Cadmael doesn't see much at first, until a tiny curl of smoke lifts up out of a tree that's near the edge of the road. He alerts Effort to his findings, just as she notices a few stomped down clumps of grass around the base of a roadside tree. Following the trunk up, she sees a tall half-elf sitting cross-legged on a thick branch. Wearing mottled shades of green and brown, he's barely noticeable with his head tucked into the overhanging leaves. He's smoking a small pipe, though, and has a bow across his lap. It's clear he's been watching you the entire time, and as you approach the base of the tree, he swings his legs over and hops down to a lower branch. He's rather handsome in a rugged looking way, with subtle crows feet around his eyes and a bit of sunburn on his cheeks. His eyes are crystal blue, his shoulder-length rusty hair well kept, and his smile clean and inviting.
"Can I help you travelers with something?" He takes a deep puff out of his pipe, holds it for a few moments, and exhales.
"Depends who's asking," he looks around at the three of you. "And depends what kind of business we're talking about." His bow looks exquisitely made, although it's showing signs of age. An arrow hangs haphazardly from it's notch.
"Half-elves... always so pretty," Effort says with a sigh. It sounds more frustrated than wistful, though. "What my friend here is trying to say is that we're hunting down gnoll cultists. Rumor has it that you're the man to talk to about that. We're looking to find a few stragglers and ambush them, and hopefully crush some details on the point of their origin out of one of them. And since you asked if you could help with something, then yes, we would like it very much if you would help us with that."
Burdan's casual demeanor becomes noticeably more serious when you mention the cultists. He slings his bow over his shoulder and hops down from the lower branch onto the ground.
"Well met," he starts. "I haven't seen any of the gnolls or the cultists, but I have been attempting to track...someone out in the woods. I've found two of their little camps over the past week or so. Small camps with fire pits and some scattered bones. The bones themselves had been gnawed at. So either these cultists are really starving out there or there's something decidedly less human lurking out in the woods."
He takes another puff from his pipe, and looks up toward the mountains. After studying them for a minute, he points upward between two peaks, east and just north of where you're standing now. "First camp was pretty high up. I saw the fire overnight, but it was too far for me to get to until the next day. By the time I got there wind had blown most of the ash away. Not much to see. Second camp was further down, and due east. I got there when the embers were still hot, but by the time I was able to follow the tracks south, it was getting dark and I lost them in the rocks. Not sure if they realize it...but they're not leaving much by following the path they are. Mostly big rocks and gravel up there. If you're careful you can move quite a bit without leaving anything to follow."
After a final puff, he turns his pipe over dumps out what remains of the tobacco. Stepping on it, he looks up again at the mountains. "My expert opinion? They're either up there scouting the surrounding area...looking for more openings in the mountains, towns to raid, that kind of thing. Or they're up there looking for something. They haven't ventured that from the mountains, at least that I've seen. Hell, maybe they're doing both. Doesn't seem like there's a lot of them, though, based on the camps. At least not yet."
"I think we spotted one of those campfires you were talking about a day ago," Effort says, thinking of what Cadmael had seen after the skunk incident. She rubs her chin. "If they're really up there, then we need to be up there, too. We won't get anywhere just by wandering the carrion coast looking for rumors of cultist droppings and reports of missing people. It'd be better to find them before they can do any more body snatching anyhow."
She closes her eyes, thinking, her tail lashing back and forth. "If they're foolish enough to give away their location by making a campfire, then perhaps that's what we need to do to find them -- get closer to the mountains, then camp out for the day, and do a hard hike towards their camp during the night." She opens her eyes and looks at the others. "Of course, I have no experience traveling through the wilds at night. It's probably difficult to say the least. Still, as a strategy... that's what I would do, if I was trying to take them unawares. Intrude on them when they settle to rest and aren't expecting company."
Burik nods along to Effort's plan "Wandering the wilds at night holds its own dangers... but it would probably get us to our quarry the quickest. But we would have to move quickly and without light to give ourselves away" Burik looks towards Brask, "And some people's vision in the dark is not as good as others..."
"Though I might be worth following them awhile, find out what they're here for before, as Brask so eloquently puts it, 'Smash their heads in' "
Brask listens to the scout's tale, frowning at some of the details, and nodding at others, but he doesn't interrupt either him or Effort's plan. Good plan, he says. This could be a good chance to hurt them. Give them a shock, send them scurrying back into their little doggie holes or whatever. Buys us time to bring in reinforcements. Yeah, he nods as he keeps thinking. Good plan. Don't worry, dwarf. This time, we fight on our terms. I'm not going blundering through the night. If you want to take these bastards out, you need to lead them to me. Maybe the bird can help.
Well, we'd better get ready to go. He turns back to Burdan: You gonna lead us up there? Or skulk around here smoking like a waste of space.
Burdan tilts his head back, surveying Brask after the insult. He slowly smiles. "Yeah, I'll lead you up there. Wouldn't want you turning an ankle on a little stone."
He grabs a small satchel from behind the tree and tucks his pipe into one of the pockets. "If you're all ready to head out, I'm going to grab some food and water. Meet you back here in five." Burdan heads off down the road, and you see him turn off and head toward what you assume is his house. He's back before the five minutes is up, sporting a water skin and carrying a bundle of arrows.
You all set off up the eastern road, back toward the mountains. About halfway there, Burdan veers off the road and into the woods to the south. It's a beautiful patch of woods, you notice, filled with huge pines and lush mosses. When you emerge at the base of the mountains, slightly south of where you last left them, a chill returns to the air. The sun is shining and feels nice, but you've been going uphill for a few hours and it feels like it. By now it's mid-afternoon, and Burdan insists you get as high as possible before nightfall, ensuring the best vantage point to spot any fires or movement from above.
After another three or four hours climbing up, you find a very small stand of short pines that Burdan surveys for a moment. "This will do. We can set up camp in the trees - they help at least a little with the nighttime temperatures up here." You venture in, and Burdan sits on some roots and starts to snack on some dried fruit. The sun's last rays disappear under the trees to your west, and it gets dark rather quickly.
Everyone, roll investigation checks as you search for any signs of a camp or movement.
Effort is winded from the long hike, and even the eye candy of following behind Burdan for most of it isn't enough to make up for her foul mood.
"There'd better be something to kill in these woods tonight, or I'm going to lose my mind," she mutters under her breath with a fierce scowl. "This hiking business is bullsh--"
Master, do you wish me to scout?Cadmael cuts in with excellent timing, swooping onto her arm.
"Go on and look for some campfires from above," Effort commands him, sending him back into the sky. She then turns to the wilderness and surveys it with her teeth bared, searching for any sign of activity in the dark forest.
Brask has been enjoying the exercise, and the fresh cool air - much better than being down in a stinking dwarf mine. We definitely have tents,he says to the scout, somewhat incongruously. You know, for camping. Hey, thanks for coming with us. I thought you might be some snivelling coward who'd got spooked and run away, but I guess not. Good to have you along.
It slowly gets darker and darker, and eventually the only thing you can see is the starry night sky and some torch lights from the now distant village. By now all of the sun's light has vanished, and the moon is hidden by clouds. You wait.
A faint flicker catches Effort's eye. She tries to focus as Cadmael instinctively sails up and toward the source. As her eyes adjust, Effort is confident it's a campfire. This could be them. There are two or three figures moving near the fire...might be more, but the light is so intense...
Effort gets everyone's attention and gets them to focus on the fire. Brask is staring in the exact opposite direction, but eventually turns around. Burdan indicates you should move out, and you start making your way upslope and toward the camp. It looks to be only a mile or so away. After about thirty minutes of carefully moving through the stony landscape, Burdan turns and points a finger to his lips. You're only a few hundred feet away at this point, and you can see movement around the edge of the campfire's light.
Everyone, roll a stealth check as you approach (or let me know what else you do).
OOC: Brask definitely would have rolled with disadvantage had he not washed that skunk out of his fur. :)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Effort murmurs softly under her breath, using thaumaturgy to create rumbling thunder overhead near the camp. Hopefully the noise will be enough to distract the figures within, so that the others will have some advantage to their attempts to be stealthy.
For herself, she murmurs another incantation of guidance before trying to move as quietly as possible:
Stealth: 13 with advantage? 20 and with Guidance: 1
(I'm assuming Cadmael's stealth is still 17 as before)
Range on thaumaturgy is only 30 feet - are you waiting until you're close to cast it as thunder? Or casting it from further away from the camp (which will make the the thunder sound like it's in your direction)?
hmm... can I cast it closer to the camp, and Cadmael help Effort hide instead to keep advantage on my roll? (sorry, I thought we were that close already)
OOC: Damn! With a 24 I'll just carry on... :)
Cadmael doesn't see much at first, until a tiny curl of smoke lifts up out of a tree that's near the edge of the road. He alerts Effort to his findings, just as she notices a few stomped down clumps of grass around the base of a roadside tree. Following the trunk up, she sees a tall half-elf sitting cross-legged on a thick branch. Wearing mottled shades of green and brown, he's barely noticeable with his head tucked into the overhanging leaves. He's smoking a small pipe, though, and has a bow across his lap. It's clear he's been watching you the entire time, and as you approach the base of the tree, he swings his legs over and hops down to a lower branch. He's rather handsome in a rugged looking way, with subtle crows feet around his eyes and a bit of sunburn on his cheeks. His eyes are crystal blue, his shoulder-length rusty hair well kept, and his smile clean and inviting.
"Can I help you travelers with something?" He takes a deep puff out of his pipe, holds it for a few moments, and exhales.
DM - Above & Below
We have business with a man called Burdan, says Brask. That you?
He keeps his distance from the weird tree-hopping elf, but is interested in the bow. Does it look well-made? Perception 11
"Depends who's asking," he looks around at the three of you. "And depends what kind of business we're talking about." His bow looks exquisitely made, although it's showing signs of age. An arrow hangs haphazardly from it's notch.
DM - Above & Below
Brask, minotaur says, thumbing at his chest. Effort, Burik, he thumbs at the others, and grins. We kill dog worshippers. Know any round here?
"Half-elves... always so pretty," Effort says with a sigh. It sounds more frustrated than wistful, though. "What my friend here is trying to say is that we're hunting down gnoll cultists. Rumor has it that you're the man to talk to about that. We're looking to find a few stragglers and ambush them, and hopefully crush some details on the point of their origin out of one of them. And since you asked if you could help with something, then yes, we would like it very much if you would help us with that."
Burik is just following the party.
(just assume that if I don't post Burik is following as the posts are likely aimed at others in those times)
Burdan's casual demeanor becomes noticeably more serious when you mention the cultists. He slings his bow over his shoulder and hops down from the lower branch onto the ground.
"Well met," he starts. "I haven't seen any of the gnolls or the cultists, but I have been attempting to track...someone out in the woods. I've found two of their little camps over the past week or so. Small camps with fire pits and some scattered bones. The bones themselves had been gnawed at. So either these cultists are really starving out there or there's something decidedly less human lurking out in the woods."
He takes another puff from his pipe, and looks up toward the mountains. After studying them for a minute, he points upward between two peaks, east and just north of where you're standing now. "First camp was pretty high up. I saw the fire overnight, but it was too far for me to get to until the next day. By the time I got there wind had blown most of the ash away. Not much to see. Second camp was further down, and due east. I got there when the embers were still hot, but by the time I was able to follow the tracks south, it was getting dark and I lost them in the rocks. Not sure if they realize it...but they're not leaving much by following the path they are. Mostly big rocks and gravel up there. If you're careful you can move quite a bit without leaving anything to follow."
After a final puff, he turns his pipe over dumps out what remains of the tobacco. Stepping on it, he looks up again at the mountains. "My expert opinion? They're either up there scouting the surrounding area...looking for more openings in the mountains, towns to raid, that kind of thing. Or they're up there looking for something. They haven't ventured that from the mountains, at least that I've seen. Hell, maybe they're doing both. Doesn't seem like there's a lot of them, though, based on the camps. At least not yet."
DM - Above & Below
"I think we spotted one of those campfires you were talking about a day ago," Effort says, thinking of what Cadmael had seen after the skunk incident. She rubs her chin. "If they're really up there, then we need to be up there, too. We won't get anywhere just by wandering the carrion coast looking for rumors of cultist droppings and reports of missing people. It'd be better to find them before they can do any more body snatching anyhow."
She closes her eyes, thinking, her tail lashing back and forth. "If they're foolish enough to give away their location by making a campfire, then perhaps that's what we need to do to find them -- get closer to the mountains, then camp out for the day, and do a hard hike towards their camp during the night." She opens her eyes and looks at the others. "Of course, I have no experience traveling through the wilds at night. It's probably difficult to say the least. Still, as a strategy... that's what I would do, if I was trying to take them unawares. Intrude on them when they settle to rest and aren't expecting company."
Burik nods along to Effort's plan "Wandering the wilds at night holds its own dangers... but it would probably get us to our quarry the quickest. But we would have to move quickly and without light to give ourselves away" Burik looks towards Brask, "And some people's vision in the dark is not as good as others..."
"Though I might be worth following them awhile, find out what they're here for before, as Brask so eloquently puts it, 'Smash their heads in' "
Brask listens to the scout's tale, frowning at some of the details, and nodding at others, but he doesn't interrupt either him or Effort's plan. Good plan, he says. This could be a good chance to hurt them. Give them a shock, send them scurrying back into their little doggie holes or whatever. Buys us time to bring in reinforcements. Yeah, he nods as he keeps thinking. Good plan. Don't worry, dwarf. This time, we fight on our terms. I'm not going blundering through the night. If you want to take these bastards out, you need to lead them to me. Maybe the bird can help.
Well, we'd better get ready to go. He turns back to Burdan: You gonna lead us up there? Or skulk around here smoking like a waste of space.
Burdan tilts his head back, surveying Brask after the insult. He slowly smiles. "Yeah, I'll lead you up there. Wouldn't want you turning an ankle on a little stone."
He grabs a small satchel from behind the tree and tucks his pipe into one of the pockets. "If you're all ready to head out, I'm going to grab some food and water. Meet you back here in five." Burdan heads off down the road, and you see him turn off and head toward what you assume is his house. He's back before the five minutes is up, sporting a water skin and carrying a bundle of arrows.
You all set off up the eastern road, back toward the mountains. About halfway there, Burdan veers off the road and into the woods to the south. It's a beautiful patch of woods, you notice, filled with huge pines and lush mosses. When you emerge at the base of the mountains, slightly south of where you last left them, a chill returns to the air. The sun is shining and feels nice, but you've been going uphill for a few hours and it feels like it. By now it's mid-afternoon, and Burdan insists you get as high as possible before nightfall, ensuring the best vantage point to spot any fires or movement from above.
After another three or four hours climbing up, you find a very small stand of short pines that Burdan surveys for a moment. "This will do. We can set up camp in the trees - they help at least a little with the nighttime temperatures up here." You venture in, and Burdan sits on some roots and starts to snack on some dried fruit. The sun's last rays disappear under the trees to your west, and it gets dark rather quickly.
Everyone, roll investigation checks as you search for any signs of a camp or movement.
DM - Above & Below
Effort is winded from the long hike, and even the eye candy of following behind Burdan for most of it isn't enough to make up for her foul mood.
"There'd better be something to kill in these woods tonight, or I'm going to lose my mind," she mutters under her breath with a fierce scowl. "This hiking business is bullsh--"
Master, do you wish me to scout? Cadmael cuts in with excellent timing, swooping onto her arm.
"Go on and look for some campfires from above," Effort commands him, sending him back into the sky. She then turns to the wilderness and surveys it with her teeth bared, searching for any sign of activity in the dark forest.
Cadmael Stealth: 17
Cadmael Perception: 23
Effort Investigation: 18 + Guidance: 2
Investigation: 9
Brask's Investigation: 6.
Brask has been enjoying the exercise, and the fresh cool air - much better than being down in a stinking dwarf mine. We definitely have tents, he says to the scout, somewhat incongruously. You know, for camping. Hey, thanks for coming with us. I thought you might be some snivelling coward who'd got spooked and run away, but I guess not. Good to have you along.
Burdan investigation: 5
It slowly gets darker and darker, and eventually the only thing you can see is the starry night sky and some torch lights from the now distant village. By now all of the sun's light has vanished, and the moon is hidden by clouds. You wait.
A faint flicker catches Effort's eye. She tries to focus as Cadmael instinctively sails up and toward the source. As her eyes adjust, Effort is confident it's a campfire. This could be them. There are two or three figures moving near the fire...might be more, but the light is so intense...
Effort gets everyone's attention and gets them to focus on the fire. Brask is staring in the exact opposite direction, but eventually turns around. Burdan indicates you should move out, and you start making your way upslope and toward the camp. It looks to be only a mile or so away. After about thirty minutes of carefully moving through the stony landscape, Burdan turns and points a finger to his lips. You're only a few hundred feet away at this point, and you can see movement around the edge of the campfire's light.
Everyone, roll a stealth check as you approach (or let me know what else you do).
OOC: Brask definitely would have rolled with disadvantage had he not washed that skunk out of his fur. :)
DM - Above & Below
Effort murmurs softly under her breath, using thaumaturgy to create rumbling thunder overhead near the camp. Hopefully the noise will be enough to distract the figures within, so that the others will have some advantage to their attempts to be stealthy.
For herself, she murmurs another incantation of guidance before trying to move as quietly as possible:
Stealth: 13 with advantage? 20 and with Guidance: 1
(I'm assuming Cadmael's stealth is still 17 as before)
Range on thaumaturgy is only 30 feet - are you waiting until you're close to cast it as thunder? Or casting it from further away from the camp (which will make the the thunder sound like it's in your direction)?
DM - Above & Below
hmm... can I cast it closer to the camp, and Cadmael help Effort hide instead to keep advantage on my roll? (sorry, I thought we were that close already)
Stealth: 3
"Quick, quiet, and clean if we can... Well... Cleanish."
Brask moves as quietly as his chain mail armour will allow: 15