Vrox asks, "Yoht, would it be seen as an act of war by the Voltans against the Drukhari to attack this tree of the Gael Wode?" He points out: "The Druhkari and Golgari were offering to reestablish ties with King Ûthar the Destined and his Ironkin Dwarves. It was a ruse of some sort -- of course! -- but Khaine left without a fight, taking the deceivers with him. I do not trust them, and their alliance with Khaine allies them with the forces of Chaos. But despite some skirmishes, it would seem that neither the Golgari nor the Drukhari are openly at war with the Voltans yet.
Vrox offers to try to talk their way past the guards, "Perhaps I could convince those guards that Yoht is an emissary, sent by King Ûthar to parlay with the Druhkari and the Golgari, and we are simply his escorts. That might get us inside the great, dark tree."
But Vrox is still happy to help with burning the tree if the group wants to try that first. He thinks that he could sneak up, spread the oil, and get away without being seen. He does not believe that a great tree of the elves, even the dark Drukhari elves, will be easy to burn, but he says jauntily, "It's as easy to do as it is to say!" In other words: it's worth a try!
Tyekanik is getting bored of the talking and is ready to do something. He views the situation simply: "We are with Flute. She says Khaine is the enemy. The Drukhari have cast their lot with Khaine, so they are also the enemy!" If the party doesn't try burning the tree or entering through the front door soon, you suspect that Tyek may just enter a rage and start chopping down the giant tree with Annam's Greataxe.
Since the tree is 100-feet wide at its base, if there are only the two guards by the door, the group should be able to circle around to the side or "back" of the tree (opposite the doors) without crossing into the clearing. That way, Vrox --- at least -- can sneak right up to the tree without the guards seeing him. He will spread whatever oil Khessa gives him low on the tree, even gathering any falling leaves or dry sticks near the base to act as kindling. Then he'll try to move back toward the group before Khessa lights the oil with Fire Bolt or Prestidigitation.
Khessa can create a 5' cube of oil. It's about 3,500 liters. That's why I initially thought of making the mass of oil appear above the plant and have it fall on it like a shower. But if Vrox prefers to carry the oil himself furtively... I say that the limit is given more by how much oil he can carry, than by how much oil Khessa's magic can create.
And if there really is only one exit, to block it completely you just need Wall of Force, you don't need a Forcecage.
Khessa can create a 5' cube of oil. It's about 3,500 liters. That's why I initially thought of making the mass of oil appear above the plant and have it fall on it like a shower.
[[OOC: Ah. Maybe I missed that.
Vrox could just spread a couple of flasks of oil in a more hidden spot around back of the tree to test whether the tree burns on a smaller scale before dropping 3500 liters of oil on it. He'll leave the decision of whether to test a smaller fire first up to Khessa. He's fine with either plan.
Vrox would still recommend not using anything too expensive, like Wall of Force, until we confirm that the tree actually catches fire and seems to be burning. If the tree is magically resistant to fire, or if a rain cloud suddenly appears and douses any fires, then we don't want to burn through resources that we may want to use inside....assuming that we want to try going inside.]]
Khessa, discussing with Vrox, agrees to the idea of conducting a small test, before the 'big blaze'! She will then wait for Vrox to spread a couple of flasks of oil in a more hidden spot around the back of the tree to test whether the tree burns on a smaller scale.
If the plant does indeed burn... the blonde arcane warrior will produce the 'oil shower' to soak the plant completely and make it burn like a haystack. And Lord Akkron will be able to seal the only exit.
Since the tree is 100-feet wide at its base, if there are only the two guards by the door, the group should be able to circle around to the side or "back" of the tree (opposite the doors) without crossing into the clearing. That way, Vrox --- at least -- can sneak right up to the tree without the guards seeing him. He will spread whatever oil Khessa gives him low on the tree, even gathering any falling leaves or dry sticks near the base to act as kindling. Then he'll try to move back toward the group before Khessa lights the oil with Fire Bolt or Prestidigitation.
You move forward, and do not draw the attention of the guards. You light your fire, and it does seem to take, but then it smolders out, like it was being snuffed.
Note-I will be away for a couple of days, be back up on Sunday
Vrox sneaks back to the party, a shadow moving across the clearing around the giant tree. Once he is back to the party, Vrox says, "It seems like something extinguished the fire. Perhaps some power of the tree itself? Or maybe the Drukhari elves have set magical wards to protect it?"
In discussing what to do next, Vrox is not sure whether the larger fire that Khessa had planned would be enough to overwhelm the tree's defenses. Or whether a magical fire could burn the tree where burning oil would not. If the party still wants to try fire, Vrox suggests a ritual casting of Detect Magic and/or Identify first to determine whether there's some abjuration spell that they need to dispel to make the tree more susceptible to fire.
"Of course," Vrox says, "if we try a true conflagration next, whether it succeeds or not, we will have given up the option to try a more subtle approach." He again offers to try to talk to the guards and see whether they can learn more or gain entrance to the tree themselves.
Vrox offers to try to talk their way past the guards, "Perhaps I could convince those guards that Yoht is an emissary, sent by King Ûthar to parlay with the Druhkari and the Golgari, and we are simply his escorts. That might get us inside the great, dark tree."
"Maybe I was too optimistic," Khessa admits - while noting in her spellbook the wonder of the plant that makes the fires that threaten it go out by themselves. "The magical nature of this plant apparently protects it from the flames. Let's try a different approach."
"I don't know how much I'd like it, though, leaving armed guards behind me..." the blonde arcane warrior ponders aloud "I don't mind the 'Yoht is an emissary' idea, but I propose using it only to get close to the guards without them raising the alarm or attacking us... Once we get close, I suggest we open hostilities ourselves and eliminate them."
"I don't know how much I'd like it, though, leaving armed guards behind me..." the blonde arcane warrior ponders aloud "I don't mind the 'Yoht is an emissary' idea, but I propose using it only to get close to the guards without them raising the alarm or attacking us... Once we get close, I suggest we open hostilities ourselves and eliminate them."
Vrox says, "True, but it is only two guards. While Brother Maynard and I generally prefer to fight using archery, I think that we could hold them off if they followed and attacked from the rear. But if you have any worries, do what you must. I have no qualms about killing soldiers who fight for our enemy. Such is the life of a soldier. And soldiers who raise the sword in support of the Nefarious Duo will die by the sword...or...in our case...lance or greataxe or arrow or magic." He bows in acknowledgement to the party members and their preferred weapons. "But let's at least wait until the guards open the doors in case there's some trick or magic to it. Once they open the doors, feel free to handle them as you like, but know that I'll be more focused on whatever is inside the tree."
Vrox suggests that the group allows him to approach stealthily. Then Vrox can reveal himself once he's within about 30 feet of the door. He can talk to the guards as he approach and help to distract them while the rest of the party approaches. Vrox will say that they are the honor guard for Yôht, an emissary from King Ûthar the Destined. If the guards buy the story, then perhaps they'll open the door. If not, Vrox can fall back, letting Khessa, Clarac, and Tyekanik fight off the guards.
If everyone agrees with that plan, make any required preparations, and then Vrox is ready to sneak toward the guards. The party can follow once he steps into the clear and addresses the guards.
"I have no qualms about killing enemy soldiers, either," says Clarac, "but I am less comfortable doing so in such a nefarious way. If we are to be emissaries, then we should be emissaries. They might take us to their leader if we do; and we might even be able to resolve this conflict without violence. But if we claim to come to them in the name of peace, I will not fight except in self-defense."
That said, Clarac will wait for Vrox's signal to approach.
Khessa sighs... She has worked with many champions of righteousness... She knows their worth... She respects them... But still...
Facing enemies who wish to bring ruin to the entire multiverse, while remaining true... to the given word? That is something the blonde arcane warrior will never understand. Adapt? Yes, she can. But... understand? That she cannot. She would be willing to deceive an evil enemy a thousand times in a row - and she certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it!
"Fine... Ambassadors then" the tall adventuress agrees with just a last sigh. "Let's talk to them and show them the errors of their ways, reaping a flawless victory without bloodshed".
Her tone betrays her skepticism... but with friends like that, Khessa is willing to try.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Vrox keeps his face carefully neutral as Clarac talks. Once the decision is made, and his friends have a chance to cast any spells that they want to have running before the group approaches these elves, Vrox takes his Sentinel Shield, crouches low, and tries to blend in with the shadows as he creeps closer to the door and its guards. Once he's within 40 feet of the door, he takes a moment to [actions]Search;scan[/actions] the area for any hidden guards or traps.
As long as he doesn't see any threats other than the guards, Vrox suddenly stands up and steps out into the open, revealing himself, about 40' away from the guards. He addresses the guards in Elvish, in a loud voice that's meant to carry back to his friends at the edge of the clearing. (He assumes that the Drukhari speak or at least understand the Elvish that the other elves of Eosia speak). Vrox says, "Good day! I am the Warden of Bees and part of the honor guard for, Yôht, an emissary from King Ûthar the Destined. I have heard that we are now in the Gael Wode, home of the Drukhari. Is that true? And can you tell us who dwells here in this great and magnificent tree?" He watches the guards warily as he tries to subtly wave the others forward with his free hand behind his back.
Vrox observes the guards, trying to determine whether they seem actively hostile, suspicious, or welcoming: Insight18
Vrox takes his Sentinel Shield, crouches low, and tries to blend in with the shadows as he creeps closer to the door and its guards. Once he's within 40 feet of the door
[[OOC: I forgot the roll to see whether he was able to sneak that close before being spotted.]]
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Vrox keeps his face carefully neutral as Clarac talks. Once the decision is made, and his friends have a chance to cast any spells that they want to have running before the group approaches these elves, Vrox takes his Sentinel Shield, crouches low, and tries to blend in with the shadows as he creeps closer to the door and its guards. Once he's within 40 feet of the door, he takes a moment to [actions]Search;scan[/actions] the area for any hidden guards or traps.
As long as he doesn't see any threats other than the guards, Vrox suddenly stands up and steps out into the open, revealing himself, about 40' away from the guards. He addresses the guards in Elvish, in a loud voice that's meant to carry back to his friends at the edge of the clearing. (He assumes that the Drukhari speak or at least understand the Elvish that the other elves of Eosia speak). Vrox says, "Good day! I am the Warden of Bees and part of the honor guard for, Yôht, an emissary from King Ûthar the Destined. I have heard that we are now in the Gael Wode, home of the Drukhari. Is that true? And can you tell us who dwells here in this great and magnificent tree?" He watches the guards warily as he tries to subtly wave the others forward with his free hand behind his back.
Vrox observes the guards, trying to determine whether they seem actively hostile, suspicious, or welcoming: Insight18
You don't see any hidden guards, but something still feels amiss about the tree and the surroundings. As you approach, the guards just look at you, not raising an alarm, but they are keeping you observed-mostly suspicious by their body language.
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Khessa is all for burning!
If it works, it quickly clears out a very dangerous place; so she thinks it's worth a try!
Vrox asks, "Yoht, would it be seen as an act of war by the Voltans against the Drukhari to attack this tree of the Gael Wode?" He points out: "The Druhkari and Golgari were offering to reestablish ties with King Ûthar the Destined and his Ironkin Dwarves. It was a ruse of some sort -- of course! -- but Khaine left without a fight, taking the deceivers with him. I do not trust them, and their alliance with Khaine allies them with the forces of Chaos. But despite some skirmishes, it would seem that neither the Golgari nor the Drukhari are openly at war with the Voltans yet.
Vrox offers to try to talk their way past the guards, "Perhaps I could convince those guards that Yoht is an emissary, sent by King Ûthar to parlay with the Druhkari and the Golgari, and we are simply his escorts. That might get us inside the great, dark tree."
But Vrox is still happy to help with burning the tree if the group wants to try that first. He thinks that he could sneak up, spread the oil, and get away without being seen. He does not believe that a great tree of the elves, even the dark Drukhari elves, will be easy to burn, but he says jauntily, "It's as easy to do as it is to say!" In other words: it's worth a try!
Tyekanik is getting bored of the talking and is ready to do something. He views the situation simply: "We are with Flute. She says Khaine is the enemy. The Drukhari have cast their lot with Khaine, so they are also the enemy!" If the party doesn't try burning the tree or entering through the front door soon, you suspect that Tyek may just enter a rage and start chopping down the giant tree with Annam's Greataxe.
[[OOC: It looks like we'll try burning the tree first, using the following plan from Vrox...]]
[[OOC: @Painted_Beyond - how much oil is Khessa giving Vrox to splash on the tree?]]
Once we see what effect that has on the tree, we can decide whether it's worthwhile using more powerful fire magic and Lord Akkron's Forcecage.
Khessa can create a 5' cube of oil. It's about 3,500 liters. That's why I initially thought of making the mass of oil appear above the plant and have it fall on it like a shower. But if Vrox prefers to carry the oil himself furtively... I say that the limit is given more by how much oil he can carry, than by how much oil Khessa's magic can create.
And if there really is only one exit, to block it completely you just need Wall of Force, you don't need a Forcecage.
What are you going to do (keeping the string alive...)
Lord Akkron is on board with the "light it up" plan... unless there is reason to believe that there are civilians trapped inside.
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
[[OOC: Ah. Maybe I missed that.
Vrox could just spread a couple of flasks of oil in a more hidden spot around back of the tree to test whether the tree burns on a smaller scale before dropping 3500 liters of oil on it. He'll leave the decision of whether to test a smaller fire first up to Khessa. He's fine with either plan.
Vrox would still recommend not using anything too expensive, like Wall of Force, until we confirm that the tree actually catches fire and seems to be burning. If the tree is magically resistant to fire, or if a rain cloud suddenly appears and douses any fires, then we don't want to burn through resources that we may want to use inside....assuming that we want to try going inside.]]
Khessa, discussing with Vrox, agrees to the idea of conducting a small test, before the 'big blaze'! She will then wait for Vrox to spread a couple of flasks of oil in a more hidden spot around the back of the tree to test whether the tree burns on a smaller scale.
If the plant does indeed burn... the blonde arcane warrior will produce the 'oil shower' to soak the plant completely and make it burn like a haystack. And Lord Akkron will be able to seal the only exit.
Go ahead and make your stealth approach to an out of the way place of the tree for your experiment.
[[OOC: Yep, I already made that roll when Vrox first suggested it. Here's the relevant part of that post...]]
You move forward, and do not draw the attention of the guards. You light your fire, and it does seem to take, but then it smolders out, like it was being snuffed.
Note-I will be away for a couple of days, be back up on Sunday
Vrox sneaks back to the party, a shadow moving across the clearing around the giant tree. Once he is back to the party, Vrox says, "It seems like something extinguished the fire. Perhaps some power of the tree itself? Or maybe the Drukhari elves have set magical wards to protect it?"
In discussing what to do next, Vrox is not sure whether the larger fire that Khessa had planned would be enough to overwhelm the tree's defenses. Or whether a magical fire could burn the tree where burning oil would not. If the party still wants to try fire, Vrox suggests a ritual casting of Detect Magic and/or Identify first to determine whether there's some abjuration spell that they need to dispel to make the tree more susceptible to fire.
"Of course," Vrox says, "if we try a true conflagration next, whether it succeeds or not, we will have given up the option to try a more subtle approach." He again offers to try to talk to the guards and see whether they can learn more or gain entrance to the tree themselves.
"Maybe I was too optimistic," Khessa admits - while noting in her spellbook the wonder of the plant that makes the fires that threaten it go out by themselves. "The magical nature of this plant apparently protects it from the flames. Let's try a different approach."
"I don't know how much I'd like it, though, leaving armed guards behind me..." the blonde arcane warrior ponders aloud "I don't mind the 'Yoht is an emissary' idea, but I propose using it only to get close to the guards without them raising the alarm or attacking us... Once we get close, I suggest we open hostilities ourselves and eliminate them."
Vrox says, "True, but it is only two guards. While Brother Maynard and I generally prefer to fight using archery, I think that we could hold them off if they followed and attacked from the rear. But if you have any worries, do what you must. I have no qualms about killing soldiers who fight for our enemy. Such is the life of a soldier. And soldiers who raise the sword in support of the Nefarious Duo will die by the sword...or...in our case...lance or greataxe or arrow or magic." He bows in acknowledgement to the party members and their preferred weapons. "But let's at least wait until the guards open the doors in case there's some trick or magic to it. Once they open the doors, feel free to handle them as you like, but know that I'll be more focused on whatever is inside the tree."
Vrox suggests that the group allows him to approach stealthily. Then Vrox can reveal himself once he's within about 30 feet of the door. He can talk to the guards as he approach and help to distract them while the rest of the party approaches. Vrox will say that they are the honor guard for Yôht, an emissary from King Ûthar the Destined. If the guards buy the story, then perhaps they'll open the door. If not, Vrox can fall back, letting Khessa, Clarac, and Tyekanik fight off the guards.
If everyone agrees with that plan, make any required preparations, and then Vrox is ready to sneak toward the guards. The party can follow once he steps into the clear and addresses the guards.
"I have no qualms about killing enemy soldiers, either," says Clarac, "but I am less comfortable doing so in such a nefarious way. If we are to be emissaries, then we should be emissaries. They might take us to their leader if we do; and we might even be able to resolve this conflict without violence. But if we claim to come to them in the name of peace, I will not fight except in self-defense."
That said, Clarac will wait for Vrox's signal to approach.
Khessa sighs... She has worked with many champions of righteousness... She knows their worth... She respects them... But still...
Facing enemies who wish to bring ruin to the entire multiverse, while remaining true... to the given word? That is something the blonde arcane warrior will never understand. Adapt? Yes, she can. But... understand? That she cannot. She would be willing to deceive an evil enemy a thousand times in a row - and she certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it!
"Fine... Ambassadors then" the tall adventuress agrees with just a last sigh. "Let's talk to them and show them the errors of their ways, reaping a flawless victory without bloodshed".
Her tone betrays her skepticism... but with friends like that, Khessa is willing to try.
Vrox keeps his face carefully neutral as Clarac talks. Once the decision is made, and his friends have a chance to cast any spells that they want to have running before the group approaches these elves, Vrox takes his Sentinel Shield, crouches low, and tries to blend in with the shadows as he creeps closer to the door and its guards. Once he's within 40 feet of the door, he takes a moment to [actions]Search;scan[/actions] the area for any hidden guards or traps.
Perception 22, advantage from Sentinel Shield
As long as he doesn't see any threats other than the guards, Vrox suddenly stands up and steps out into the open, revealing himself, about 40' away from the guards. He addresses the guards in Elvish, in a loud voice that's meant to carry back to his friends at the edge of the clearing. (He assumes that the Drukhari speak or at least understand the Elvish that the other elves of Eosia speak). Vrox says, "Good day! I am the Warden of Bees and part of the honor guard for, Yôht, an emissary from King Ûthar the Destined. I have heard that we are now in the Gael Wode, home of the Drukhari. Is that true? And can you tell us who dwells here in this great and magnificent tree?" He watches the guards warily as he tries to subtly wave the others forward with his free hand behind his back.
Vrox observes the guards, trying to determine whether they seem actively hostile, suspicious, or welcoming: Insight 18
[[OOC: I forgot the roll to see whether he was able to sneak that close before being spotted.]]
Vrox - Stealth: 28, advantage from Shadowfell Brand Tattoo
You don't see any hidden guards, but something still feels amiss about the tree and the surroundings. As you approach, the guards just look at you, not raising an alarm, but they are keeping you observed-mostly suspicious by their body language.