I would say we tie up the animals to the fence right where the trial comes up along the fence line. From there we'd move forward a bit, stopping a bit before the turn to the left towards the pond.
"I feel like drawing them out might awaken those that are sleeping,"Meriasays. "Zephyros, was there any sign of orcs in the basement? Perhaps there's a way to sneak in that way to surprise them?" She then looks over at Lyra. "Maybe making the ground tremble would get those on the lower floor out without awakening any above?" She considers a moment, "That's probably our best bet."
Zephyros helps tie up the cow near the main road before moving to the northern edge of the eastern cornfield where he can see the farmhouse.
"My hawk made no mention of a basement. Only the entrance to a cellar on the back side of the building. If what Lyra says is accurate, the orcs may be moving to the cellar soon to kill someone or to remove someone already dead. I'm ready to move. Let's move into the cellar and ambush whatever orcs come in. They won't be expecting a fight there. Gareth and Eldrin can wait out here and ambush them from behind when they flee or when reinforcements arrive."
Ironheartthen moves with purpose around the house without further discussion to enact his plan. He doesn't look back to see if Lyraand Meira are following, but he hopes they will. Moving to the far side of the house, the armored warrior opens the cellar door and enters with trident at the ready.
Meiradoes follow Zephyros, hoping to enact his plan and ambush orcs coming to the cellar. (Stealth: 19; Note - I think Lyra can give us Advantage on the roll, so that will help! I will wait though to re-roll until we confirm.)
(Sorry for being MIA. This week was incredibly busy at work.)
Gareth nods in agreement with Zephyros' plan. He positions himself within good range of the entrance to the cellar but off to the side a bit so that any fleeing orcs would not immediately see him. He unslings his bow and prepares to fire at any orc that comes running out (Readied Action).
Right before Zephyros moves into the cellar, Lyra extends a hand toward his arm.
"Wait. Let us help you move more quietly before entering the farmhouse?" she says, referring to herself and her goddess.
If the warrior allows, Lyra channels Tymora’s Blessing of the Trickster into him. (ooc: Zephyros can roll Stealth with advantage.)
Then the cleric asks her goddess for further assistance, and as she finishes muttering the incantation, a veil of shadows and silence begins to radiate from her. Since they are still outside the farmhouse, the whole party can feel its effect. But as Zephyros and Meira enter the building, Lyrafollows them, and the spell's effect moves with her—leaving Gareth and Eldrin outside of it for now.
You flank around to the north of the farmstead, using the hilly terrain to your advantage, and find a ridge roughly 200 feet away from the entrance to the cellar where you wait to ambush.
Gareth,
Are you firing at any orc that leaves the farmhouse, or any orc that flees the cellar?
Zephyros, Meira, and Lyra,
You work together to enter the cellar stealthily. Lyra's blessing seems precisely what the group needed to pass undetected by the celebratory raucous coming from inside the home.
The cellar doors are wooden and have no lock. The doors swing open easily, and you descend on squeaky wooden steps to a dirt floor, mortared stone walls, and an eight-foot plank ceiling braced by wooden pillars. Tied to a chair is a large figure with a blood-soaked burlap sack pulled over his head. A puddle of blood coagulates in the dirt below the figure, being fed by a slow dripping. Shelves along the walls are lined with skulls made of butter and protected by a thin coating of wax.
Lyra,
Your blessing to Zephyros offsets his disadvantage on his stealth roll. Something tells me Zephyros will be okay with this. This gives him an 18 on his roll if we keep the first d20. Combine that with your PWT +10, and you will all easily pass the Stealth DC.
For a while as they descend into the cellar, all Lyracan see are Zephyros' and Meira's backs. But as the room comes into view, the figure tied to the chair makes the halfling freeze in place. It was one thing to know the orcs had been having their twisted fun with someone here, but another thing entirely to witness it. She hardly registers the shelves lined with butter-skulls, all her attention locked onto the bloodied figure.
Even with her spell still cloaking them from the noise above, the cleric's first instinct is to choke back a gasp. The second is to move towards the figure. Dead, by the look of it—and by what she'd heard the orcs say—but what if… what if there's still a chance? She reaches out, ready to call on her healing magic, but then pauses. She turns to silently meet her companion's eyes, awaiting their approval. Should they heal the man right there? What if he starts screaming? But… on the other hand, what if he's hanging on by a thread?
"We need to heal him, quickly! But let's untie him first," Lyra whispers, "Better that he wakes up able to see—and to breathe!"
With that, if neither Zephyrosnor Meiraobjects, she begins carefully untying the sack. Then she will lay a touch of Tymora's healing upon him, whispering, "... come on… come on… hang in there!"
Meiracan't help but comment on the skulls. "Well, that is certainly an interesting way to decorate your butter. Macabre, but interesting." She has a joking tone to her voice. As Lyra heads for the beaten bloody body she follows. "Yea, I can untie him," she says as she kneels down to start undoing the knots. "And we should remove the sack, just to make sure who it is," she adds.
You untie the large figure from his bonds and remove the blood-soaked burlap sack from his head, revealing a face swollen, bloodied, and bruised. His arms slump to his sides as his binds are removed. He almost falls to the ground, but a restraining hand from Zephyros steadies him.
Zephyros,
You feel a very faint pulse from the man.
Lyra,
As you pray to Tymora for healing, divine energy enters, and the worst of the man's wounds begin to knit back together, and the blood dripping to the ground stops. The man's one good eye instantly opens, the other still swollen shut.
He jumps to his feet, pushing the chair away in the process. The chair tips over towards the back of the cellar with a clatter. He puts his hands up defensively, and his good eye darts between the three party members. Recognition ignites in the man, "You're not orcs, and I'm not dead. So what's this then...my rescue?"
"Yes, I think it is a rescue,"Meirasays. She then points up towards the roof. "Though orcs are still about. Should we be looking for others?" She turns to the others. "We should get him out of here. Or do you think the orcs will show up soon?"
Lyrais glad to see the man in much better shape now and is about to help him up when he suddenly stands and jerks away. A totally normal reaction, considering what he has gone through. She raises her hands in a calming gesture and says, "We came here to help, yes! Are you 'Big Al' Kalazorn by any chance?"
At Meira's reminder that there are orcs still about, she looks toward the ceiling. "Uhmm, probably better to leave introductions for later." Looking back at her, the halfling considers her question. "We could regroup with Gareth and Eldrin outside. That way," she says, glancing at the man, "you can rest and recover, while we figure out what to do about the orcs. They'll surely come out on their own once they realize their prisoner is very much alive... and gone!"
If they decide to go outside, Lyra walks up to the man to help him outside, while keeping him close and covered by her spell.
(OOC: If we all regroup outside, everyone gets +10 to Stealth checks.)
The burly man's eye follows your hand gesture to the cellar's ceiling, where you can still hear a muffled raucous. He begins massaging the blood back into his wrists before asking, "Mind letting me borrow a weapon then?"His gaze comes down and rests on the puddle of blood in the room."No... those bastards killed all my ranch hands. I'd like to repay in kind ifin ya catch my drift."
Lyra,
The burly man looks down at you, "I'm Big Al."He continues, "Only one thing to do with the orcs ifin you ask me." He drags a finger across his throat in a cutting motion. "Aye, lead the way. As long as the way leads to my revenge."
You begin to make your way back outside, up the stairs, when you hear the back door to the farmhouse swing open, and the raucousness becomes much louder. Laughter mixed with guttural grunting fills your ears. The orc banter is cut short when an arrow shot by Gareth thuds inches away from the lead orc's face into the door jam. He yells back into the farmhouse, grabs a greataxe, and charges at Gareth and Eldrin with a warcry, who are still roughly 140-150 feet away from melee with the orc-pack. Several orcs, eight in total, follow the lead orc into the open between the ridgeline and the home.
[[ooc: Combat is about to begin, but hasn't started yet. What do you do?]]
"You can take one of my daggers," Meria tells the man. "It's not much, I know. Perhaps someone else has a weapon to spare?"
When she hears the sound of the orcs coming from the back door of the farmhouse, she tenses slightly. Without a rush, she takes her shortbow in hand, trying to find a vantage where she can see the orcs coming out and also have some cover within the cellar. "We should wait just a moment, to let them get part way before we hit them from behind. Hopefully, we would get the most advantage out of the confusion."
Lyranods in agreement with Meira. Whatever they do next, it will be best done without the orcs’ knowledge, taking advantage of their surprise. For now, she simply hides behind one of her taller companions and waits for the best moment to act. She also urges Big Al to stay calm and keep hidden, especially since he is badly hurt. As much as he wants revenge, it would be foolish to attack them directly.
Zephyros nods as Meira hands Big Al' a dagger. It brings back the memory of the one he lost in the dwarven temple to Abbathor. The warrior readies himself for combat. His first instinct is to charge right into the fray, but Meira's next words bring restraint. "Agreed, Big Al stay behind me. Rest assured, you will be avenged."
Securing his trident to his back, Ironheart readies his crossbow. When the orcs get halfway between Gareth and the farmhouse, Zephyros emerges and fires a bolt at the orc trailing behind.
(ooc: Not sure if we are allowed to declare bonus actions as well, @Abishai? Can Lyra have her spiritual weapon ready for combat?)
Not typically, but... spoiler alert...
I plan to give the three of you in the cellar a surprise round that will incorporate any readied actions that kick off combat, so you'll have the opportunity to cast spiritual weapon, no problem.
Once everyone has had a chance to post their reaction to the situation we'll move to formal combat.
((I think this would be for the first round of combat.))
Gareth shakes his head in disappointment as his arrow sinks into wood instead of flesh. He watches the orcs pour out of the farmhouse and start heading for him and Eldrin. He carefully takes aim at the orc in the lead and releases another arrow.
Longbow: 12 to hit, 10 damage (I'm rolling like crap lately lol)
I would say we tie up the animals to the fence right where the trial comes up along the fence line. From there we'd move forward a bit, stopping a bit before the turn to the left towards the pond.
"I feel like drawing them out might awaken those that are sleeping," Meria says. "Zephyros, was there any sign of orcs in the basement? Perhaps there's a way to sneak in that way to surprise them?" She then looks over at Lyra. "Maybe making the ground tremble would get those on the lower floor out without awakening any above?" She considers a moment, "That's probably our best bet."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Zephyros helps tie up the cow near the main road before moving to the northern edge of the eastern cornfield where he can see the farmhouse.
"My hawk made no mention of a basement. Only the entrance to a cellar on the back side of the building. If what Lyra says is accurate, the orcs may be moving to the cellar soon to kill someone or to remove someone already dead. I'm ready to move. Let's move into the cellar and ambush whatever orcs come in. They won't be expecting a fight there. Gareth and Eldrin can wait out here and ambush them from behind when they flee or when reinforcements arrive."
Ironheart then moves with purpose around the house without further discussion to enact his plan. He doesn't look back to see if Lyra and Meira are following, but he hopes they will. Moving to the far side of the house, the armored warrior opens the cellar door and enters with trident at the ready.
Stealth Nat 1+2=3 =(
Meira does follow Zephyros, hoping to enact his plan and ambush orcs coming to the cellar. (Stealth: 19; Note - I think Lyra can give us Advantage on the roll, so that will help! I will wait though to re-roll until we confirm.)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
(Sorry for being MIA. This week was incredibly busy at work.)
Gareth nods in agreement with Zephyros' plan. He positions himself within good range of the entrance to the cellar but off to the side a bit so that any fleeing orcs would not immediately see him. He unslings his bow and prepares to fire at any orc that comes running out (Readied Action).
(Longbow 12 to hit, 9 piercing damage)
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus & Phandalin Adventures
Right before Zephyros moves into the cellar, Lyra extends a hand toward his arm.
"Wait. Let us help you move more quietly before entering the farmhouse?" she says, referring to herself and her goddess.
If the warrior allows, Lyra channels Tymora’s Blessing of the Trickster into him. (ooc: Zephyros can roll Stealth with advantage.)
Then the cleric asks her goddess for further assistance, and as she finishes muttering the incantation, a veil of shadows and silence begins to radiate from her. Since they are still outside the farmhouse, the whole party can feel its effect. But as Zephyros and Meira enter the building, Lyra follows them, and the spell's effect moves with her—leaving Gareth and Eldrin outside of it for now.
(Stealth: 18+10 = 28)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Gareth and Eldrin,
You flank around to the north of the farmstead, using the hilly terrain to your advantage, and find a ridge roughly 200 feet away from the entrance to the cellar where you wait to ambush.
Gareth,
Are you firing at any orc that leaves the farmhouse, or any orc that flees the cellar?
Zephyros, Meira, and Lyra,
You work together to enter the cellar stealthily. Lyra's blessing seems precisely what the group needed to pass undetected by the celebratory raucous coming from inside the home.
The cellar doors are wooden and have no lock. The doors swing open easily, and you descend on squeaky wooden steps to a dirt floor, mortared stone walls, and an eight-foot plank ceiling braced by wooden pillars. Tied to a chair is a large figure with a blood-soaked burlap sack pulled over his head. A puddle of blood coagulates in the dirt below the figure, being fed by a slow dripping. Shelves along the walls are lined with skulls made of butter and protected by a thin coating of wax.
Lyra,
Your blessing to Zephyros offsets his disadvantage on his stealth roll. Something tells me Zephyros will be okay with this. This gives him an 18 on his roll if we keep the first d20. Combine that with your PWT +10, and you will all easily pass the Stealth DC.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights. DM for Dragons of Icespire Peak Pbp
For a while as they descend into the cellar, all Lyra can see are Zephyros' and Meira's backs. But as the room comes into view, the figure tied to the chair makes the halfling freeze in place. It was one thing to know the orcs had been having their twisted fun with someone here, but another thing entirely to witness it. She hardly registers the shelves lined with butter-skulls, all her attention locked onto the bloodied figure.
Even with her spell still cloaking them from the noise above, the cleric's first instinct is to choke back a gasp. The second is to move towards the figure. Dead, by the look of it—and by what she'd heard the orcs say—but what if… what if there's still a chance? She reaches out, ready to call on her healing magic, but then pauses. She turns to silently meet her companion's eyes, awaiting their approval. Should they heal the man right there? What if he starts screaming? But… on the other hand, what if he's hanging on by a thread?
"We need to heal him, quickly! But let's untie him first," Lyra whispers, "Better that he wakes up able to see—and to breathe!"
With that, if neither Zephyros nor Meira objects, she begins carefully untying the sack. Then she will lay a touch of Tymora's healing upon him, whispering, "... come on… come on… hang in there!"
(ooc: Used a level 1 Cure Wounds, healing 13 HPs)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Meira can't help but comment on the skulls. "Well, that is certainly an interesting way to decorate your butter. Macabre, but interesting." She has a joking tone to her voice. As Lyra heads for the beaten bloody body she follows. "Yea, I can untie him," she says as she kneels down to start undoing the knots. "And we should remove the sack, just to make sure who it is," she adds.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
(Gareth will shoot at any orc that leaves the farmhouse or cellar.)
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus & Phandalin Adventures
Ignoring the butterskulls, Zephyros, upon sighting the bloodied figure, quietly rushes over to check the man's pulse.
"Hang in there, man!" The veteran fiercely whispers.
Ironheart pulls the sack off of the man's head and checks for any way to identify who he is.
The burly man nods to Lyra and mentions, "Yes, please heal this poor soul! Surviving Orcish torture is no small feat."
Perception: 11
Investigation: 12
Meira,
You untie the large figure from his bonds and remove the blood-soaked burlap sack from his head, revealing a face swollen, bloodied, and bruised. His arms slump to his sides as his binds are removed. He almost falls to the ground, but a restraining hand from Zephyros steadies him.
Zephyros,
You feel a very faint pulse from the man.
Lyra,
As you pray to Tymora for healing, divine energy enters, and the worst of the man's wounds begin to knit back together, and the blood dripping to the ground stops. The man's one good eye instantly opens, the other still swollen shut.
He jumps to his feet, pushing the chair away in the process. The chair tips over towards the back of the cellar with a clatter. He puts his hands up defensively, and his good eye darts between the three party members. Recognition ignites in the man, "You're not orcs, and I'm not dead. So what's this then...my rescue?"
Gareth,
Good to know.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights. DM for Dragons of Icespire Peak Pbp
"Yes, I think it is a rescue," Meira says. She then points up towards the roof. "Though orcs are still about. Should we be looking for others?" She turns to the others. "We should get him out of here. Or do you think the orcs will show up soon?"
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Lyra is glad to see the man in much better shape now and is about to help him up when he suddenly stands and jerks away. A totally normal reaction, considering what he has gone through. She raises her hands in a calming gesture and says, "We came here to help, yes! Are you 'Big Al' Kalazorn by any chance?"
At Meira's reminder that there are orcs still about, she looks toward the ceiling. "Uhmm, probably better to leave introductions for later." Looking back at her, the halfling considers her question. "We could regroup with Gareth and Eldrin outside. That way," she says, glancing at the man, "you can rest and recover, while we figure out what to do about the orcs. They'll surely come out on their own once they realize their prisoner is very much alive... and gone!"
If they decide to go outside, Lyra walks up to the man to help him outside, while keeping him close and covered by her spell.
(OOC: If we all regroup outside, everyone gets +10 to Stealth checks.)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Meira,
The burly man's eye follows your hand gesture to the cellar's ceiling, where you can still hear a muffled raucous. He begins massaging the blood back into his wrists before asking, "Mind letting me borrow a weapon then?" His gaze comes down and rests on the puddle of blood in the room. "No... those bastards killed all my ranch hands. I'd like to repay in kind ifin ya catch my drift."
Lyra,
The burly man looks down at you, "I'm Big Al." He continues, "Only one thing to do with the orcs ifin you ask me." He drags a finger across his throat in a cutting motion. "Aye, lead the way. As long as the way leads to my revenge."
You begin to make your way back outside, up the stairs, when you hear the back door to the farmhouse swing open, and the raucousness becomes much louder. Laughter mixed with guttural grunting fills your ears. The orc banter is cut short when an arrow shot by Gareth thuds inches away from the lead orc's face into the door jam. He yells back into the farmhouse, grabs a greataxe, and charges at Gareth and Eldrin with a warcry, who are still roughly 140-150 feet away from melee with the orc-pack. Several orcs, eight in total, follow the lead orc into the open between the ridgeline and the home.
[[ooc: Combat is about to begin, but hasn't started yet. What do you do?]]
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights. DM for Dragons of Icespire Peak Pbp
"You can take one of my daggers," Meria tells the man. "It's not much, I know. Perhaps someone else has a weapon to spare?"
When she hears the sound of the orcs coming from the back door of the farmhouse, she tenses slightly. Without a rush, she takes her shortbow in hand, trying to find a vantage where she can see the orcs coming out and also have some cover within the cellar. "We should wait just a moment, to let them get part way before we hit them from behind. Hopefully, we would get the most advantage out of the confusion."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Lyra nods in agreement with Meira. Whatever they do next, it will be best done without the orcs’ knowledge, taking advantage of their surprise. For now, she simply hides behind one of her taller companions and waits for the best moment to act. She also urges Big Al to stay calm and keep hidden, especially since he is badly hurt. As much as he wants revenge, it would be foolish to attack them directly.
Action: Hide (Stealth: 23+10=33)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Zephyros nods as Meira hands Big Al' a dagger. It brings back the memory of the one he lost in the dwarven temple to Abbathor. The warrior readies himself for combat. His first instinct is to charge right into the fray, but Meira's next words bring restraint. "Agreed, Big Al stay behind me. Rest assured, you will be avenged."
Securing his trident to his back, Ironheart readies his crossbow. When the orcs get halfway between Gareth and the farmhouse, Zephyros emerges and fires a bolt at the orc trailing behind.
Attack: 15
Damage: 9
(ooc: Not sure if we are allowed to declare bonus actions as well, @Abishai? Can Lyra have her spiritual weapon ready for combat?)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Not typically, but... spoiler alert...
I plan to give the three of you in the cellar a surprise round that will incorporate any readied actions that kick off combat, so you'll have the opportunity to cast spiritual weapon, no problem.
Once everyone has had a chance to post their reaction to the situation we'll move to formal combat.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights. DM for Dragons of Icespire Peak Pbp
((I think this would be for the first round of combat.))
Gareth shakes his head in disappointment as his arrow sinks into wood instead of flesh. He watches the orcs pour out of the farmhouse and start heading for him and Eldrin. He carefully takes aim at the orc in the lead and releases another arrow.
Longbow: 12 to hit, 10 damage (I'm rolling like crap lately lol)
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus & Phandalin Adventures