"The Wicker Goat it is, then. Sound the horn if we get attacked and I'll come running," offers Gerrard. He goes back to his room at the 'Goat, but keeps his light armor on and rapier ready to grab at a moment's notice.
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Dwal
Dwal will head back to his quarters after he helps the other priests with their tasks. He will clean up, feed Bjorn if he needs it then sit down and start looking over the parchments the party liberated from the abandoned dwarven compound. He will do so till he falls asleep, or finds something interesting.
Back in his warm quarters in dry clothes, Dwal sifts through the dusty, crumbling fragments. It's mostly old history – about the great dwarf smith Durgeddin the Black and how his clan was driven from their home by a horde of fierce orcs and trolls. It's fragmentary, and mostly pretty boring. Saltmarsh does appear in it briefly as a disused dwarven coastal outpost which had been recently settled by human squatters. There is reference to the vast Hool Marshes to the west of Saltmarsh, full of tall, sickly trees and great swarms of biting insects, and to the Drowned Forest, full of strange mushrooms and fungus.
There's mention of Warthalkeel, an ancient settlement said to have been built on a seaside cliff some distance to the west. The crumbling pages repeat an old fable claiming that people there worshiped a kraken named Vaalastroth. The kraken would visit the town once every decade, giving orders and taking treasure as tribute from the people before descending into the deep to slumber. A priest of Procan visited Warthalkeel and persuaded the people to worship the god of the sea. When Vaalastroth next returned, the kraken was furious at the people’s betrayal. Vaalastroth broke the cliff beneath Warthalkeel, sending the town into the water. It's said that Warthalkeel still exists as seaweed-cloaked ruins under the cold sea.
Durgeddin's first fortress was within a great forest to the east, which after the orc invasion became known as the Dreadwood, a place where the planar bindings between Oerth and the Shadowfell had become thin. Undead creatures, and villainous monsters tapping into the essence of the Shadowfell, began to infest the forest. The pages claim that its innermost reaches mingle with the dark realm. One of the Dreadwood’s most powerful denizens, and perhaps the force behind the Dwarven empire's first fall, is an ancient hag the pages name as Nightshade.
After sorting out all this, Dwal will sit back and take some time to reflect on this information. He will make a few notes in his journal then tuck it away amongst his coat. "That things become a treasure trove to me," he says about the journal.
With that, Dwal will take his nightly tonic and lay down for some sleep. "me an the lads are gonna have a lot of work ahead of us." he says as he falls asleep.
The party sleeps fitfully, but without incident. (Successful long rest.)
Dawn begins to break. Lankus knocks politely on your doors at the Goat to inform you that an imminent raid is being prepared if they wish to participate. He adds that the night passed peacefully with no signs of the attackers.
Dwal wakes and does his daily morning routine. He will take the time to pet and makeover Bjorn, telling Bjorn 'What a good Dragon you are." in draconic. Dwal will then dress, boots, leggings, shirt, vest, and overcoat. He will then make his way to the Goat to breakfast with the party.
Gnolls. Notoriously stupid creatures that had a tendency to attack weaker looking foes. Why didn't they attack overnight? The question sits uncomfortably in Kei's mind. "I think there may be more to these gnolls than meets the eye" he raises his concerns to the group as they grab some breakfast, albeit only hard tack, from the bar while exiting the Goat. "Exercise caution today friends, I have a bad feeling".
Kei walks the streets of Saltmarsh brandishing his shortbow, hoping the extra range of his weapon can provide some form of buffer between himself and the dogheaded raiders. His stride is one of conviction. Quite unusual for the fortune driven adventurer. His short time in the group giving him a sense of comradery that he hadn't felt before.
Farbern is gathering a strike force just outside the Wicker Goat, at the crossroads in front of the barracks. You can see the string of volunteer watchers still deployed at intervals along the western wall, their smoky torches still sputtering in the cold early dawn light. The strike force, gathered in a crowd on the street, is not impressive - a lot of teenagers, out-of-shape fishermen, and skinny old men.
Farbern gestures you to join their planning meeting. He's pleased to have your help, although he doesn't want to complicate your lizardfolk mission in any way. He's fully expecting you to depart before noon on your information-gathering job. But this morning, he welcomes your assistance.
He's worked out the location he believes the gnolls may be entrenched - a ring of earthen mounds about a half mile west of town known as Devil's Den. It's quite close to the bay, in the moors behind the cliffs overlooking the cold sea.
He's dividing his force into two squads of about a dozen fighters, which will encircle Devil's Den from two sides. His jailer, Kraddok Stonehorn, will lead the main offensive force, circling around and approaching their target from the west. He invites you to join the defensive team, which will stop the gnolls from escaping to the east, toward town. He also has a naval ship stationed offshore, ready to attack with ballistas if they try to climb down the cliffs toward the beach.
Dwal walks up to the Goat expecting a light morning meal and conversation. He is shocked upon seeing the crowd and moves to become part of it and listen to what is going on. When he finds out about Knolls and this war party he regrets putting on his armor today.
"I ain't ready for no blasted war." Dwal mutters as he takes up his place. "let alone dressed fer one."
With that, armed with only his walking stick and his magic, Dwal will take his place among the humans.
Wearing his traveling leathers, Gerrard brings out the Mariner’s Scale and hands it to Dwal, saying, “My apologies for not informing you last night of this incursion, Master Fiercehammer. Please, gird yourself for the upcoming battle.”
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Peri comes down to the common room looking more put-together than he has in days. He, at least, must have slept well. Disappointed to find only cold biscuit, he grabs a few and makes his way out to the muster point. He doesn't see why Kei would be so concerned over some hungry, desperate gnolls, but if he had a bad premonition Peri is enough of a superstitious sailor to take it seriously.
Seeing the "troops" arrayed outside the Tower, he thinks maybe they'd be better off hitting the gnoll camp alone, quick and quiet. But he supposes the townsfolk have some need for revenge, so they'll do it Farbern's way. He is a little impressed with the commander of the guards, in spite of his previous disappointment; the man seemed to have a sound plan and he'd kept his group of volunteers from turning into a disorganized - "grabasstic" his pa would say - mob. "Master Stonehorn, we will be the anvil to your hammer. Good hunting," he hears, and nods, impressed by the young nobleman's tactical expertise. "I suppose, if we're to be the 'anvil'," he says, pleased with himself for so casually dropping his newly-learned military jargon, "we ought to try to get into position stealthily. After all, a rabbit's not gonna run through a snare he can see." Well, he'd mixed his metaphors a bit, but he reckons he got his point across. Not his fault he didn't have the noble's silver tongue.
Stonehorn departs first with his group, north through the city gate. They intend to advance in a wide arc around the their target, and approach along the cliffs from the west.
Farbern instructs the second group - your group - to wait thirty minutes before advancing. Farbern assigns leadership of this group to your innkeeper, Lankus, who appears in an antique chain shirt, carrying a royally-emblazoned shield and a well-worn spear. The rest of your crew, all human, includes five guards wearing the green leaf of Saltmarsh - none under the age of fifty by the looks of them. One has a chain shirt and wields a heavy crossbow, the others wear leather and carry spears. Rounding out your crack crew is an old man with a big knife, and a pair of baton-wielding teenaged sisters who are missing most of their teeth. You get the feeling that Stonehorn's group has the more effective fighters among them. Nevertheless your group is gung-ho, itching to take on the gnolls.
In thirty minutes, Farbern explains, Lankus will lead your group over the western wall near the cliff, and you will quietly proceed through the scrub-filled moors to Devil's Den.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Gerrard:
Grabbing a spare crossbow and quiver of bolts, Gerrard looks to Lankus and says, "Lead on, Master Lankus. While I am more used to fencing, I should be able to help with ranged attacks as well. Just let me know where you need me."
Stealth Check if needed: 23
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Peri keeps close to his companions. While he would like to see all of the militia make it home safely, his primary loyalty lies with Dwal and Gerrard, and now with the odd new member of their crew, Kei. He does offer to go ahead with any scouts Lankus decides to deploy. "I don't much about trackin', but I can move quick and quiet and provide some security if your scouts get into trouble."
"I can move quietly also Lankus. And my friend here"holding his arm aloft for Trill to perch on " has better sight than you and I put together. I'll send him ahead. It'll only be 80ft or so, but his keen eyes might just prevent us from walking into an ambush". He thrusts his arm upward, releasing Trill to fly high above them. "Be my eyes little friend."
Thirty minutes pass impatiently in the cold dawn air. The group finally heads out, clambering over the ancient crumbling wall through a collapsed section - quite likely the same section that the gnoll attackers entered through.
The scrubby moor is a wasteland of low stunted trees, prickly leafless scrub, boulders and hummocks. The ground is covered in dead leaves. The soil is mostly sand; worthless to farmers. It is unfrequented, and no paths exist other than some thin, meandering game trails that loop randomly and are easy to lose. Not too far from the cliffs you're walking parallel to, you get a few glimpses of the bay beyond, which leads to the main body of the Kingfisher River. (To get to the Lizardfolk lair on foot, you'll need to cross this river, unless you choose to sail there.)
There's no point in stealth, unless a few of you choose to scout ahead. The thirteen of you crunching your way through the brambles makes quite a racket, not even including the profanity.
No sign of any gnolls - or anything else - as you proceed toward Devil's Den, your rendezvous point with the other group.
Kei's sharp-eyed owl companion spots Devil's Den several hundred yards ahead, on the edge of the rolling cliffs overlooking the bay. The faithful bird sees evidence of activity there, broken branches and footprints. No gnolls. The low, thick cover, however, hides much. But Trill spies something very disturbing – freshly torn human limbs on an exposed, blood-stained boulder just west of the Devil's Den area.
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Gerrard:
"The Wicker Goat it is, then. Sound the horn if we get attacked and I'll come running," offers Gerrard. He goes back to his room at the 'Goat, but keeps his light armor on and rapier ready to grab at a moment's notice.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Dwal
Dwal will head back to his quarters after he helps the other priests with their tasks. He will clean up, feed Bjorn if he needs it then sit down and start looking over the parchments the party liberated from the abandoned dwarven compound. He will do so till he falls asleep, or finds something interesting.
Investigation: 20
Back in his warm quarters in dry clothes, Dwal sifts through the dusty, crumbling fragments. It's mostly old history – about the great dwarf smith Durgeddin the Black and how his clan was driven from their home by a horde of fierce orcs and trolls. It's fragmentary, and mostly pretty boring. Saltmarsh does appear in it briefly as a disused dwarven coastal outpost which had been recently settled by human squatters. There is reference to the vast Hool Marshes to the west of Saltmarsh, full of tall, sickly trees and great swarms of biting insects, and to the Drowned Forest, full of strange mushrooms and fungus.
There's mention of Warthalkeel, an ancient settlement said to have been built on a seaside cliff some distance to the west. The crumbling pages repeat an old fable claiming that people there worshiped a kraken named Vaalastroth. The kraken would visit the town once every decade, giving orders and taking treasure as tribute from the people before descending into the deep to slumber. A priest of Procan visited Warthalkeel and persuaded the people to worship the god of the sea. When Vaalastroth next returned, the kraken was furious at the people’s betrayal. Vaalastroth broke the cliff beneath Warthalkeel, sending the town into the water. It's said that Warthalkeel still exists as seaweed-cloaked ruins under the cold sea.
Durgeddin's first fortress was within a great forest to the east, which after the orc invasion became known as the Dreadwood, a place where the planar bindings between Oerth and the Shadowfell had become thin. Undead creatures, and villainous monsters tapping into the essence of the Shadowfell, began to infest the forest. The pages claim that its innermost reaches mingle with the dark realm. One of the Dreadwood’s most powerful denizens, and perhaps the force behind the Dwarven empire's first fall, is an ancient hag the pages name as Nightshade.
Dwal
After sorting out all this, Dwal will sit back and take some time to reflect on this information. He will make a few notes in his journal then tuck it away amongst his coat. "That things become a treasure trove to me," he says about the journal.
With that, Dwal will take his nightly tonic and lay down for some sleep. "me an the lads are gonna have a lot of work ahead of us." he says as he falls asleep.
The party sleeps fitfully, but without incident. (Successful long rest.)
Dawn begins to break. Lankus knocks politely on your doors at the Goat to inform you that an imminent raid is being prepared if they wish to participate. He adds that the night passed peacefully with no signs of the attackers.
Gerrard:
Getting ready, Gerrard asks, “Are we missing someone? Right! Could someone send word to Master Fiercehammer?”
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Dwal
Dwal wakes and does his daily morning routine. He will take the time to pet and makeover Bjorn, telling Bjorn 'What a good Dragon you are." in draconic. Dwal will then dress, boots, leggings, shirt, vest, and overcoat. He will then make his way to the Goat to breakfast with the party.
Kei
Gnolls. Notoriously stupid creatures that had a tendency to attack weaker looking foes. Why didn't they attack overnight? The question sits uncomfortably in Kei's mind. "I think there may be more to these gnolls than meets the eye" he raises his concerns to the group as they grab some breakfast, albeit only hard tack, from the bar while exiting the Goat. "Exercise caution today friends, I have a bad feeling".
Kei walks the streets of Saltmarsh brandishing his shortbow, hoping the extra range of his weapon can provide some form of buffer between himself and the dogheaded raiders. His stride is one of conviction. Quite unusual for the fortune driven adventurer. His short time in the group giving him a sense of comradery that he hadn't felt before.
Farbern is gathering a strike force just outside the Wicker Goat, at the crossroads in front of the barracks. You can see the string of volunteer watchers still deployed at intervals along the western wall, their smoky torches still sputtering in the cold early dawn light. The strike force, gathered in a crowd on the street, is not impressive - a lot of teenagers, out-of-shape fishermen, and skinny old men.
Farbern gestures you to join their planning meeting. He's pleased to have your help, although he doesn't want to complicate your lizardfolk mission in any way. He's fully expecting you to depart before noon on your information-gathering job. But this morning, he welcomes your assistance.
He's worked out the location he believes the gnolls may be entrenched - a ring of earthen mounds about a half mile west of town known as Devil's Den. It's quite close to the bay, in the moors behind the cliffs overlooking the cold sea.
He's dividing his force into two squads of about a dozen fighters, which will encircle Devil's Den from two sides. His jailer, Kraddok Stonehorn, will lead the main offensive force, circling around and approaching their target from the west. He invites you to join the defensive team, which will stop the gnolls from escaping to the east, toward town. He also has a naval ship stationed offshore, ready to attack with ballistas if they try to climb down the cliffs toward the beach.
Gerrard:
"Master Stonehorn, we will be the anvil to your hammer. Good hunting," says Gerrard, taking up his position.
"At least I've read that's how the military maneuver works," thinks the young noble, hoping he isn't out of his depth here.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Dwal
Dwal walks up to the Goat expecting a light morning meal and conversation. He is shocked upon seeing the crowd and moves to become part of it and listen to what is going on. When he finds out about Knolls and this war party he regrets putting on his armor today.
"I ain't ready for no blasted war." Dwal mutters as he takes up his place. "let alone dressed fer one."
With that, armed with only his walking stick and his magic, Dwal will take his place among the humans.
Gerrard:
Wearing his traveling leathers, Gerrard brings out the Mariner’s Scale and hands it to Dwal, saying, “My apologies for not informing you last night of this incursion, Master Fiercehammer. Please, gird yourself for the upcoming battle.”
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Peri:
Peri comes down to the common room looking more put-together than he has in days. He, at least, must have slept well. Disappointed to find only cold biscuit, he grabs a few and makes his way out to the muster point. He doesn't see why Kei would be so concerned over some hungry, desperate gnolls, but if he had a bad premonition Peri is enough of a superstitious sailor to take it seriously.
Seeing the "troops" arrayed outside the Tower, he thinks maybe they'd be better off hitting the gnoll camp alone, quick and quiet. But he supposes the townsfolk have some need for revenge, so they'll do it Farbern's way. He is a little impressed with the commander of the guards, in spite of his previous disappointment; the man seemed to have a sound plan and he'd kept his group of volunteers from turning into a disorganized - "grabasstic" his pa would say - mob. "Master Stonehorn, we will be the anvil to your hammer. Good hunting," he hears, and nods, impressed by the young nobleman's tactical expertise. "I suppose, if we're to be the 'anvil'," he says, pleased with himself for so casually dropping his newly-learned military jargon, "we ought to try to get into position stealthily. After all, a rabbit's not gonna run through a snare he can see." Well, he'd mixed his metaphors a bit, but he reckons he got his point across. Not his fault he didn't have the noble's silver tongue.
Stonehorn departs first with his group, north through the city gate. They intend to advance in a wide arc around the their target, and approach along the cliffs from the west.
Farbern instructs the second group - your group - to wait thirty minutes before advancing. Farbern assigns leadership of this group to your innkeeper, Lankus, who appears in an antique chain shirt, carrying a royally-emblazoned shield and a well-worn spear. The rest of your crew, all human, includes five guards wearing the green leaf of Saltmarsh - none under the age of fifty by the looks of them. One has a chain shirt and wields a heavy crossbow, the others wear leather and carry spears. Rounding out your crack crew is an old man with a big knife, and a pair of baton-wielding teenaged sisters who are missing most of their teeth. You get the feeling that Stonehorn's group has the more effective fighters among them. Nevertheless your group is gung-ho, itching to take on the gnolls.
In thirty minutes, Farbern explains, Lankus will lead your group over the western wall near the cliff, and you will quietly proceed through the scrub-filled moors to Devil's Den.
Gerrard:
Grabbing a spare crossbow and quiver of bolts, Gerrard looks to Lankus and says, "Lead on, Master Lankus. While I am more used to fencing, I should be able to help with ranged attacks as well. Just let me know where you need me."
Stealth Check if needed: 23
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Peri:
Peri keeps close to his companions. While he would like to see all of the militia make it home safely, his primary loyalty lies with Dwal and Gerrard, and now with the odd new member of their crew, Kei. He does offer to go ahead with any scouts Lankus decides to deploy. "I don't much about trackin', but I can move quick and quiet and provide some security if your scouts get into trouble."
Kei
"I can move quietly also Lankus. And my friend here" holding his arm aloft for Trill to perch on " has better sight than you and I put together. I'll send him ahead. It'll only be 80ft or so, but his keen eyes might just prevent us from walking into an ambush". He thrusts his arm upward, releasing Trill to fly high above them. "Be my eyes little friend."
(Roll a perception check for Trill.)
Thirty minutes pass impatiently in the cold dawn air. The group finally heads out, clambering over the ancient crumbling wall through a collapsed section - quite likely the same section that the gnoll attackers entered through.
The scrubby moor is a wasteland of low stunted trees, prickly leafless scrub, boulders and hummocks. The ground is covered in dead leaves. The soil is mostly sand; worthless to farmers. It is unfrequented, and no paths exist other than some thin, meandering game trails that loop randomly and are easy to lose. Not too far from the cliffs you're walking parallel to, you get a few glimpses of the bay beyond, which leads to the main body of the Kingfisher River. (To get to the Lizardfolk lair on foot, you'll need to cross this river, unless you choose to sail there.)
There's no point in stealth, unless a few of you choose to scout ahead. The thirteen of you crunching your way through the brambles makes quite a racket, not even including the profanity.
No sign of any gnolls - or anything else - as you proceed toward Devil's Den, your rendezvous point with the other group.
Trill
Perception Unable to parse dice roll.
Trying again 15
Kei's sharp-eyed owl companion spots Devil's Den several hundred yards ahead, on the edge of the rolling cliffs overlooking the bay. The faithful bird sees evidence of activity there, broken branches and footprints. No gnolls. The low, thick cover, however, hides much. But Trill spies something very disturbing – freshly torn human limbs on an exposed, blood-stained boulder just west of the Devil's Den area.