Bartram Shadecrest
Lvl 3 | Human | Rogue 

"I trust my source, they never let me down before. Are original job was to find the source of the weapons and this is are best lead so far. If you want, I could send the bat back asking if  my contacts know anything about the old man and the mysterious traveler we saw though I can't say for certain if they will know anything."

"Meepos, I agree that we should stay on task. My goal is to get us safely through this mission. One of the ways I do that is to identify and assess potential threats to our team. As my move back through toward the Deadsnows region, we need to be mindful of these threats. That said, let's roll out if everyone is ready."

"Yes, let us head to the Deadsnows. We will be more ready for odd encounters."

After traveling for many days toward Deadsnows, you find some signs of orc encampments, though all have since moved on. There are no sightings of any orcs until a quiet day moving along the Fork Road.

First, you sight an old, riderless horse tromping angrily along the trail. Orcish shouting can be heard off the trail, where 300 feet ahead of you, around a bend along the treeline you see ten orcs, four hobgoblins, and a half-orc standing over a mumbling and moaning elderly man. His face is bloody and his hands have been cut off. Even from here, you can see that he is close to death.

All of them are equipped for battle; the orcs wearing hide armor with a greataxe and javelin strapped to their backs, the hobgoblins clad in chain mail with a longsword and shield at their hips and a longbow on their backs, and the half-orc in leather armor holding a mace with a heavy crossbow on his back.

They are shouting loudly at each other, and only Aradurk understands the language being spoken. They are clearly occupied with the human and have not noticed your eavesdropping.

For Aradurk:

OOC: Three days of rations have been removed from each character's inventory. Bartram was one day short and can use a day of rations from another character.

Meepo hands one of his rations to Bartram for the day he had nothing to eat.

"Clearly that old man needs a 'hand'. Get it? Because has no hands."

Awkward silence envelopes the Fork Road after Meepo's statement.

"Jokes aside, I guess that's the group of orcs that we're looking for. That also means we're close to our objective. Let's hurry up along the trail and get that goblin merchant before they meet up."

Whispering to the group: “They are arguing over whether killing the shaman there is bad luck. Orcs, particular in the mountains are a superstitious lot. I am not inclined to believe they will roll out the red carpet when they see my less-Orcish features. Anyone have any strong opinions about next moves here? I am thinking stealth and shadows to keep us breathing.”

I look over at Meepo: “Meepo - that old man appears to need a handjob if you’re willing.”

OOC: If the party chooses to approach stealthily, please include a Dexterity (Stealth) roll at advantage with your next post. The group of orcs/hobgoblins/half-orc is 300 feet ahead of you.

OOC: Do they appear to be traveling toward us or away from us? And are they actively in the path?

OOC: They are off of the path at the moment, but not too far off of it; it would be virtually impossible to ride past them without being noticed. They are not traveling yet, still preoccupied with the mumbling and moaning human, and have not noticed you.

I usher the team to move around the block of orcs.

Stealth: 10

Bartram Shadecrest
Lvl 3 | Human | Rogue 

Bartram nods and attempts to move silently around the orcs. 

Stealth: 16

"We're at disadvantage if a fight breaks out. Odds are against us so don't hold back when the time comes."

Meepo darts forward quietly, closer to the enemy half-orc.

Stealth 23

"This silent movement is not my forte, I warn you all" says Karst, looking down at his chainmail. "Meepo is right, if it comes to battle do not hold back, they will almost certainly not either, look at that old man."

OOC normally I'd roll at disadvantage for the heavy armour if I roll at "normal" then take the first roll otherwise the best of the two :)

Stealth 21

Possible Advantage Stealth roll 7

Travus draws his shortbow and continues quietly behind the rest of the group, staying about 40 feet away from the orc group if a conflict should arise.

Stealth: 15

OOC: Your assumption was correct Karst, the advantage and disadvantage cancel each other out.

The orcs are so engrossed in the man they are standing over that they show no signs of noticing you as you walk by silently. When you close in, though the man has no face, his garb is unmistakable, as are the words he is rasping. "Diana...Roccar...help.."

OOC: At the moment you recognize the man you are 100 feet away, but no further stealth check is needed unless you break your stealth. The action is yours.

"Umm.... Karst, I have a crazy idea that might prevent us from fighting all of them."

Meepo pulls the rusted sword they got from the ancient battlefield and whispers to him.

"Since you were the most succesful of us when we tried to do the battle-dance, could you try to convince the orcs that we have their ancestor's blessing by showing this rusted sword we got from the legion of undead days ago?"

"And if not I am left standing holding a rusty sword in the middle of a pack of bloodthirsty orcs?"  Karst raises an eyebrow at the kobold "Any other plans?  Maybe something a little less suicidal..." The paladin looks back at the orcs and then says "Either way the old man is dead if we cannot help him now, tricks may help but we need to decide if we take them now, we are capable fighters, we could take a few down before they know what is happening, we might scare them with a sudden onslaught too, some might break at least for long enough to overwhelm the others?" Karst stands ready to attack, unwilling to allow torture and murder to continue unanswered.

Meepo scratches his cheeks while thinking then replies back to Karst.

"How about we jump on the half-orc and the four hobgoblins first. Afterwards, let's try to convince the rest of the orcs that their ancestors sent us to save the shaman.

Let's show them the rusted sword as a proof of their blessing. What do you think about that? I think that's better than the last one."

"That's a lot to take on, even if we get them by surprise. I'm not sure we can change the old man's fate even if we attack. Meepo's plan seems to be the best course of action, even if it is risky, unless there are other suggestions?"

" I will support either play. I will stand at your side. Just make the move."

You notice the grimace on Aradurk's face as he sees the old man and rubs his hands together as though fighting down some bad idea.