Rise of Tiamat (2021-22)

Tangle will, of course, relate what she has discovered. “There is a traitor among them, or at the least we have been lied to.”

I expect not, but is there anything identifiable about the lone individual’s tracks (a rare Halaster edition of  the 1492 elven high top with a fireball worked into the sole) ? Or can Tangle try to track them all the way back to their doorstep? (These both seem like long shots.)

”We could return, and interrogate the elves. Or we could lie in wait, ambush them should they return. They have been meeting regularly.”

Tangle can try to track them all the way back, if you like. That would be a fresh Survival check.

How long until nightfall?

edit: and how long did it take us to get here from the village?

Jalt will move up to Tangle and try to Help trying to track the footsteps by touching the Staff of Healing and casting Light on it to make the area brighter

It took about a half hour, a little longer perhaps, to reach where you are from the village.

It's late afternoon, perhaps two hours before sunset, though with the mist and the trees above it's already dim light; Jalt's spell helps with that.

Tangle is up for trying to track the lone humanoid back to the village, with Jalt's Help. Hopefully if it turns up nothing, the group can return in time to ambush a possible meeting.

Survival (with Help): 22

Tangle, you lead the group slowly back along the route to the village; the lone set of footprints takes a slightly different path to the one you followed before of the main fleeing Dragon Cult group, and your trip back takes time and care. However, you find the footprints headed into the village, and towards the lift that leads to the upper village on the platforms above, and then the trail gets lost amid the multitude of footprints of the villagers coming and going.  You cannot tell any further than that.  It's now less than an hour before full sunset.

Soar suggests going out to the area they discovered where the dragon returned, and the individual from town comes all the time, and for everyone to lie in wait in hiding (perhaps Tangle close enough to hear/see and the rest farther back to not risk being sensed) to find out just what the heck is going on…

Tangle thinks this is a good plan, and will accompany the others back to the clearing, ready to set up an ambush.

You do so. You find a hiding spot, cover your tracks as best you can, and settle down to wait.

I need a Stealth check from everyone. If you're hiding close enough to see/hear the clearing, make a normal check. If you're hiding further back and away from the likely path your quarry might take, you can roll with advantage.

Tangle, if you want to try to obscure your own tracks, make a Survival check.

Anything else you are all doing to prepare this ambush?

Jalt Stealth as he will not be anywhere close to the clearing: 15

Tangle will try to cover our tracks (though hopes the muddled extant tracks will not make anyone think to look for new ones).

Survival: 15 

She will be closer, that she might hear and hopefully see what goes on, but is respectful of both the size and perceptiveness of dragons, at least in legend. If anyone wants to be close, too, she will do her best to Help them hide themselves (if the DM allows), then she will hide herself, short bow out and an arrow loosely nocked.

Stealth: 30 

(Son of a...! I got "Dice rolls not yet available for this section" for both rolls. Grr. I will edit the post and save it and see what happens.)

(Well, that fixed the problem, though I might suggest that rolling a 1 is also a problem, but whatever. :)

I will make note that Jalt is wearing the Black Dragon  Mask... so he would have dark vision and dragon sight available to him. 

Soar stays back, after trying to help Tangle cover their tracks (doing literally anything the skilled eladrin says to do) if that is an option.

She tries to stay low and still for a long time, behind a tree. 

Stealth: 20

Bazavur hangs back with Jalt: Stealth 14

You wait an hour, then another, and nothing. Tangle, you begin to think back on your efforts to hide your tracks - were you as successful as you hoped? You're suddenly not sure.

There's a sound nearby, a twig snapping, then a footstep. You can all hear it, but only Tangle sees the cloaked figure emerge into the clearing, hood up, moving quietly but with a sense of urgency. Tangle, you are close enough, and perceptive enough, to recognise the face of Galin, the Warden to Altand. He stops in the centre of the space, looking around - his movements suggest he is somewhat jumpy.

The rest of you don't see this, of course.

25

Tangle holds as still as possible.

Tangle has excellent perception, so she hears the approach before Galin sees or hears; the movement of the wind, the sudden shock of green - as a dragon lands in the middle of the clearing. It's surprisingly quiet for such a large creature, but it lands very close to the Warden of Altand, enough to send him jumping back, falling - or being knocked by the rush of wind - onto his back.  Above him, the adult green dragon is a ferocious looking creature, and on its back, an elf wearing green and purple armour. Tangle, the scene is impressive - or terrifying - and for a moment the newcomers seem content to regard the prone Galin, before the dragonrider speaks:

Stand up, Galin.

The rest of you would have heard the thump as the dragon landed, and also the spoken words.