As combined forces of the Rangers and the Curumhatar march nobly along the road, you strike into the woods near to the side of the Ranger's first conflict with the goblins, heading northwest, and things at first seem to go well. You make good progress into the woods, finding a few old hunting trails and following signs of goblin infestation - trees skinned of bark or carved with crude, meaningless symbols, scraps of metal, leather and rotting meat left or forgotten on the trail and many signs of goblin feet tramping to and fro.
Soon, however, these obvious signs and trails take a turn, subtly at first, until you realize as the sun sets into the dark trees behind you that the path you have walked has led you ever eastward, until now in the dying embers of the day you stand near the banks of a wide, swiftly flowing river coming down from Briven's peak, previously invisible behind the trees, almost directly to the north of you. The path has taken you far from your original objective, and as you look behind you, despite every member of your contingent being used to dim twilight and woods, it is as if the trail has been swallowed by the forest. As far as you know, there is no longer a clear way back the way you came, and some sort of magical effect has made the woods appear hostile to you. A little ways to the north, some small shelter is offered by the ruins of an old watchtower by the waterway, long crumbled now. Will you camp, or press on? How will you pursue this mission against the Goblins?
Back in town, Branwen and the Dahlia continue their investigations. The beginnings of a scheme appears to be in the works in Brivensrook: since your arrival, goods and supplies from Castle Talman have entered the town, and been distributed by representatives of the mayor, but are never put to use. The militia goes unpaid, the defenses lack regular upkeep, and the citizenry taxed is doubly for the privilege of town defense. After a stroke of luck, one of your agents intercepts a message in a local dive that a shipment of these supplies will be leaving the town, hidden in a farmer's wagon, heading for farmland to the south and east of the town. What do you do?
( I have some questions. How far are the ruins? Can it be scouted via "look into your familiar eyes?" If we decide to go and explore them before sending our troops... we will do it the old-fashioned way with our pcs? )
- Let's say the ruins are about 150 yards away, to the north and along the near riverbank. I'd say that using familiars as scouts is certainly reasonable, given the Curumhatar's elite status and lineage, though not every member might have one. I'd say that you can send in NPC scouts or go personally - whichever makes more sense for your characters in the moment!
"I'll send Celebequesse ahead and I'll go scouting that ruins before we move in. Heldin, Threnfinir, Laurin and Reltinar with me. " he says to four of the Curumhatar to come with him
The elements of the Curumhatar wing and walk into the woods, approaching the ruins with caution and spells of warding in hand! Frenevir! Give me an investigation check as the familiars dash forward under cover of dusk to see what they can find!
The familiars wing over the ruins are give an all-clear chirp, though some dense overgrowth blocked a more thorough search. Gingerly, the Curumhatar edge forward with caution, approaching the nearest ruins and carefully beginning to explore them. As you approach, you realize that the majority of the ruins lie below the surface level of the forest, though broken openings in what used to be the roofs of the ruin provide easy access and a convenient exit, if necessary. The first few rooms are empty, the floor overgrown with dark roots and a thick covering of moss until you reach a long hallway, stretching deeper into the structure. As you proceed slightly, you call a sudden halt, spying a quick blur of motion at the other end of the hallway some 40 ft in front of you, so quick barely registered it.
Frenevir points to the portion of the hallway he has seen the movement and they proceed to approach it in an arrowhead formation, with him at the point, as stealthy as possible, their weapons drawn.
Like in inexorable wave, the Curumhatar silently stalk down the corridor, penetrating deeper into the ruin. The path ends in a blind T-section, and as your forces carefully scout both sides you find that both paths rejoin in a large central chamber. One of your scouts, a younger member of the Curumhatar named Anteleor, points to the wall-brackets for torches along the side walls as you approach the end of the T-section. As your eyes immediately alight on the ash-crusted torches located in each, and the dim trail of smoke ascending some few.
The room itself, about thirty feet wide and 60 feet long, extends the mostly subterranean ruin far beyond your initial scouting estimate. The sides of the room are relatively clear, though the center of the room is dominated by a half a dozen large (roughly 5x10, if this were a battle grid, though some of the crates do vary in size by a few feet ) crates are piled near to one another. Most of them are empty, easily observed as one side of the crate has been torn away, but one visibly contains about a half-dozen tall amphorae of unknown provenance. A group of goblinoids cluster around this last box, most of them of the average variety, but one of them noticeably different. Taller, broader and better muscled than its compatriots, this figure also wears an almost comically tall, pointed cap of a garish blood-red hue. The taller figure turns and spies you entering the room with a golden, glowing eye and gives a hurried squawk to the others, who scatter for a few doors on the far end of the room. The Taller Goblin then overturns two of the Amphorae which shatter on the ground, immediately vomiting forth a large black mass of liquid that seeps along the floor. The Tall Goblin hops back and begins to make his escape!
The shot goes wide, but as Frenevir dashes across the black ichor, something ripples beneath its surface. While Frenevir is able to cross, as some of your men attempt to follow but back off as sticky appendages lash out from the ichor, striking at their hastily raised swords and as the ooze hisses with acrid intensity. The floor begins to steam and smoke as even the ancient stones are reduced to foam and powder beneath the ooze's influence, and the ooze swiftly forms three small knolls evenly spread across the room which lash out at nearby Curumhatar each time they attempt to get close. One of them takes a blow to the arm, eliciting a painful scream as he backs off, flesh eviscerated along an opening in his armor.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"It's a trap!" says Frenevir "Burn it, use your magic to burn it from a safe distance!" he says. He looks down the corridor but he will not leave his men behind fighting that thing.
Turning his own words into action, he gathers his palms while muttering some arcane words and from his palms a burst of flame erupts and he tries to cover as much of the goo as possible.
( Burning hands: ST DEX dc 15 or suffer: 11 fire damage. Half if suceed. He will cast it at 15 ft from the goo )
(And we're back!)
As combined forces of the Rangers and the Curumhatar march nobly along the road, you strike into the woods near to the side of the Ranger's first conflict with the goblins, heading northwest, and things at first seem to go well. You make good progress into the woods, finding a few old hunting trails and following signs of goblin infestation - trees skinned of bark or carved with crude, meaningless symbols, scraps of metal, leather and rotting meat left or forgotten on the trail and many signs of goblin feet tramping to and fro.
Soon, however, these obvious signs and trails take a turn, subtly at first, until you realize as the sun sets into the dark trees behind you that the path you have walked has led you ever eastward, until now in the dying embers of the day you stand near the banks of a wide, swiftly flowing river coming down from Briven's peak, previously invisible behind the trees, almost directly to the north of you. The path has taken you far from your original objective, and as you look behind you, despite every member of your contingent being used to dim twilight and woods, it is as if the trail has been swallowed by the forest. As far as you know, there is no longer a clear way back the way you came, and some sort of magical effect has made the woods appear hostile to you. A little ways to the north, some small shelter is offered by the ruins of an old watchtower by the waterway, long crumbled now. Will you camp, or press on? How will you pursue this mission against the Goblins?
Back in town, Branwen and the Dahlia continue their investigations. The beginnings of a scheme appears to be in the works in Brivensrook: since your arrival, goods and supplies from Castle Talman have entered the town, and been distributed by representatives of the mayor, but are never put to use. The militia goes unpaid, the defenses lack regular upkeep, and the citizenry taxed is doubly for the privilege of town defense. After a stroke of luck, one of your agents intercepts a message in a local dive that a shipment of these supplies will be leaving the town, hidden in a farmer's wagon, heading for farmland to the south and east of the town. What do you do?
( I have some questions. How far are the ruins? Can it be scouted via "look into your familiar eyes?" If we decide to go and explore them before sending our troops... we will do it the old-fashioned way with our pcs? )
PbP Character: A few ;)
- Let's say the ruins are about 150 yards away, to the north and along the near riverbank. I'd say that using familiars as scouts is certainly reasonable, given the Curumhatar's elite status and lineage, though not every member might have one. I'd say that you can send in NPC scouts or go personally - whichever makes more sense for your characters in the moment!
"I'll send Celebequesse ahead and I'll go scouting that ruins before we move in. Heldin, Threnfinir, Laurin and Reltinar with me. " he says to four of the Curumhatar to come with him
"Do you want to come?" he asks to Ohan
PbP Character: A few ;)
"I'll stay with the main force and if you need assistance give a signal."
Frenevir nods and with his familiar flying above he starts to go to the ruins of the tower followed by his men.
PbP Character: A few ;)
The elements of the Curumhatar wing and walk into the woods, approaching the ruins with caution and spells of warding in hand!
Frenevir! Give me an investigation check as the familiars dash forward under cover of dusk to see what they can find!
(( An another nat 1 for a total of 5 ))
"Wait are you telling me that none of our familiars has darkvision? Ok we'll have to do it ourselves... "
PbP Character: A few ;)
The familiars wing over the ruins are give an all-clear chirp, though some dense overgrowth blocked a more thorough search. Gingerly, the Curumhatar edge forward with caution, approaching the nearest ruins and carefully beginning to explore them. As you approach, you realize that the majority of the ruins lie below the surface level of the forest, though broken openings in what used to be the roofs of the ruin provide easy access and a convenient exit, if necessary. The first few rooms are empty, the floor overgrown with dark roots and a thick covering of moss until you reach a long hallway, stretching deeper into the structure. As you proceed slightly, you call a sudden halt, spying a quick blur of motion at the other end of the hallway some 40 ft in front of you, so quick barely registered it.
Frenevir points to the portion of the hallway he has seen the movement and they proceed to approach it in an arrowhead formation, with him at the point, as stealthy as possible, their weapons drawn.
PbP Character: A few ;)
Like in inexorable wave, the Curumhatar silently stalk down the corridor, penetrating deeper into the ruin. The path ends in a blind T-section, and as your forces carefully scout both sides you find that both paths rejoin in a large central chamber. One of your scouts, a younger member of the Curumhatar named Anteleor, points to the wall-brackets for torches along the side walls as you approach the end of the T-section. As your eyes immediately alight on the ash-crusted torches located in each, and the dim trail of smoke ascending some few.
The room itself, about thirty feet wide and 60 feet long, extends the mostly subterranean ruin far beyond your initial scouting estimate. The sides of the room are relatively clear, though the center of the room is dominated by a half a dozen large (roughly 5x10, if this were a battle grid, though some of the crates do vary in size by a few feet ) crates are piled near to one another. Most of them are empty, easily observed as one side of the crate has been torn away, but one visibly contains about a half-dozen tall amphorae of unknown provenance. A group of goblinoids cluster around this last box, most of them of the average variety, but one of them noticeably different. Taller, broader and better muscled than its compatriots, this figure also wears an almost comically tall, pointed cap of a garish blood-red hue. The taller figure turns and spies you entering the room with a golden, glowing eye and gives a hurried squawk to the others, who scatter for a few doors on the far end of the room. The Taller Goblin then overturns two of the Amphorae which shatter on the ground, immediately vomiting forth a large black mass of liquid that seeps along the floor. The Tall Goblin hops back and begins to make his escape!
Disgusted by the goblin hutls a firebolt to it, but in his haste he doesn0t properly aim and the bolt slas into the celing.
"Take him but beware of that goo" he says as he runs towards it and tries to jump over the black mass trying to reach him.
( 11 to hit with the firebolt. 18 acrobatics to jump the black thing and follow the goblin )
PbP Character: A few ;)
The shot goes wide, but as Frenevir dashes across the black ichor, something ripples beneath its surface. While Frenevir is able to cross, as some of your men attempt to follow but back off as sticky appendages lash out from the ichor, striking at their hastily raised swords and as the ooze hisses with acrid intensity. The floor begins to steam and smoke as even the ancient stones are reduced to foam and powder beneath the ooze's influence, and the ooze swiftly forms three small knolls evenly spread across the room which lash out at nearby Curumhatar each time they attempt to get close. One of them takes a blow to the arm, eliciting a painful scream as he backs off, flesh eviscerated along an opening in his armor.
"It's a trap!" says Frenevir "Burn it, use your magic to burn it from a safe distance!" he says. He looks down the corridor but he will not leave his men behind fighting that thing.
Turning his own words into action, he gathers his palms while muttering some arcane words and from his palms a burst of flame erupts and he tries to cover as much of the goo as possible.
( Burning hands: ST DEX dc 15 or suffer: 11 fire damage. Half if suceed. He will cast it at 15 ft from the goo )
PbP Character: A few ;)
(Ohan hears yelling and starts to move his men towards the ruins at a double time pace. Keeping an eye out on their surroundings)