In the city of Neverwinter, a dwarf named Gundren Rockseeker asked you to bring a wagonload of provisions to the rough-and-tumble settlement of Phandalin, a couple of days’ travel southeast of the city. Gundren was clearly excited and more than a little secretive about his reasons for the trip, saying only that he and his brothers had found “something big,” and that he’d pay you ten gold pieces each for escorting his supplies safely to Barthen’s Provisions, a trading post in Phandalin. He then set out ahead of you on horse, along with a warrior escort named Sildar Hallwinter, claiming he needed to arrive early to “take care of business.”
You’ve spent the last few days following the High Road south from Neverwinter, and you’ve just recently veered east along the Triboar Trail. You’ve encountered no trouble so far, but this territory can be dangerous. Bandits and outlaws have been known to lurk along the trail.
You are all escorting a wagon of supplies pulled by two horses. The wagon is a flat bed cart with foot tall walls. A cargo net hold the supplies down. There is a seat up front where Orinoco drives the wagon, and lazing in the back among the supplies are Gueilia and Rob.
As you rounded a bend in the road, you came upon some sort of blockade as the surrounding ground rose steadily and the treeline closed in.
On your approach, you can see that the fallen beasts are 2 horses downed in the roadway. These horses are littered with arrows with black fletching. You both can tell that their saddlebags have been looted from the flaps that were left open. As you slow your approach, Gueilia advises caution. As she readies Thaumaturgy, you hear some rustling from the nearby bushes. Two arrows cut through the trees and leaves, one from the north side and one from the south of the roadway, moments later a loud peal of thunder erupts from the ground between your cart and the fallen horses. One of the arrows strikes Orinoco in the shoulder knocking her back and causing her to drop the reins, as you see the goblins duck back down into the bushes to take cover from the unexpected sound.
With the goblins still cowering in the underbrush, Orinoco takes a moment to heal herself, before starting the wagon moving forwards again. Rob jumps down from the wagon drawing his daggers as he runs dashing towards the southern goblin, whilst Gueilia readies her crossbow taking a bead on the bushes hiding the northern goblin. Rob arrives at his goblin who has thrown his bow to the ground, and narrowly dodging the rushed thrust of his rusty, chipped sword. The northern goblin pokes his head out from the bush, and as his bow starts to sweep round to take his shot, Gueilia's crossbow bolt lodges itself in the eye of the goblin who crumples to the ground dead. Orinoco lobs her axe towards the goblin engaged by Rob, and lands it firmly in a tree not a metre away from the goblin's head. Though slightly distracted, an exchange of blows between Rob and the remaining goblin sees neither able to score a hit, Gueilia casts Message and offers the goblin a choice, "Surrender or die!". The goblin realises it is not likely to survive this encounter otherwise, so throws down his sword and raises his hands in supplication. A moment of relaxation passes as another goblin emerges next to his felled brethren on the northern side, fires a bowshot at Orinoco which thuds through her leather armour and pierces her side; the goblin can then be seen to disappear further into the treeline.
The party decide not to give chase, and Rob ties up the captured goblin below Orinoco's axe.
((That was where we left the scene... Gueilia, do you want to venture over and collect your bolt now, or wait until the situation is stabilised and a bit more is known about the goblin band? Everyone else, what do you do?))
I think we should interrogate the captured Goblin, see how many of his gang might be lurking. Also I want to search him/her (female Goblins can be bandits too!) and check for weapons and loot etc
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
I agree with the interrogation. I'd like to ask "Why did you ambush us? What is it you thought we had? Was it random or targeted? Who gave the order!!!"
Intimidation: 15
I grab my axe from the tree, and as I pull it free I let the blade come very close to the goblin's face.
@Gueilia: You find nothing of notable worth, the crudely made shortsword and the badly balanced bow would earn you more laughs than coin with any trader worth their name, and 2 copper pieces (cp) stuffed in a very safe place. You might want to wash your hands.
As a general rule, looting of bodies will be minimal - no-one wants to deal with carrying around 12 goblin shortswords so you can sell them for 1 silver piece in town. I'll add some currency every few encounters to balance this up for you. As rolls are required, I'll ask for them to start with, or roll them for you to get people into the swing of things on here, but if you are clearly looking to use a skill/proficiency during dialogue or your action, including a roll can't hurt - I might use it, I might not.
@Orinoco: The goblin looks at you, no more scared than his former proximity to your axe had made him. His face goes a little blank at the barrage of questions, then in broken common, he replies "Boss order, watch road, bring gold. Not gang!"
I want to ask more questions, but after the last lot of broken garbage that tumbled from that goblins mouth I'm a little reluctant, it's obvious that the goblin is not frightened of me at all but I would still like to throw a couple of punches and rough him up a bit since he and his cronies had shot me twice!! I would also like to know where to find his boss and how many more of these dumb buffoons were hanging around.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Orinoco moves closer to the goblin, and sucker punches him in the stomach twice. The goblin strains against the rope holding him, as he tries to convince from the blow, but the rope holds true and the goblin is left gasping for breath. "Perhaps you misunderstood?" Orinoco punctuates her words with a further knee to the goblins gut, "Who...Do...You...Work...For?" The last is punctuated by Orinoco taking the goblin's ear in her hands, and using the grip to bash the goblin's head back against the tree trunk.
Intimidation: 11
Now realising that this meek, woodsy looking druid is somewhat less tender than she appears, the goblins barks out "Klarg... Boss is bugbear named Klarg! No hurt Nobbic! Nobbic answer wot you ask... Boss has boss calls himself King Grol, cos he sits in castle. Klarg Boss hides out in caves, we was 4 hands when Nobbic left cave. Nobbic sent to look for Dwarf, we find him before last moon. Sent him to castle, dwarf and stuffs, sent man to caves, followed orders. Then told wait here, then you's did arrive.
Hazzar walks to the side of Orinoco, and casually leaning his back against her leg, crossing his arms, and giving the goblin a sidelong glance, he asks "And where are these bosses now Nobbic?" Twirling a dagger in his hand, he adds "Which leads us onto where you came from goblin, and what you why you want us?"
Nobbic looks at Hazzar, not quite as scared of the halfling as the crazy druid. "I told you... boss is in caves, and big boss in castle far away. Nobbic woz sent from caves... we didn't want you, we wanted your gold!"
OUR gold!!!!, You want OUR gold?, Now hold on a blinking minute, who said it was OUR gold? Look Nobbic, I really would insist that if you want any chance of going back to your cave alive and in one piece, you better spill the beans on who exactly is " the big boss" and which castle he is currently residing in! Who is King Grol?! And what dwarf were you sent to find and where is he now?!!!! It appears that there's more to this than meets the eye
Nobbic looks at Orinico, seeming confusion on his face... "Rob people for gold... why else rob someone? You no gold, maybe something else." As Nobbic pauses, you can see him deflate a little before answering your other questions but grows more agitated as he answers each question, "Nobbic would eat beans, even if spilled, beans tastes nice! Nobbic not know more, Nobbic not told, heard things from others in cave. King Grol is Klarg's boss... not Nobbic's. I not know him. Castle too far, Nobbic never been there. The dwarf named Rocky or some stupid dwarf name. I tells you that!. DWARF... IN... CASTLE!" The little goblin seems visibly traumatised... the stress of his capture and interrogation looks to have overwhelmed him. He slumps against his bonds, apparently passed out.
I think that's all we're going to to get from beans-for-brains there... Let's press press on. Maybe someone in Phandalin will have heard of this King Grol
Ok, if you are finished with everything round here, I'll just need confirmation on a seating order in the cart.
If you want to be specifically on the lookout all the way to Phandalin, then roll a perception check for me, otherwise I'll use your passive scores, but you can be doing other things along the way (and won't be quite so tired). It is around 13:00 now, so you would expect to reach Phandalin in a few hours if there are no more incidents, being off the main highway and knowing this is a growing settlement, so the condition of the roads is probably somewhat lacking.
Are you leaving the dead horses in the middle of the road? Is Nobbic being left tied to the tree? Is there anything else you want to do before you set off?
I will resume my position in the driver's seat, after I have untied Nobbic with a stern warning that if he and his cronies decide to come after us, he won't be allowed to live next time and I will slay him myself (promise, not a threat).
Nobbic, takes a few slaps to rouse, but Orinoco has no qualms about dishing those out. After listening to her words, he runs off to the north, and is shortly lost to the cover of foliage and flora.
Orinoco takes her seat on the wagon as Guieila and Rob drag the horses out of the way enough so that the wagon can pass.
The wagon starts to move again, and Rob and Guieila hop up to the flat of the wagon and continue the ride.
After an hour or so on the road, the sun having crested it's zenith and is now lowering itself in the sky moving slowly toward the horizon, you see in the distance the figure of a lone individual sat off to the side of the road. As you slow the cart on your approach, cautious after the earlier ambush, the figure becomes more visible, and you can all make out a slender lone male, now risen from his seated position on a log. Though the day is warm, lunch has passed and dinner is some way off, he appears to have set a fire with a pot set over it. He waves you over and calls out a in a friendly tone "Ho there travelers, I have a nettle tea brewing if you would like to join me for some refreshment from the road?"
Mmmmmm I could just do a nice cup of nettle tea, can we trust this to not be another ambush??, We do have a lot of lost time to make up for.....but on the other hand we have already lost a lot of time, so what's another 20 minutes going to matter?
You are all escorting a wagon of supplies pulled by two horses. The wagon is a flat bed cart with foot tall walls. A cargo net hold the supplies down. There is a seat up front where Orinoco drives the wagon, and lazing in the back among the supplies are Gueilia and Rob.
As you rounded a bend in the road, you came upon some sort of blockade as the surrounding ground rose steadily and the treeline closed in.
On your approach, you can see that the fallen beasts are 2 horses downed in the roadway. These horses are littered with arrows with black fletching. You both can tell that their saddlebags have been looted from the flaps that were left open. As you slow your approach, Gueilia advises caution. As she readies Thaumaturgy, you hear some rustling from the nearby bushes. Two arrows cut through the trees and leaves, one from the north side and one from the south of the roadway, moments later a loud peal of thunder erupts from the ground between your cart and the fallen horses. One of the arrows strikes Orinoco in the shoulder knocking her back and causing her to drop the reins, as you see the goblins duck back down into the bushes to take cover from the unexpected sound.
With the goblins still cowering in the underbrush, Orinoco takes a moment to heal herself, before starting the wagon moving forwards again. Rob jumps down from the wagon drawing his daggers as he runs dashing towards the southern goblin, whilst Gueilia readies her crossbow taking a bead on the bushes hiding the northern goblin. Rob arrives at his goblin who has thrown his bow to the ground, and narrowly dodging the rushed thrust of his rusty, chipped sword. The northern goblin pokes his head out from the bush, and as his bow starts to sweep round to take his shot, Gueilia's crossbow bolt lodges itself in the eye of the goblin who crumples to the ground dead. Orinoco lobs her axe towards the goblin engaged by Rob, and lands it firmly in a tree not a metre away from the goblin's head. Though slightly distracted, an exchange of blows between Rob and the remaining goblin sees neither able to score a hit, Gueilia casts Message and offers the goblin a choice, "Surrender or die!". The goblin realises it is not likely to survive this encounter otherwise, so throws down his sword and raises his hands in supplication. A moment of relaxation passes as another goblin emerges next to his felled brethren on the northern side, fires a bowshot at Orinoco which thuds through her leather armour and pierces her side; the goblin can then be seen to disappear further into the treeline.
The party decide not to give chase, and Rob ties up the captured goblin below Orinoco's axe.
((That was where we left the scene... Gueilia, do you want to venture over and collect your bolt now, or wait until the situation is stabilised and a bit more is known about the goblin band? Everyone else, what do you do?))
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
Orinoco | Human Druid
I think we should interrogate the captured Goblin, see how many of his gang might be lurking. Also I want to search him/her (female Goblins can be bandits too!) and check for weapons and loot etc
I agree with the interrogation. I'd like to ask "Why did you ambush us? What is it you thought we had? Was it random or targeted? Who gave the order!!!"
Intimidation: 15
I grab my axe from the tree, and as I pull it free I let the blade come very close to the goblin's face.
@Gueilia: You find nothing of notable worth, the crudely made shortsword and the badly balanced bow would earn you more laughs than coin with any trader worth their name, and 2 copper pieces (cp) stuffed in a very safe place. You might want to wash your hands.
As a general rule, looting of bodies will be minimal - no-one wants to deal with carrying around 12 goblin shortswords so you can sell them for 1 silver piece in town. I'll add some currency every few encounters to balance this up for you.
As rolls are required, I'll ask for them to start with, or roll them for you to get people into the swing of things on here, but if you are clearly looking to use a skill/proficiency during dialogue or your action, including a roll can't hurt - I might use it, I might not.
@Orinoco: The goblin looks at you, no more scared than his former proximity to your axe had made him. His face goes a little blank at the barrage of questions, then in broken common, he replies "Boss order, watch road, bring gold. Not gang!"
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
I want to ask more questions, but after the last lot of broken garbage that tumbled from that goblins mouth I'm a little reluctant, it's obvious that the goblin is not frightened of me at all but I would still like to throw a couple of punches and rough him up a bit since he and his cronies had shot me twice!! I would also like to know where to find his boss and how many more of these dumb buffoons were hanging around.
Orinoco moves closer to the goblin, and sucker punches him in the stomach twice. The goblin strains against the rope holding him, as he tries to convince from the blow, but the rope holds true and the goblin is left gasping for breath. "Perhaps you misunderstood?" Orinoco punctuates her words with a further knee to the goblins gut, "Who...Do...You...Work...For?" The last is punctuated by Orinoco taking the goblin's ear in her hands, and using the grip to bash the goblin's head back against the tree trunk.
Intimidation: 11
Now realising that this meek, woodsy looking druid is somewhat less tender than she appears, the goblins barks out "Klarg... Boss is bugbear named Klarg! No hurt Nobbic! Nobbic answer wot you ask... Boss has boss calls himself King Grol, cos he sits in castle. Klarg Boss hides out in caves, we was 4 hands when Nobbic left cave. Nobbic sent to look for Dwarf, we find him before last moon. Sent him to castle, dwarf and stuffs, sent man to caves, followed orders. Then told wait here, then you's did arrive.
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
I'd like to know where he was sent from. And why he needs us. Where is his boss?
Hazzar walks to the side of Orinoco, and casually leaning his back against her leg, crossing his arms, and giving the goblin a sidelong glance, he asks "And where are these bosses now Nobbic?" Twirling a dagger in his hand, he adds "Which leads us onto where you came from goblin, and what you why you want us?"
Nobbic looks at Hazzar, not quite as scared of the halfling as the crazy druid. "I told you... boss is in caves, and big boss in castle far away. Nobbic woz sent from caves... we didn't want you, we wanted your gold!"
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
OUR gold!!!!, You want OUR gold?, Now hold on a blinking minute, who said it was OUR gold? Look Nobbic, I really would insist that if you want any chance of going back to your cave alive and in one piece, you better spill the beans on who exactly is " the big boss" and which castle he is currently residing in! Who is King Grol?! And what dwarf were you sent to find and where is he now?!!!! It appears that there's more to this than meets the eye
Nobbic looks at Orinico, seeming confusion on his face... "Rob people for gold... why else rob someone? You no gold, maybe something else." As Nobbic pauses, you can see him deflate a little before answering your other questions but grows more agitated as he answers each question, "Nobbic would eat beans, even if spilled, beans tastes nice! Nobbic not know more, Nobbic not told, heard things from others in cave. King Grol is Klarg's boss... not Nobbic's. I not know him. Castle too far, Nobbic never been there. The dwarf named Rocky or some stupid dwarf name. I tells you that!. DWARF... IN... CASTLE!" The little goblin seems visibly traumatised... the stress of his capture and interrogation looks to have overwhelmed him. He slumps against his bonds, apparently passed out.
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
I think that's all we're going to to get from beans-for-brains there... Let's press press on. Maybe someone in Phandalin will have heard of this King Grol
Let's not waste anymore time..... On to Phandalin!
Ok, if you are finished with everything round here, I'll just need confirmation on a seating order in the cart.
If you want to be specifically on the lookout all the way to Phandalin, then roll a perception check for me, otherwise I'll use your passive scores, but you can be doing other things along the way (and won't be quite so tired). It is around 13:00 now, so you would expect to reach Phandalin in a few hours if there are no more incidents, being off the main highway and knowing this is a growing settlement, so the condition of the roads is probably somewhat lacking.
Are you leaving the dead horses in the middle of the road? Is Nobbic being left tied to the tree? Is there anything else you want to do before you set off?
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
I will resume my position in the driver's seat, after I have untied Nobbic with a stern warning that if he and his cronies decide to come after us, he won't be allowed to live next time and I will slay him myself (promise, not a threat).
Nobbic, takes a few slaps to rouse, but Orinoco has no qualms about dishing those out. After listening to her words, he runs off to the north, and is shortly lost to the cover of foliage and flora.
Orinoco takes her seat on the wagon as Guieila and Rob drag the horses out of the way enough so that the wagon can pass.
The wagon starts to move again, and Rob and Guieila hop up to the flat of the wagon and continue the ride.
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
After an hour or so on the road, the sun having crested it's zenith and is now lowering itself in the sky moving slowly toward the horizon, you see in the distance the figure of a lone individual sat off to the side of the road. As you slow the cart on your approach, cautious after the earlier ambush, the figure becomes more visible, and you can all make out a slender lone male, now risen from his seated position on a log. Though the day is warm, lunch has passed and dinner is some way off, he appears to have set a fire with a pot set over it. He waves you over and calls out a in a friendly tone "Ho there travelers, I have a nettle tea brewing if you would like to join me for some refreshment from the road?"
((What would you like to do?))
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
Mmmmmm I could just do a nice cup of nettle tea, can we trust this to not be another ambush??, We do have a lot of lost time to make up for.....but on the other hand we have already lost a lot of time, so what's another 20 minutes going to matter?
Seeing your indecision, the man shorts over "Come, we can share a tale or two over tea. It will refresh your minds from the monotony of travel."
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
Come on everyone, let us stop and refresh as our new friend suggests.
But don't let down your guard, let us not walk into yet another trap. We maybe able to find out some useful information. (said in a hushed voice).