Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

(The night before) With the question of the scouts departure and the decision to aid the dwarves in reclaiming the forge settled, Mica uses his talents to cure wounds on two of the other more seriously injured dwarves before turning into rest.  He helps set up camp, being sure to put out the raincatcher to replenish their water stores without taking from the camp.  As he prepares his gear for the next morning, he spends some time studying the arrows Nalomanterys said were magic, trying to determine what enchantment may be placed upon them. 

(the morning)  Mica joins the others as they climb the trail and pauses at the top, taking in the majesty of the jungle spreading before them and the gentle breeze that flows by now that they are above the stifling canopy.  He turns to Meili “Hopefully not quite like M’bala.  Perhaps Ran is right and we can just push them deeper into the mountain and both groups can live in peace.  Maybe recovering the gauntlet will be enough.  We will see.” 

He looks over any map the dwarves may provide, trying to commit it to memory before glancing at the opening of the forge.  He asks Sithi “is there any light at all in the forge? You said the newts were hit hard during your last raid.  Any idea how many are in there?”

[Last night...]

Nalomanterys, the dwarves speech is highly unusual and seems to be a unique dialect.  Any confusion, you would likely feel comfortable blaming on them, as your own mastery of classical dwarven seems superior to theirs.

As it happens, you are in luck.  The druid has prepared a variety of materials sourced from jungle plants and animals.  Among them is an ink of astonishing blue pigment, fashioned from the feathers of a bird not disimilar to Ran's friend sister pet.  He is willing to barter for it... in exchange for the 3 light crossbows you collected from the destroyed campsite and Mica's currently unused scale mail, he will trade you two vials of ink (enough to copy two spells).

[If you work out a deal, you can transcribe two spells from that Red Wizard spell book overnight, or save it for future use.]

Mica, the dwarves are appreciative of your healing efforts.  In return the offer you a waterskin.  Rather than water, it is full of a potent dwarven spirit they have pot-stilled out here.  The dwarven name they've given this moonshine roughly translates to 'white ghost' in common.

Examining your ammunition in camp, you come to an epiphany.  These 10 arrows are Arrows +2.  Not only are they enchanted to seek out vulnerable points in the targets hide or armor, but they are capable of wounding targets that are otherwise immune or resistant to mundane weaponry.  After striking a target, each arrow ceases to be magically, even if it can be recovered.

[In the morning...]

Ran, Sithi thinks about your question.  From memory, he sketches out the interior of the forge.  There is a long hall of tunnels and stairs, roughly an 1/8th of a mile leading from the surface down to the forge.  There is a vast open magma chamber which provides light and heat and doubles as their smelter.  The gauntlet would have originally been inside the treasury [room at the top right], though whether it remains there or if the newts have done something else with it, he cannot say.

There also numerous side chambers, tunnels and caves that branch off to either side.  This is where their prior raid has gotten trapped and why Sithi and the other had been forced to go in after them.

At Meili's suggestions of peaceful compromise, Sithi elbows Hew.  "Goht quite an ideelist in thaht one, eh?  Ah, ta be young and believe in happy endin's agen."  Hew continues forward toward the end of the stone road.  "She has a good heart."

Sithi does his best to answer Mica.  "We slew aht leayst a dohzen of theiyr wahrriors.  Ah'd say there are perhayps a dohzen more left."

Nalomanterys, you would know Imix is worshipped as a lesser deity of fire.  If you want more information than that, make an Arcana check.

Ran looks at the map, his lips tightly together as he makes not of the lava.

"Not the easiest place to just sneak into," Ran says. "But if we can catch them by surprise, maybe we get out without being too burned up."

He thinks for a moment.

"Did you lot find any traps when you went in?" Ran asks Sithi.

Arcana: 15

I'm hoping that I know Imix's symbol, preferred language (or common language of its worshippers), and perhaps some of its edicts / anathemas so I can pretend to be a warlock of Imix, if it comes down to it.

Nalomanterys:

 Ran, Sithi snaps his fingers at your question about traps.  "Bahne's blahk toews, I knyew I wahs fergettin' something!  They hahve a rawkfall trahp, just a'fore you reach the forge.  They reset it ehvery time.  Ye cahn't miss it... even a child could avoyd it... we uysually sayt it off anyweay, just to draw 'em out for a wee scrap."

Meili suppressed another - pointless - sigh and returned to the cruel reality. And to the map.

"How tall are the ceilings of the tunnels? Can a creature of, say, my size fly in there?" It was just an idea, not even fully formed yet, but something to consider before entering the tunnels.

Ran nods at the mention of a rockfall trap, and smiles when Sithi says they usually intentionally set it off to attract the firenewts.

"If we want to surprise them, maybe we don't set it off," Ran says.

"Meili, I am sorry to say that the archomental they worship as a god is utterly and incorrigibly evil, thus I do not hold out much of a hope that they will be easy to form a lasting peace or partnership with. I do have an idea, which could possibly be the start of peaceful negotiations, but would likely be better to set them up for an ambush - whether we seek peace or battle is a matter to which I am quite ambivalent, as long as we succeed."

He clears his throat dramatically, "Here is my plan: last night I used that ink we traded for to copy a spell from that old spellbook into something actually legible. I can transform myself to look like a firenewt, and I can pretend to be a warlock of Imix, their aforementioned 'god.' I am sure that I can convince them to follow me if I tell them that Imix has sent me to fetch them. I may also be able to work out some sort of peace, perhaps, though I do not see how."

He claps his hands together upon conclusion of his plan. "So, what do you think? Lead them into an ambush, or try to talk to them? Or something else?"

“If you can get them on to our side if that bridge, do it.” Ran says. “But don’t try brokering a peace. If they’re evil shites, they’ll sense something’s up.”

Meili looked at Nalomanterys with sad thoughtfulness. "Do you believe them, the newts, to have souls? That thing, that unleashed the Death Curse, takes the souls of the dead. No one knows why, but whatever it is, it is not good. Every dead being, every lost soul gives something to the untold evil we are going to face." 

She did sigh just one last time and returned to the practical side of the thing. "If you can convince them to bring the Gauntlet to the summoning site, it will make our life easier whether we fight them or not."

Mica looks over the map, taking in the features and mentally placing where the trap is located. “Pretty straight forward, one way in.  We can try sneaking it until we get spotted, but not a lot of options.  At least there is a bit of light in there.”

He shrugs at Nalomatnery’s plan “Give it a shot, but won’t they wonder what a follower of Imix is doing with the likes of us?  Kind of gives it away don’t it? I don’t want you getting too far out in front of us, else you disappear too.  Either way, ambush or no, I will back you up.”   He looks up at the entrance to the forge and shoulders his pack. “Are we ready to go in?”

While you continue to discuss possible strategies, Sithi leads you onward.  

It is not long before the stone road comes to an end at the gaping mouth of a tunnel carved into the mountainside.  The smooth walls and floors show the unmistakable hand of dwarven masons.

"Ah'll wait here for you till sundohwne, and return in the morn if you're not bahk by then.  If you emerrj in the night, dun't try to walk bahk... the mountain slopes are traycherous.  Just wait fer me."

Ran spends some time looking at the tunnel entrance. It's the first dwarven work he can remember seeing.

"Impressive," Ran says then looks over at Hew, wondering if being near this kind of masonry buoys his spirits any. 

Ran listens to Nalomatnery’s and Mica's discussion. "What about captives? Maybe Nalo Newt has captured us and he needs helping bringing us in? Or wants to show us off?" 

[So... How high is the ceiling?]

"... or we walk until it gets too close to the newts, hide and wait for Nalomanterys to lure some newts to us under any pretense. Was not it the plan?"

Meili also came closer to the walls and studied the tunnels. After days of trudging through the jungles a walk on the stone road felt like a leisurely stroll - both relaxing and energizing. With that feeling of invigoration, the girl was trying to access the tunnels for their flyable/hidable/sneakable properties.

Meili, the ceiling in the tunnel is just over 10’.  The ceiling in the magma chamber is much higher, but the amount of light there remains to be seen….

"Well whatever we're going to do, let's do it," Ran says. "If Nalo is going in on his own, I'll need to hang well back, or they're likely to hear the jingle jangle. If he's bringing in a prisoner, I'll go right beside him."

Nalomanterys opens his freshly transcribed book in his lap to the right series of pages for [spell alter self [/spell] and takes a moment to study it. "This will only last an hour." He murmurs while reading. "So I shall only cast it when we are good and ready. If you cannot stay quiet, then come with me as a 'prisoner.' The rest of you can find a place to hide for the ambush."

Once he's re-read his spell and everyone is ready, he takes a deep breath and produces a blisteringly fast series of hand gestures right in front of his mouth. Into his quickly shifting hand shapes, he chants the word "Muto." The sound of his voice lingers in the air much longer than it should, and the timbre deepens, as though the sound were being stretched out. Meanwhile, his body rapidly morphs into a long, slender, orange-scaled firenewt wearing Nalomanterys' pristine blue robe. The firenewt traces the symbol of Imix onto the front of his robe with his finger and mutters, "Imprimo." The symbol of Imix flashes into existence on his robe. prestidigitation

"Right then," Nalonewt announces "Let us be on with it."

Mica watches Nalomantery’s out of the corner of his eye as the wizard transforms into a fire newt.  “Impressive, remember which one he is now everyone.  I will hang back with the others and help us to remain out of sight until it is time.  Negotiate or attack, I will follow your lead Nalomantery.”

Mica closes his eyes and concentrates and the shadows of the tunnel appear to close around them, hiding the party from view.  He readies his axes and follows Nalo the newt at a distance.

(Everyone within 30 feet has +10 to stealth checks and cannot be tracked except by magical means)

"Would be hard to miss," nodded Meili toward the blue robe. "Let's find a good spot to hide."

In her case, "good spots" included the ceiling as well. With a height like this, wings might not be even necessary to reach the potential vantage point.

If Ran can keep the clinking of his armour muffled with Mica’s magic, he’ll take part in the ambush.

Stealth: 15