The young Lord tries a new tactic. With all the vitriol he can muster, he begins speaking in Gnomish. He does his best to make it seem guttural and brutish, but his education betrays him. His words flow with eloquence. Still, his voice is angry, spit flying as he rants to the couple chained down. To those unknown of Gnomish, it would appear he is attempting to berate them. In reality, his words equate to something like this: "LISTEN CLOSELY AND SHOW NO REACTION BUT FEAR! I AM AN ESCAPED PRISONER, PART OF A FEW HIDDEN IN THIS CAMP! WE ARE SET TO ESCAPE THIS WRETCHED PLACE! NO DOUBT THE OTHERS WILL NOT LEAVE YOU TO DIE, SO ACT AFRAID AND WAIT FOR THEM TO LIBERATE YOU! NOW GET BACK TO WORK AND SCRUB HARD LIKE I'VE JUST THREATENED YOU HORRIBLY OR THEY'LL NOTICE!"
Turning to the goblin pair, he gives them his best (worst) scowl (look of constipation): "What're you slags staring at?" he says, his words returned to common tongue. [Oof, Intimidation: Nat 1]
The two gnomes look up in shock as Amadeus begins his rant. For a heartbeat, confusion flickers across their faces, but as the Gnomish words settle, they catch the meaning. They quickly lower their gazes, giving curt, jerky nods. The woman steals one fast glance at Amadeus and he sees the shimmer of tears in her dark eyes before she hunches back over her leather. She shifts subtly, revealing a chain by which both workers are chained to iron prongs driven deep into the dirt.
The gnomes are acting terrified as he instructed but the two goblins aren't nearly as impressed.
Amadeus's attempt to intimidate them backfires spectacularly. Instead of backing down, his scowl only makes them get closer. The first goblin sneers, stepping into Amadeus's personal space until they are nose-to-nose. The overwhelming stench of rancid filth and dried blood assaults the sorcerer's senses.
"What, you got a problem, pretty-boy?" the first goblin huffs, his yellowed teeth bared in a mocking grin. He reaches out a dirty, clawed finger and pokes Amadeus hard in the chest.
The second goblin steps closer, circling around to the side with a hand resting on the hilt of his rusty scimitar. "Yeah... what are ya gonna do 'bout it, youngling? You sound real fancy when you yell, but you look like you've never seen a day's honest slaughter in your life." The gnomes have gone deathly silent, their tools frozen in their hands. The goblins wait, teeth bared.
Leosin's cut lip pulls back into a pained, ghost of a smile. "I appreciate your thinking," he tells Thistlewick, acknowledging the Druid's care with a nod, "but worry not. All will be good."
He turns back to Draylin, his expression softening with mutual respect. "I will hide somewhere closer to the camp entrance and await your signal then, brother." With one last wary glance towards the grand tent, Leosin sets off. He slips into the shadows of the southern tents, disappearing into the morning haze. Each step is fuelled by sheer resolve, but Draylin watches him go with a heavy heart - Leosin's strides are shorter, stiff, and far more laboured than the fluid, effortless grace the monk remembers of him.
When everyone else except Amadeus gets to the weapon's tent, they see a couple of gnome workers on one side of it fixing armour and two goblins in some sort of situation with Amadeus. There is palpable tension in the air.
"Hey, didn't you hear about the Wyrmspeaker's challenge?" Tam says to the goblins. "You're not going to let those pathetic kobolds get all the glory, are you? You'd better get out there and show them what a goblin war charge looks like!"
She hopes her words will convince the goblins to get out.
[Holy crap, I rolled a Nat 20 on Deception. 24 total!!]
The half elf hears Tam's deception as he enters the tent. He quickly side steps, to make room for the goblins expected hasty exit.
When the goblins leave he grabs his own standard gear, a pack of darts, a quarterstaff, and a light weight helmet
***Ready action: if the goblins move to attack Draylin will spring into action and snap off a quick kick to the knee of one and an open handed chop to the throat of the other ***
Montar seemingly ignores the exchange in the tent, affecting a bored air. However, he makes sure to pick up his stone-headed maul before going for the rest of his weapons and donning his armor. He's ready to engage if things take a bad turn.
The goblin, who has one hand on the hilt of his scimitar considers Tam's words. "Ye know, Erv, I did hear these wretched kobolds screamin' somethin' 'bout a prize. Might wanna check it out."
The goblin standing in front of Amadeus doesn't move an inch for a few long heartbeats. Just as the tension gets so thick it can be cut with a knife, he finally nods and slowly stalks away. "Watch your back, pretty-boy," he says darkly as he reaches for the tent's flap. "Raids are dangerous places for one to be. Commoners die... but raiders die too."
With that, both goblins leave to check whatever's going on with those prizes outside.
Montar returns his attention to donning his chain mail. Once that's squared away, he secures his weapons and looks as well for a heavy crossbow (50gp) and a case of bolts. If he can find them, he picks them up as well just in case he needs something long range.
The gnome coughs. "Someone more inclined to strength may wish to free these two, before running off," he says rather matter-of-factly, angling to the two weeping gnomes on the floor. "I'm afraid I am none too capable myself."
Before leaving the tent, Montar will see them freed. If the chain can't be removed from their legs via picking a lock, he'll try to hoist the iron spike out of the ground and unwind the chains. Failing that, he'll try to shatter them with his smith's tools.
The young monk was too well trained to give up his emotions, but he released an audible sigh when the goblins left he tent. He quickly got his gear together (any dagger, any short sword with an edge, etc.) and then tried the key they found on the prisoners. He cautions them to keep busy with their chores and make a break for it when things get crazy. "Please trust us, if you run now they will cut you down. We will create a distraction, when you hear the raiders running around like crazy slip out and go that way," he says pointing to the exit of the complex. He then grabs his gear and heads to the rendezvous point.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond
The key works. Freed from the chains, the two gnomes listen intently to Draylin's instructions and nod to show they understand.
Everyone in the party finds the weapons and armour they are looking for.
Outside, raiders gather in groups. Some of them as small as half a dozen men and women, others as large as twenty raiders. There is a tension and excitement in the air, crude jokes and rough words shouted between the raiders. Some groups have already left the camp and there are noticeably fewer people walking about, compared to when you first woke up earlier.
The young Lord tries a new tactic. With all the vitriol he can muster, he begins speaking in Gnomish. He does his best to make it seem guttural and brutish, but his education betrays him. His words flow with eloquence. Still, his voice is angry, spit flying as he rants to the couple chained down. To those unknown of Gnomish, it would appear he is attempting to berate them. In reality, his words equate to something like this: "LISTEN CLOSELY AND SHOW NO REACTION BUT FEAR! I AM AN ESCAPED PRISONER, PART OF A FEW HIDDEN IN THIS CAMP! WE ARE SET TO ESCAPE THIS WRETCHED PLACE! NO DOUBT THE OTHERS WILL NOT LEAVE YOU TO DIE, SO ACT AFRAID AND WAIT FOR THEM TO LIBERATE YOU! NOW GET BACK TO WORK AND SCRUB HARD LIKE I'VE JUST THREATENED YOU HORRIBLY OR THEY'LL NOTICE!"
Turning to the goblin pair, he gives them his best (worst) scowl (look of constipation): "What're you slags staring at?" he says, his words returned to common tongue. [Oof, Intimidation: Nat 1]
The two gnomes look up in shock as Amadeus begins his rant. For a heartbeat, confusion flickers across their faces, but as the Gnomish words settle, they catch the meaning. They quickly lower their gazes, giving curt, jerky nods. The woman steals one fast glance at Amadeus and he sees the shimmer of tears in her dark eyes before she hunches back over her leather. She shifts subtly, revealing a chain by which both workers are chained to iron prongs driven deep into the dirt.
The gnomes are acting terrified as he instructed but the two goblins aren't nearly as impressed.
Amadeus's attempt to intimidate them backfires spectacularly. Instead of backing down, his scowl only makes them get closer. The first goblin sneers, stepping into Amadeus's personal space until they are nose-to-nose. The overwhelming stench of rancid filth and dried blood assaults the sorcerer's senses.
"What, you got a problem, pretty-boy?" the first goblin huffs, his yellowed teeth bared in a mocking grin. He reaches out a dirty, clawed finger and pokes Amadeus hard in the chest.
The second goblin steps closer, circling around to the side with a hand resting on the hilt of his rusty scimitar. "Yeah... what are ya gonna do 'bout it, youngling? You sound real fancy when you yell, but you look like you've never seen a day's honest slaughter in your life." The gnomes have gone deathly silent, their tools frozen in their hands. The goblins wait, teeth bared.
Leosin's cut lip pulls back into a pained, ghost of a smile. "I appreciate your thinking," he tells Thistlewick, acknowledging the Druid's care with a nod, "but worry not. All will be good."
He turns back to Draylin, his expression softening with mutual respect. "I will hide somewhere closer to the camp entrance and await your signal then, brother." With one last wary glance towards the grand tent, Leosin sets off. He slips into the shadows of the southern tents, disappearing into the morning haze. Each step is fuelled by sheer resolve, but Draylin watches him go with a heavy heart - Leosin's strides are shorter, stiff, and far more laboured than the fluid, effortless grace the monk remembers of him.
DM: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Adventure
When everyone else except Amadeus gets to the weapon's tent, they see a couple of gnome workers on one side of it fixing armour and two goblins in some sort of situation with Amadeus. There is palpable tension in the air.
DM: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Adventure
"Hey, didn't you hear about the Wyrmspeaker's challenge?" Tam says to the goblins. "You're not going to let those pathetic kobolds get all the glory, are you? You'd better get out there and show them what a goblin war charge looks like!"
She hopes her words will convince the goblins to get out.
[Holy crap, I rolled a Nat 20 on Deception. 24 total!!]
Author of Kid Comet and the Sixth Grade Shadow and other Middle Grade Novels
Draylin
The half elf hears Tam's deception as he enters the tent. He quickly side steps, to make room for the goblins expected hasty exit.
When the goblins leave he grabs his own standard gear, a pack of darts, a quarterstaff, and a light weight helmet
***Ready action: if the goblins move to attack Draylin will spring into action and snap off a quick kick to the knee of one and an open handed chop to the throat of the other ***
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond
Montar seemingly ignores the exchange in the tent, affecting a bored air. However, he makes sure to pick up his stone-headed maul before going for the rest of his weapons and donning his armor. He's ready to engage if things take a bad turn.
The goblin, who has one hand on the hilt of his scimitar considers Tam's words. "Ye know, Erv, I did hear these wretched kobolds screamin' somethin' 'bout a prize. Might wanna check it out."
The goblin standing in front of Amadeus doesn't move an inch for a few long heartbeats. Just as the tension gets so thick it can be cut with a knife, he finally nods and slowly stalks away. "Watch your back, pretty-boy," he says darkly as he reaches for the tent's flap. "Raids are dangerous places for one to be. Commoners die... but raiders die too."
With that, both goblins leave to check whatever's going on with those prizes outside.
DM: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Adventure
Thistlewick let out a stuttering breath. "You could cut it with a blade there. Can we get the hells out of this place and warn Greenest now?"
Tam exhales. “Wow! Yes, let’s get our stuff and get out of here.” Tam looks around for her leather coat and weapons. .
Author of Kid Comet and the Sixth Grade Shadow and other Middle Grade Novels
Montar returns his attention to donning his chain mail. Once that's squared away, he secures his weapons and looks as well for a heavy crossbow (50gp) and a case of bolts. If he can find them, he picks them up as well just in case he needs something long range.
The gnome coughs. "Someone more inclined to strength may wish to free these two, before running off," he says rather matter-of-factly, angling to the two weeping gnomes on the floor. "I'm afraid I am none too capable myself."
Before leaving the tent, Montar will see them freed. If the chain can't be removed from their legs via picking a lock, he'll try to hoist the iron spike out of the ground and unwind the chains. Failing that, he'll try to shatter them with his smith's tools.
Draylin
The young monk was too well trained to give up his emotions, but he released an audible sigh when the goblins left he tent. He quickly got his gear together (any dagger, any short sword with an edge, etc.) and then tried the key they found on the prisoners. He cautions them to keep busy with their chores and make a break for it when things get crazy. "Please trust us, if you run now they will cut you down. We will create a distraction, when you hear the raiders running around like crazy slip out and go that way," he says pointing to the exit of the complex. He then grabs his gear and heads to the rendezvous point.
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond
Tam tries the key to unlock the gnomes. Barring that she will try to pick the lock.
Author of Kid Comet and the Sixth Grade Shadow and other Middle Grade Novels
The key works. Freed from the chains, the two gnomes listen intently to Draylin's instructions and nod to show they understand.
Everyone in the party finds the weapons and armour they are looking for.
Outside, raiders gather in groups. Some of them as small as half a dozen men and women, others as large as twenty raiders. There is a tension and excitement in the air, crude jokes and rough words shouted between the raiders. Some groups have already left the camp and there are noticeably fewer people walking about, compared to when you first woke up earlier.
DM: Hoard of the Dragon Queen Adventure