When Gralk casts dancing lights inside Robwin’s little moving water sculpture, he’s a little taken aback, but he tries not to let it show too much. He’ll just continue to play with her for as long as she seems to enjoy it...
There’s a reason that most wizards work alone: the combining of magical effects can often take much planning and choreography, and normally needs extended rituals.
When two mages’ spells intersect, both are using the same strands of weave but for separate purposes.
In the Academy, students would ‘play’ at combining effects like this, and they’d get used to the clumsy ‘sorry, excuse me’ dance of manipulating a thread needed by the other person. Robwin felt none of this with Gralk...
For her to cast dancing lights inside his spell like that would be equivalent to someone throwing a handful of rice onto a dragon-chess board, and somehow manipulating every grain to miss all the white squares at the same time!
Gralk managed to cast through his spell without ‘bumping’ Robwin in the slightest. Not only that, through a moving spell... And not one that was a regular shape...
There is perhaps a talent there that Gralk isn’t really fully aware of...
Robwin can’t help thinking about that, on and off, for most of the rest of the day. Who was this little goblin?!
Robwin: Throughout the day when you notice short conversations between Gralk and the other two, it is fairly mundane but vigilant. "No danger. You, okay.", "You use this, yes? No clan here.", "Bear track south; not danger. You tired?", "That one tall as you. Here bug." Gralk's response is usually, "Thank you, Mother." Or "Thank you, Brother." with some variation of "I'm well."
The few comments about TT she doesn't reply to from Glufs and she tells Gaatbort some version of "stop it". It's hard to tell exactly what the teasing means with only a literal understanding of the language and only the response gives a hint to it being something other than observation.
About an hour before twilight as the sun is setting, everyone four foot five and taller, notices a large wagon with two large ox grazing about half a mile south of the Triboar Trail. It is about three miles west of the party. It will take another hour to reach it for the horse and cart. About half an hour for 30ft movement folks to jog to it.
Ikki at this point a perception roll with advantage will allow you to get a good look at it and it's surroundings (DC 15 sun is setting in the west).
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
In the morning, Ikki does not partake of the food foraged by the goblins, but he eats his own nearby so that he may continue to observe the creatures with his red-brown eyes.
Once again, he takes to the skies as they travel to help keep watch over the party. When he sees the wagon, he decides to keep silent until he can get a better view, remembering the mistake of the day before and his haste to arms when no attack appeared to be necessary. He's still not sure how much trust to instill in the goblins, but he doesn't want to fight with the rest of the party, so he is willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Perception at advantage: 16
With what he garners from the closer inspection, he swoops down to relay the information to the rest.
Ikki: The wagon appears to be fully loaded. There are long black arrows sticking out of it from every wall. The Ox appear to be fine but their rigging looks odd. There doesn't appear to be anything to disturb them and that is all you can decern from this distance.
Glufs will say, "Bad place ambush. No good hide. Trees open; far apart. Grass too low. Hills too far. Forest too far. Black arrows is Gragmaw arrows; maybe. We small; could hide in cart; arrows bad! Wagon far; take time to get to."
Ikki bobs up and down about five feet off the ground, his green and white wings beating at just the right speed for hovering. Everyone's hair is blowing rhythmically as the wind is stirred with each downward push. He turns from looking toward the wagon. "I *click* fly faster than walk. I fly ahead and *click* look. Stay *click* safe distance." He says all of this as a statement, but looks around at the party (mostly ignoring the goblins) to see if they agree.
When Ikki relays the information about the wagon, Robwin says to the party, “Do you think that’s Barthen’s last shipment?..... Strange that all the cargo would not have been stolen. Hmm... Any sign of the crew that were attacked?”.
When the goblins chip in with their extra information, he’ll add, “Cragmaw goblins?... Two oxen, crates and boxes? This must be the shipment, no?!”.
((From how far we’ve walked, and where we’ve ended up, is this the expected ambush sight?? Or are we still a ways off that? Thanks))
(OOC - from memory the ambush site was on the other side of the Phandalin, the opposite direction to our travel to the ranch. Though, the goblins could have commandeered the cart to take the supplies.)
((That’s what I/Robwin thought too. Robwin might have thought that the oxen could have just been wandering without anyone to lead them for 5 days. Hmmm intriguing!...))
(( OOC: You are correct the ambush site reported is at least a days travel west of the crossroads. The opposite direction from the ranch. ))
(( OOC: In the meta verse, the @DM rolled every in game day to see if the Ox moved, if the wagon was looted and if Barthen managed to get help in town. Yes, I am that type. All I can say is those are some seriously lucky Ox and Barthen thinks far less of the able-bodied ruffians in Phandalin than he did before your party left town. ))
Robwin will first be impressed by Ikki’s skill and precision at hovering, and then he’ll agree with him, that scouting ahead with us following behind sounds like a decent plan!...
Robwin will first be impressed by Ikki’s skill and precision at hovering, and then he’ll agree with him, that scouting ahead with us following behind sounds like a decent plan!...
((also: @DM... that is some next level DMing!))
(( That's my hyperactive imagination always asking "What about..." LOL! But thanks! ))
"No the goblins are right about this," Wolfsong pipes up for the first time that day, having kept mostly to himself while watching the goblins with a suspicious eye. "It is a poor spot for an ambush, but that does not mean the cart itself is not trapped."
Wolfsong turns to Ikki, "Scouting ahead is a good plan, but see if there is something you can do to either stop or even just slow the oxen to give us more time to catch up."
The goblins start surging forward often taking on a three and four limb gallop.
Eli says, "Yeah that makes sense. (Honest tone this time.) We can move shields first if it will help in case of a trap. We can the most of us pick up a pace and tie the horse or one stay a little farther back while keeping it moving." (Clearly not aware that everyone else has already started moving.)
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When Gralk casts dancing lights inside Robwin’s little moving water sculpture, he’s a little taken aback, but he tries not to let it show too much. He’ll just continue to play with her for as long as she seems to enjoy it...
There’s a reason that most wizards work alone: the combining of magical effects can often take much planning and choreography, and normally needs extended rituals.
When two mages’ spells intersect, both are using the same strands of weave but for separate purposes.
In the Academy, students would ‘play’ at combining effects like this, and they’d get used to the clumsy ‘sorry, excuse me’ dance of manipulating a thread needed by the other person. Robwin felt none of this with Gralk...
For her to cast dancing lights inside his spell like that would be equivalent to someone throwing a handful of rice onto a dragon-chess board, and somehow manipulating every grain to miss all the white squares at the same time!
Gralk managed to cast through his spell without ‘bumping’ Robwin in the slightest. Not only that, through a moving spell... And not one that was a regular shape...
There is perhaps a talent there that Gralk isn’t really fully aware of...
Robwin can’t help thinking about that, on and off, for most of the rest of the day. Who was this little goblin?!
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Robwin: Throughout the day when you notice short conversations between Gralk and the other two, it is fairly mundane but vigilant. "No danger. You, okay.", "You use this, yes? No clan here.", "Bear track south; not danger. You tired?", "That one tall as you. Here bug." Gralk's response is usually, "Thank you, Mother." Or "Thank you, Brother." with some variation of "I'm well."
The few comments about TT she doesn't reply to from Glufs and she tells Gaatbort some version of "stop it". It's hard to tell exactly what the teasing means with only a literal understanding of the language and only the response gives a hint to it being something other than observation.
About an hour before twilight as the sun is setting, everyone four foot five and taller, notices a large wagon with two large ox grazing about half a mile south of the Triboar Trail. It is about three miles west of the party. It will take another hour to reach it for the horse and cart. About half an hour for 30ft movement folks to jog to it.
Ikki at this point a perception roll with advantage will allow you to get a good look at it and it's surroundings (DC 15 sun is setting in the west).
In the morning, Ikki does not partake of the food foraged by the goblins, but he eats his own nearby so that he may continue to observe the creatures with his red-brown eyes.
Once again, he takes to the skies as they travel to help keep watch over the party. When he sees the wagon, he decides to keep silent until he can get a better view, remembering the mistake of the day before and his haste to arms when no attack appeared to be necessary. He's still not sure how much trust to instill in the goblins, but he doesn't want to fight with the rest of the party, so he is willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Perception at advantage: 16
With what he garners from the closer inspection, he swoops down to relay the information to the rest.
Ikki: The wagon appears to be fully loaded. There are long black arrows sticking out of it from every wall. The Ox appear to be fine but their rigging looks odd. There doesn't appear to be anything to disturb them and that is all you can decern from this distance.
(( OOC: If you into it, Happy Thanksgiving! ))
Ikki swoops down and relays the information, stressing the presence of the arrows. He clicks his beak twice before asking, "Ambush?"
Glufs will say, "Bad place ambush. No good hide. Trees open; far apart. Grass too low. Hills too far. Forest too far. Black arrows is Gragmaw arrows; maybe. We small; could hide in cart; arrows bad! Wagon far; take time to get to."
Gralk and Gaatbort nod.
Eli sarcastically says, "Well that's useful."
Glufs, Gralk and Blaire glare at him.
Gaatbort nods.
"I'm s&#$ at long distances. Haven't a spyglass either. Anyone a useful suggestion?"
(( I am assuming the party is still moving but at a slower pace at the moment. Let me know if that works. ))
Ikki bobs up and down about five feet off the ground, his green and white wings beating at just the right speed for hovering. Everyone's hair is blowing rhythmically as the wind is stirred with each downward push. He turns from looking toward the wagon. "I *click* fly faster than walk. I fly ahead and *click* look. Stay *click* safe distance." He says all of this as a statement, but looks around at the party (mostly ignoring the goblins) to see if they agree.
((still moving but at a slower pace sounds fine))
When Ikki relays the information about the wagon, Robwin says to the party, “Do you think that’s Barthen’s last shipment?..... Strange that all the cargo would not have been stolen. Hmm... Any sign of the crew that were attacked?”.
When the goblins chip in with their extra information, he’ll add, “Cragmaw goblins?... Two oxen, crates and boxes? This must be the shipment, no?!”.
((From how far we’ve walked, and where we’ve ended up, is this the expected ambush sight?? Or are we still a ways off that? Thanks))
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
(OOC - from memory the ambush site was on the other side of the Phandalin, the opposite direction to our travel to the ranch. Though, the goblins could have commandeered the cart to take the supplies.)
((That’s what I/Robwin thought too. Robwin might have thought that the oxen could have just been wandering without anyone to lead them for 5 days. Hmmm intriguing!...))
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
(( OOC: You are correct the ambush site reported is at least a days travel west of the crossroads. The opposite direction from the ranch. ))
(( OOC: In the meta verse, the @DM rolled every in game day to see if the Ox moved, if the wagon was looted and if Barthen managed to get help in town. Yes, I am that type. All I can say is those are some seriously lucky Ox and Barthen thinks far less of the able-bodied ruffians in Phandalin than he did before your party left town. ))
((Sorry, forgot this from my earlier post))
Robwin will first be impressed by Ikki’s skill and precision at hovering, and then he’ll agree with him, that scouting ahead with us following behind sounds like a decent plan!...
((also: @DM... that is some next level DMing!))
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
(( That's my hyperactive imagination always asking "What about..." LOL! But thanks! ))
"No the goblins are right about this," Wolfsong pipes up for the first time that day, having kept mostly to himself while watching the goblins with a suspicious eye. "It is a poor spot for an ambush, but that does not mean the cart itself is not trapped."
Wolfsong turns to Ikki, "Scouting ahead is a good plan, but see if there is something you can do to either stop or even just slow the oxen to give us more time to catch up."
(( The Oxen aren't currently moving much. Just slowly grazing. ))
As soon as the party starts moving into action.
Blaire nods and starts picking up her pace.
The goblins start surging forward often taking on a three and four limb gallop.
Eli says, "Yeah that makes sense. (Honest tone this time.) We can move shields first if it will help in case of a trap. We can the most of us pick up a pace and tie the horse or one stay a little farther back while keeping it moving." (Clearly not aware that everyone else has already started moving.)