Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
Sign in- Marketplace
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
Sign in
The dead guys also have 4 heavy crossbows (post-Change construction) and 4 two-handed swords (museum pieces). The owl sees the fleeing thugs heading south.
Day 1
3 1 6
After introductions all round (Max says 'Hi' you continue your travels. To make everyone's life easier the thugs also had some bicycles so Sarah can use one of them.
Day 2
4 3 1
At the end of the 2nd day you are approaching Yuma and the road crosses the Colorado river at a bridge. They have built towers on both sides of the bridge for observation and to house a couple of ballistas each. The ground is open with only desert scrub. No sneaking here.
Day 3
10 6 4
Day 4
4 8 2
Day 5
1 3 5
Day 6
8 7 6
Day 7
6 10 8
Day 8
1 1 6
Day 9
2 6 1
Day 10
7 1 1
She winces at how easily she had been revealed. Most didn't see beyond the dirt and ratty hair. With the disguise blown, she pulls off the stupid itchy goatee. Nervously she watches as the corpses are rather professionally looted. No excessive insults or acts of revenge. That was better than nothing.
"Fine," Sarah grumbles a little. "I'm Sarah Blake. I was doing my doctorate in Albuquerque and my advisor sent me to a conference in Colorado. I was on my way back when everything went nuts. I just want to see if my Granny made it. I wouldn't mind traveling with a group if you'll have me. I should mention that... ah... my sword talks. Maybe just to me but I'm not crazy."
Max "You talk to your sword [shrug]. We have a Mayor who talks to the 'Queen of Air and Darkness'. He (points at Thomas) talks to his pet owl. Nobody survives the end of the world unscathed."
*Did we get past the Towers?*
Nope, you are approaching the towers. There are also guards on the bridge.
Ok - and nowhere to hide/stealth? How close are we? Anyway to go around?
Aleister sends Ofn and Terfysgeath up, 300 meters or so, with instructions to circle wide around the towers looking for what is on the other side of the river. As well, if there looks to be another crossing point.
"I remember reading a book titled "The Two Towers"," Aleister sort of chuckles, "But I'll bet this is nothing like that."
He looks around the towers, checks them out very carefully with his Steiners. Does there appear to be any sort of torches on the towers, like something that might be used at night? Are the towers open in construction or do they have solid sides? Ladders going up the sides? How many people man the balistas? How many on either side of the river? How are they equipped? Is there a flag or banner visible anywhere?
Perception 20
"Well, looks like this ain't a bunch of opportunists just waiting for an easy mark. Bit of a conundrum,yes!" The last said to no one in particular.
"Too bad we don't have a mortar or three."
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
The Queen of Air an-. Sarah had to stop her eyes flying wide. The evil Fae Queen like the stories? Her stomach flipped and her head rang for a moment because somehow, even with Gramps constantly in her ear, she hadn't quite let herself believe. Just how far did this Change go? Was it always like this and they didn't notice until it grew too strong to ignore? Or was this a regular cycle? Sarah had read plenty of mythology and folktales so maybe there was magic before...? She shook her head. That kind of thing was to be worried about later.
"So are you -we- going to try slipping past those towers? If we wait until dark, I might be able to lead us around. I can see in the dark, these days, so I won't lead us over a cliff or into a bear."
OOC: As well as geography, it might be useful to know what moon cycle it is. Full and it's probably not worth sneaking in the open.
The tower gives half cover to the ballista crew. There are ladders up the sides. Two ballista crew and a spotter in each tower. There is a flag on each tower. On your side of the river is desert but on the other side is a lot of farm land.
You can avoid the people if you move into the desert to go around the town and rejoin the road later; but you will have to ford the Colorado River.
"This place is well organized," Aleister says. "What would be nice to know is whether or not they will let us pass on through, without stripping us of everything, maybe even trying to enslave us. We gotta start thinking along those lines these days. With that in mind, I think we should fade back an circle this place."
He looks a bit grumpy about the whole idea.
"Once we accomplish what we set out to do, if we happen to be in this area on our return, mayhaps it would be worth while to talk to these folk." He glances at Sarah, "A talking sword, huh? Does it have anything pertinent to say about this particular situation? Or is it just a blood-thirsty, soul-sucking meglomaniacal piece of metal?"
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
Thomas agrees with Aleister "Every organized settlement is a threat, these days, until proven different, and for good reasons. I'd be in favour of going around any kind of visible defenses and worry about making an embassy later, when it's wise. We've resources that a lot of people don't, and that makes us as much of a target as a pre-Change person walking in Harlem with a kilo of jewelry on them."
When Gamliel is mentioned he says to Max, irate "He's NOT a pet, he's a multi-dimensional extrusion of an intelligence who has his sensory access into this world shaped into an owl! Far more than a simple woodland creature!" Less upset after this, he shows marked interest in the sentient blade, asking "Is it a spirit, ghost or artificial? Does it actually move the blade to help you fight or is it just an adviser? I talk to Gamliel through a mental link, but he's completely independent. I love magic these days, and I often wonder if we are in a cycle between technology and magic that has just come back. I can give everyone the ability see in the darkness with it, as well as lots of other fun and useful stuff! " His geek-like enthusiasm about the new magic makes his youth even more apparent.
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?"
"Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied
― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Listening to the others, Uthvern nods, "I agree with going around. Less hassle and less chance of getting attacked."
'I'm not opposed to going around, but I am worried about trying to ford the river - and also more than a little curious about these folks....'
George looks up and down the road they've been traveling.
'I wonder if we should try staking out the road here for a bit, see if any travelers can give us any intel on the settlement beyond those gates?'
I'm thinking its more like
You set up to wait and see. After an hour there is some movement at the barricade (so says the eye in the sky). An older woman comes out of a tent and talks to one of the guards pointing in your direction, he obviously gives some orders and 6 soldiers mount up and start riding down the road towards you. Chain shirts, compound bows and sabres.
Sarah isn't too sure about the heavily guarded settlement. She had been more worried about the barricade as it as the most immediate threat but the settlement was a different kind of potential danger. Her new companions had been right about that. The sign made the settlement look official but that didn't mean safe. Looking down at the blade, she decided it wouldn't hurt to answer a few questions about it.
"Gramps just started... talking to me after about a week or so. He taught me a bit about how to stay unnoticed and how to watch for trouble. He doesn't move himself and he says he's my great-something grandfather. I'm not sure about that but he has kept me alive. Before the Change I never picked up a bow or sword in my life but now I just know. I also started to learn...magic."
Considering the towers once more she also looked towards the river. Fording it sounded like it could be dangerous. The others seemed well provisioned. Could they create some kind of raft?
"If we ford the river, we'd need a raft or something to provide flotation. Being cautious about towns and other people has kept me alive but I'n not sure we have a choice. They have seen us and on horses they may intercept us no matter what."
ROFL! Yeah, that's pretty much it. Some good advice mixed in with a whole lot of codgerly crazy.
'Well it looks like our choice was made for us. Let's look presentable, reasonable and professional for when these nice folks get here huh?' Thomas, nowhere to hide, but if you have any tricks up your sleeve to buy us some time to escape if the need arises this would be the time to get them ready. Uthvern, want to join me upfront, Sarah - a woman in the front ranks might make them feel better about us if you'd care to join us.'
George shrugs off his Ghillie cloak and steps out into the middle of the road ready to hail the approaching riders.
'Oy there. We're peaceable travelers looking to cross the river. We mean no harm and want no trouble friends.'
As he says this he spreads his hands wide to show he's unarmed - but leaves his bowstrung and ready at hand if the riders make a hostile move.
Sarah takes a breath and strokes the string of her bow signaling her readiness. She hoped these people could be reasonable. If not, then she was prepared, she thought as she stroked the bead on a string tied to her belt and tucked into her pocket.
"I'm with you."