Inglenook follows the others into the camp through the gates. With the mention of prisoners, he looks around to see if he recognises any from his time in the pen. 9
"Right then. No point hanging around and sightseeing as it will make us look all crazy. Let's all of us look self assured and hope that one of us can think of a good excuse for why we're back at camp, eh?"
Then, he calmly and confidently strides directly towards the cave, hoping that his boldness would not look out of place, and hopefully help avoid any confrontation.
That, and the fact that he was just hot, sweaty, dusty and tired, and just fancied getting inside the cool dark cave in the hope that there was somewhere to bathe.
Kirari tries to remember how the other lower rank cultists treated the Kobolds when they were here before and mimics this behavior, but checks to make her own count of prisoners and familiar faces.
As the professor and party walk by, the kobold twists its face into a grin as it hears its greeting repeated by a superior officer. It picks up its bit of fence and heads inside triumphantly. Thaddeus would see 3 kobolds in total along with 2 mercenaries heading out to hunt game like the one they ran into just earlier.
Inglenook does not seems to spot any acquaintances from the pen (good or evil), but can tell the divots in the ground belonged to the huts of the kobolds as they walk by; all that remains are some burnt-out cooking fires and terribly carved dragon statuettes.
Kiari gets a bit better look and sees 5 huts near the entry of the cave, and there are actually 4 prisoners just outside of those huts that remind her of the folks she was imprisoned with just days earlier. They still wear tattered clothes, and they are tied to stakes near the entrance of the huts. Right now, they seem to be dressing and preparing game or sharpening tools used by the mercenary hunters.
Cale does not see anyone alerted to their presence, but with passive perception, the prisoners seem to start working even harder and faster as they all approach the cave.
(Right now, the huts for the mercenaries are about 20 yards from the entrance of the cave, which still appears to be unguarded for the moment).
Before they get too close, Kirari whispers, "Do you think if we reveal ourselves to the prisoners they will give us away? We could loosen their binds giving them a better chance during a battle to get away on their own provided the Mercenaries and Kobolds don't spot them first."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Cale hears Kiari despite the distance, and responds in the party's heads: "If you want to start releasing them, I'm going to check out these guard huts and see if anyone is on sentry outside the cave. I'll let you know what I find"
The disguised rogue swaggers over to the huts and looks for signs of occupation. If they are empty he will have a nosey through lockers etc to see if he can find anything of value, or clues about the group's strategy.
Investigation 14
@DM:
If Cale's psychic link was fading before the party split then he will use a Psionic Energy dice to top it up for 6 hours, if it's OK to retcon that please?
Travis turns to the professor and mutters something quietly, but loud enough that the kobolds likely will hear it if they are curious enough to pay attention.
"Do you think the kobolds can handle the mission? Are they up to the task?" he says.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The professor responds to Travis’ comment. “Have more faith in our allies. They are blood of the dragons after all.” He then approaches the kobold who seems to be in charge.
“Hail Tiamat! We have an urgent message for Mondath. However, we ran across a trail a Few miles out there in the brush.” And he waves vaguely in a direction away from the camp. “It seems a large scouting party, possibly from Greenest, came this way. Round up all the kobolds and see if you can find them and track them.” He looks the kobold in the eye and placed a hand on its shoulder. “This is a very important mission. I know I can count on you and your clan. You have been blessed by the blood of dragons and have some of their keen senses. Track down these scouts, find out their intentions and report back to me.”
9 Deception or Persuasion. The professor also has the silver tongue class ability. Any persuasion or deception check roll of 9 or lower counts as a 10.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
@Cale
Sounds good to me! It would have been fading once you all started looking at the huts, so perfect timing to me for 6 hours.
In the area of the huts, you would find hunting weapons (a few spears, nets, rope, traps, and a full quiver of arrows with a couple of longbows), but otherwise, the mercenaries travel light. In the hut you are inspecting, there is an open wallet with 2 sp.
@TheProfessor
The kobolds' eyes grow wide, and they almost trip over themselves trying to get ready to head out in search of the phantom trail. The "favored" kobold puffs out its chest and screeches, "For Tiamat!" (OOC, nice roll!)
The party sees Thaddeus whisper something to the kobolds, and they are practically fighting to see who can run away from camp the quickest. A couple even take a wrong turn and drop the fencing entirely. You now stand before some empty huts with bound prisoners and the cave mouth about 15 yards ahead.
Kirari moves closer to the prisoners with the Kobolds leaving camp and tries to recall the direction the mercenaries went to relay. She unties the prisoners quickly whispering to them that they're from Greenest. "Do you think you could find your own ways' back? If not, hole up in one of these huts for now and we'll be back for you." She tries to assess quickly the condition they're in. To one that seems like they could take charge of the group she gives a few days rations, a Potion of Healing and a sling. "Here, use these as you need to, we'll be back soon. May Selune bless you." Then moves back quickly to return to the others.
(I've deducted these from my inventory). Hopefully this is possible, if not her actions are reduced to letting them know who they are and just untying them leaving them doing what they were for now until they can return to escort them out.
Travis smirks just slightly as he meets Thaddeus's eyes, silently saying "Well played." He puffs up his chest, still trying to look "official" here in this accursed camp of Tiamat.
He speaks quietly to the professor, even as he nods a response to Cale's psychic message. "It seems we should move on the cave now, at least to see what is there, even if we cannot wage a full attack."
The professor stops and listens to Cale. He thinks back to him “Can you read my mind? Do you hear me? If so, know the kobolds are gone and we are headed to you.”
The professor then turns to Travis and nods “We should be ready for a fight. I doubt those in the cave will be deceived so easily.” He prepares his textbook, scanning some pages and looking for the appropriate notes and lectures for an upcoming engagement.
Cale replies to Thaddeus in the affirmative: "Yep, I'm in your head, Prof and it appears to be a two-way thing. Message received - I'll make sure not to attack a group that includes an orc, a gnome tinkerer, a big fella and an old guy"
The captives almost leap for joy in being released, and they each bow to Kiari to offer their thanks. With newfound strength, they take off for the path to Greenest.
As you approach the cave, you cannot see very deeply inside, but it stinks of kobolds, and something else...
(Just checking for anything else before I move you all inside the cave.)
The professor’s mind begins to wander as he thinks about past lectures and trainings he has given. Filling Cale’s head with images of recruits and sergeants in battle formation, performing drills, practicing the arts as he looks on, nodding here or pointing out an are for improvement there.
Cale's mind floods with images of soldiers and he shudders at the memory of city guard formations. Seeing his colleagues arriving and then approaching the cave, he leaves the hut to join them. He holds back the temptation to dart ahead, relying instead on their mutual disguise.
Kirari moves back into formation. Although the guise is not likely to work on the Dragonborne or Mondath, it might still serve its purpose enroute to the cave.
She looks curiously over at the professor as his expression shifts from stern to energized reading through his text and perhaps recalling days past. Turning her head to Cale to see if he's noticed this too as he departs the hut to join them and sees his face doing similar things. Chuckling softly, she focuses on the task at hand.
"Perhaps we should enter slowly. Even in disguise, we're not supposed to be here." She suggests slowing her pace as they reach the mouth of the cave.
Inglenook follows the others into the camp through the gates. With the mention of prisoners, he looks around to see if he recognises any from his time in the pen. 9
"Right then. No point hanging around and sightseeing as it will make us look all crazy. Let's all of us look self assured and hope that one of us can think of a good excuse for why we're back at camp, eh?"
Then, he calmly and confidently strides directly towards the cave, hoping that his boldness would not look out of place, and hopefully help avoid any confrontation.
That, and the fact that he was just hot, sweaty, dusty and tired, and just fancied getting inside the cool dark cave in the hope that there was somewhere to bathe.
Kirari tries to remember how the other lower rank cultists treated the Kobolds when they were here before and mimics this behavior, but checks to make her own count of prisoners and familiar faces.
Perception 17
Cale tries to amble nonchalantly towards the cave, keeping an eye out for suspicious guards, seeing how close he can get before anyone gets 'twitchy'.
Perception 11 (passive 16) (or reduce by two if Insight is more appropriate)
As the professor and party walk by, the kobold twists its face into a grin as it hears its greeting repeated by a superior officer. It picks up its bit of fence and heads inside triumphantly. Thaddeus would see 3 kobolds in total along with 2 mercenaries heading out to hunt game like the one they ran into just earlier.
Inglenook does not seems to spot any acquaintances from the pen (good or evil), but can tell the divots in the ground belonged to the huts of the kobolds as they walk by; all that remains are some burnt-out cooking fires and terribly carved dragon statuettes.
Kiari gets a bit better look and sees 5 huts near the entry of the cave, and there are actually 4 prisoners just outside of those huts that remind her of the folks she was imprisoned with just days earlier. They still wear tattered clothes, and they are tied to stakes near the entrance of the huts. Right now, they seem to be dressing and preparing game or sharpening tools used by the mercenary hunters.
Cale does not see anyone alerted to their presence, but with passive perception, the prisoners seem to start working even harder and faster as they all approach the cave.
(Right now, the huts for the mercenaries are about 20 yards from the entrance of the cave, which still appears to be unguarded for the moment).
Before they get too close, Kirari whispers, "Do you think if we reveal ourselves to the prisoners they will give us away? We could loosen their binds giving them a better chance during a battle to get away on their own provided the Mercenaries and Kobolds don't spot them first."
Cale hears Kiari despite the distance, and responds in the party's heads: "If you want to start releasing them, I'm going to check out these guard huts and see if anyone is on sentry outside the cave. I'll let you know what I find"
The disguised rogue swaggers over to the huts and looks for signs of occupation. If they are empty he will have a nosey through lockers etc to see if he can find anything of value, or clues about the group's strategy.
Investigation 14
@DM:
If Cale's psychic link was fading before the party split then he will use a Psionic Energy dice to top it up for 6 hours, if it's OK to retcon that please?
Travis turns to the professor and mutters something quietly, but loud enough that the kobolds likely will hear it if they are curious enough to pay attention.
"Do you think the kobolds can handle the mission? Are they up to the task?" he says.
The professor responds to Travis’ comment. “Have more faith in our allies. They are blood of the dragons after all.” He then approaches the kobold who seems to be in charge.
“Hail Tiamat! We have an urgent message for Mondath. However, we ran across a trail a Few miles out there in the brush.” And he waves vaguely in a direction away from the camp. “It seems a large scouting party, possibly from Greenest, came this way. Round up all the kobolds and see if you can find them and track them.” He looks the kobold in the eye and placed a hand on its shoulder. “This is a very important mission. I know I can count on you and your clan. You have been blessed by the blood of dragons and have some of their keen senses. Track down these scouts, find out their intentions and report back to me.”
9 Deception or Persuasion. The professor also has the silver tongue class ability. Any persuasion or deception check roll of 9 or lower counts as a 10.
Noob
@Cale
Sounds good to me! It would have been fading once you all started looking at the huts, so perfect timing to me for 6 hours.
In the area of the huts, you would find hunting weapons (a few spears, nets, rope, traps, and a full quiver of arrows with a couple of longbows), but otherwise, the mercenaries travel light. In the hut you are inspecting, there is an open wallet with 2 sp.
@TheProfessor
The kobolds' eyes grow wide, and they almost trip over themselves trying to get ready to head out in search of the phantom trail. The "favored" kobold puffs out its chest and screeches, "For Tiamat!" (OOC, nice roll!)
The party sees Thaddeus whisper something to the kobolds, and they are practically fighting to see who can run away from camp the quickest. A couple even take a wrong turn and drop the fencing entirely. You now stand before some empty huts with bound prisoners and the cave mouth about 15 yards ahead.
@DM:
Cale will pocket the silver. It's a small amount but it belonged to his enemies and he can make good use of it.
Cale messages the party: "The guard huts are clear, I'm going to keep an eye on the cave entrance until you get here"
He stays within the hut and observes.
Kirari moves closer to the prisoners with the Kobolds leaving camp and tries to recall the direction the mercenaries went to relay. She unties the prisoners quickly whispering to them that they're from Greenest. "Do you think you could find your own ways' back? If not, hole up in one of these huts for now and we'll be back for you." She tries to assess quickly the condition they're in. To one that seems like they could take charge of the group she gives a few days rations, a Potion of Healing and a sling. "Here, use these as you need to, we'll be back soon. May Selune bless you." Then moves back quickly to return to the others.
(I've deducted these from my inventory). Hopefully this is possible, if not her actions are reduced to letting them know who they are and just untying them leaving them doing what they were for now until they can return to escort them out.
Travis smirks just slightly as he meets Thaddeus's eyes, silently saying "Well played." He puffs up his chest, still trying to look "official" here in this accursed camp of Tiamat.
He speaks quietly to the professor, even as he nods a response to Cale's psychic message. "It seems we should move on the cave now, at least to see what is there, even if we cannot wage a full attack."
The professor stops and listens to Cale. He thinks back to him “Can you read my mind? Do you hear me? If so, know the kobolds are gone and we are headed to you.”
The professor then turns to Travis and nods “We should be ready for a fight. I doubt those in the cave will be deceived so easily.” He prepares his textbook, scanning some pages and looking for the appropriate notes and lectures for an upcoming engagement.
Noob
Cale replies to Thaddeus in the affirmative: "Yep, I'm in your head, Prof and it appears to be a two-way thing. Message received - I'll make sure not to attack a group that includes an orc, a gnome tinkerer, a big fella and an old guy"
Travis nods at Thaddeus's words and moves slowly but steadily toward the cave...
The captives almost leap for joy in being released, and they each bow to Kiari to offer their thanks. With newfound strength, they take off for the path to Greenest.
As you approach the cave, you cannot see very deeply inside, but it stinks of kobolds, and something else...
(Just checking for anything else before I move you all inside the cave.)
The professor’s mind begins to wander as he thinks about past lectures and trainings he has given. Filling Cale’s head with images of recruits and sergeants in battle formation, performing drills, practicing the arts as he looks on, nodding here or pointing out an are for improvement there.
Noob
Cale's mind floods with images of soldiers and he shudders at the memory of city guard formations. Seeing his colleagues arriving and then approaching the cave, he leaves the hut to join them. He holds back the temptation to dart ahead, relying instead on their mutual disguise.
Kirari moves back into formation. Although the guise is not likely to work on the Dragonborne or Mondath, it might still serve its purpose enroute to the cave.
She looks curiously over at the professor as his expression shifts from stern to energized reading through his text and perhaps recalling days past. Turning her head to Cale to see if he's noticed this too as he departs the hut to join them and sees his face doing similar things. Chuckling softly, she focuses on the task at hand.
"Perhaps we should enter slowly. Even in disguise, we're not supposed to be here." She suggests slowing her pace as they reach the mouth of the cave.
Kirari silently hopes that the Greenest civilians can get far enough to avoid the Mercenaries out hunting.