will spare your miserable life this time. But remember this! If I find you committing another crime, even if it's as pathetic as robbing a candy from a kid, I'll shoot you with my magic until you become a pile of minced meat! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!" After saying that,Lucy sheathes her rapier.
The highwayman shakes and nods his head at the appropriate points of Lucy’s tirade while his wounded comrade turns visibly more pale, if possible, under the glare of Laerthelas.
The two erstwhile criminals are tied at the wrists and to the back of the wagon before you set off north to resume your journey.
Ferres and his wife, who you learn is called Alva, prove to be delightful company. They share stories of their shared life together, childhood sweethearts who inherited Ferres’s family farm and have traded between the neighbouring villages of Blasingdell and Frostwood ever since. They fill the journey with stories of a life so unremarkable that in contrast to your own it seems fantastical, and the chance to ride on their wagon for long stretches takes a great effort out of the travel.
Once you are through the woods that held the blockade, you find yourselves travelling across open grassland with the mountain range that holds your destination standing in the distance ahead.
At the end of the first day you find a decent spot to make camp. The highwaymen are secured, you take turns on sentry duty, and Ferres cooks a hearty stew made of his own crops.
The next day you break camp, wake the prisoners and head off.
After a half day of travel, you meet the point where you must bid farewell to Ferres and Alva. The bandits, who you learn are called Markus (the leader) and Elliot, have been subdued - although they do at one point offer their opinions on the finest bard in the land when the group’s conversation wanders into matters of culture.
You leave Markus and Elliot tied up at the junction, bid farewell to the elderly couple, and head your separate ways.
The next day and a half pass uneventfully, although the weather does turn colder as you get further north. Finally, on the afternoon of your third day of travel, you reach your destination.
From where you stand now you catch sight of a tall, steep hill that rises to a prominent bare knob of rock—the Stone Tooth. A thin spire of smoke rises from some unseen point high on the hill’s slopes, and you can make out a steep, narrow road or track that runs back and forth across the face of the mountainside.
(Please discuss and let me know how you wish to proceed – a map of the area is below)
(OOC: I would normally run another encounter or two for a three-day journey, but the roadblock prompted such great character work that I think we’re good to fast-travel to our destination)
Map (you are at the start of the trail in the bottom-left corner):
Laerthalas surveys the land before him, looking all around and sniffing the air. "I am sure there will be lookouts or scouts watching the roads, as it is the only obvious means of egress. If I were going alone, I would go the less obvious and swing around the hill and through the trees. But I am not alone, nor is it solely my decision."
He shrugs, saying nothing more.
Enzo Ballantine - Shadow Sorcerer
(Everyone add 245xp for the encounter please)
"I think we should try to pick off those lookouts and scouts. We could try and make some noise and lure them somewhere. I think scouting it out silently is a good plan, just know what we are up against."
((OOC: Do we have the idea we are really near the camp? Or is it a few hours of travel away?))
New day, so new portent rolls... 13 15
(The path is about 1,000 yards from your position to where it seems to join the mountain, although its exact end is not visible from here. With the elevation you estimate it's about 30mins walk to the end of the path. In a straight line it is about 400 yards)
As they travelled the others would have seen Ingrida do her preparations each morning as the warmth from the sun first touched her smiling face. She had her battleaxe laid across her lap and as she prayed with Moradin the axe would seem to glow, maybe it was the magic infused by her prayer, or maybe just the reflection of the sun's rays. After preparations she always cleaned, polished, and checked all of her equipment to make sure it was in good working order. At this point it was nearly automatic for her and she would occasionally whistle as she went about this.
Now, approaching the mountain her demeanor became less happy, though not sour, just focused. "I think you both have the right of it, we need to do this smart, stay off the path, and when scouts or lookouts are spotted we lure them into a waiting ambush."
"The dwarf girl is right.We can do both at once. Divide our party into a bait team and scout team. Bait makes noise and lures the lookouts. Scout will find the peeping orcs and inform the others. And we attack the enemy from both sides. It wouldn't be hard. With my familiar, we can contact each other as long as both teams are in 100 feet rang" Lucy points at Artemis with her thumb. The white owl is sitting on her master's backpack, sleeping comfortably. "…By the way, we had plenty of time before arriving here. Did anyone come up with good ideas on how to kill these orcs and level down the camp?"
Garavant eyes rocky spire as he listens to the exchange of ideas on approaching the orc settlement. He had conducted one-man raids himself before, but in entirely different terrain under very, very different circumstances.
"Agreed," he says. "Split into two teams but stick close together. Let's figure out who's noisiest. As for killing these orcs, I unfortunately only really know one way--one orc, one thrust of my blade at a time. Do any of our magic-wielders have a way to dispatch orcs by the bushel?"
Ingrida shook her head, "No, Moradin provides fine protection, and blessings in battle, but nothin ta dispatch orcs en masse"
"Nope, just hurling fire at them one at a time. I could be in the silent team, I'm not too bad at being silent and also not super large."
(OOC: Just checking in, will let the conversation continue until a clear plan is agreed)
"As for me, I can move fairly quietly and know how to hide when need be," Garavant says.
"What brave and bold companions I have. And people call me the Hothead!" Says Lucy ,facepalming herself. "Well…I have a plan. To Carry it out, we must kill the lookouts first. I will join Ingrida, the noisy team. Artemis, you go with Bree, Garavnt, the silent team. Laerthalas, which team will you join?"
(To clarify the plan: Bait/Noisy Team (Lucy & Ingrida) will travel just off the path and the Scout Team (Garavant and Bree) will travel about 100ft away on the other side. When enemies are lured towards the noisy team, both teams engage?
Please confirm any tweaks to this and whether this is a rolling plan moving up the path, or static and trying to attract attention. Also need Laerthelas to confirm team please).