Part II: Search for the Tower (5e)

[Foodle]

It's been a few days since the group returned from their last trip to the mines. The treasure vault of Abracadamus emptied out into sacks and chests and hauled down the mountain and the safety of the Thistleboar Inn, their run down property situated at the base of the mountain containing the Gliterdark Mines, or The Mines of Madness as it became known, and purchased from the widower Gretchin for the price of one diamond tipped pack axe.

It rained heavily throughout the night, but dawn brought with it the bright summer sun and the sounds of birds chirping carry in through the open windows and doors from the walnut tree in the front yard. The new day finds Biggles, Osrik, Roland and Dragul seated around a table in the common room, picking at a food platter prepared by young Darcy, the chef/cleaner of the inn, as they try to sort out what their next step will be.

On the table near Osrik is a empty crystalline scroll case, the previous contents of which is unrolled on the table, it's corners weighed down with unused knives and forks. A deed.


Grotsby Federation

Certificate of Title

Abracadamus Francis Peterson of Carroway Vale, Arcanist, is now the proprietor of an estate
in fee simple subject to the easements and encumbrances notified hereunder in the natural
surface and therefrom to a depth of eight hundred feet of all that piece of land delineated
and coloured green on the map hereon containing twelve acres three roods and ten perches
or thereabouts, being Baker's Hill, Northern Grotsby.


Dated the 14th day of Eleint 219UC
Below the text is a official looking stamp and a light sketch of part of a map showing a section of land dotted by hills and a small river, whatever green colouring that had once been done to the picture has long since faded. You've never heard of Grotsby, or seen a date notarized with UC and the group is unsure where to start looking.

[Anubis Dread]

"Well, I'll keep looking this over and seeing if I can give you a better idea of where this new locations of yours is going to be. But after that, I'm afraid it's time to part ways," Biggles remarks as he frowns over the deeds. "I've grown fond of the lot of you, but the stone never interested me all that much. All I wanted was a base of operations to study magic and plenty of gold to do it with, and I have both at this stage. You can have my cut of the magic items, I won't be using them. But I'll be taking my share and retiring if it's alright with you lot."

This inn was a potential gold mine. All he needed to do was keep up appearanced, make sure the place didn't collapse. And then he could learn how to raise the dead and dig underground to make a more extensive lab. He'd have gold coming in and still have all the time to do research, what more did he want? And the town was small enough he wouldn't get people knocking on his door either asking for help or wanting to destroy his 'abominations against nature'. It was a pretty sweet set up really.

[r2d2go]

Osrik tears up a bit as he pats Biggles on the back. Take care of tha' inn fer us. An' tha' lad an' lass, too.

Later, he talks to Dragul with scroll in hand, discussing the Stone. We shoul' get ta' tha' nearest big city - mos' likely ta' have a cartographer tha' c'n tell us where ta' go.

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland - Human Rogue

"I hate to say it, but I'm out too," Roland says. "It was good adventuring with you, and I'll miss you, but I don't really want to traipse halfway across the continent looking for this tower and its stone." He unbuckles the short sword and lays it on the table. "You can have this back. I'm keeping the hat as part of my share--it's pretty useful. But I plan on avoiding situations where I'll need a better sword. I'll be leaving tomorrow, once we decide how to split the rest of the treasure. I still want my part of that."


I decided not to go with my Roland = Lucia in disguise idea. Too crazy.

[niks97cobra]

"Well Osrik, I guess its just us dwarves. We should head to the nearest city. I've started looking for this stone, I'm gonna find it or die trying. It was fun, I'm gonna miss Spooky. I shall make sure to stop in, if I'm ever near bye." Dragul ponders things for a moment before continuing, "should we find others to travel with? This was hard enough when the group was whole."

Dragul will resupply while he is in town. I'll try and make that list tonight.

[r2d2go]

Osrik nods and extends his hand to shake with Roland Good workin' with ye', lad. We'll split tha' loot even - Me an' Dragul probably bes' take tha' gold swords, since tha' dwarves under tha' ground c'n use 'em best.

Turning back to Dragul, he says Fort Tanner looks good, an' mebbe Tol Dar if we cannae find a map at tha' fort. I'm thinkin' some time at home woul' be nice. Les' stock up an' get goin, then?

[Anubis Dread]

A small sleep village it seemed. Normally he'd just spend the night and head off for a more reasonable location in the morning. There probably wasn't enough ale in the entire village to last him and his remaining cult members a single night of revelry. That and he needed to do another recruitment drive. Four people a cult did not make.

However there was something very special about this village. It stood on the mouth of the Mines of Madness. Within those mines the Forever Stone rested. And with the Forever Stone he could survive the coming apocalypse while the rest of the world was torn about in a tempest of fire and chaos. Perhaps even a few of his cult members too. He didn't know the full extent of the Stone's power. Perhaps it could only bless himself with eternal life, perhaps the entire world. Either way he must obtain it.

The inn seemed a good respite from the journey. There was no point in going into the mine when he was tired. Besides, he needed information. Making one of his robed and hooded cult members open the door for him, the red robed figure stepped through the door to the inn before letting down his hood, revealing the face of a very blue tiefling.

"People of Thistleboar Inn! Before you stands Baron Knail Vix! I seek the Forever Stone!" Knail called into the inn. The very sparsely populated inn... this was worse than he even imagined. "Also ale for our revelry!" he added, looking back at his still hooded companions.

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland - Human Rogue

Roland groans when the idiot starts yelling outside of the inn. He's busy packing, and he's given up his share of the inn, so it's not his problem. "Hey, Biggles!" he shouts. "You're the innkeeper. You go deal with Baron what's-his-name outside."

[Anubis Dread]

"Screw that, I'm making a picrat! It's all the fun of a pigeon, crab and rat! And zombie," Biggles shouted downstairs from his study. "Let the help get it!"

That was not the response he was used to. Oh well. Stepping into the inn, the tiefling claps his hands to signal the other inside. "Good people! Get me some ale and fine food, for tomorrow we go into the Mines of Madness to seek the Forever Stone!"

"It's already gone, jack a**"!" Biggles voice comes yelling down the stairs again.

...wait, what?

[DSCrankshaw]

Roland - Human Rogue

Roland shoulders his pack as he comes down the stairs. "Yup, the Stone's gone. The crazy dead wizard sent it to a tower no one knows how to find. But if you're dead-set on finding it, those two berks over there plan on hunting for it." He nods in the direction of Dragul and Osrik. "Go talk to them. I'm sure they could use the company. As for me, I'm out of here." With that, he heads out the door, never to be seen again.

[Foodle]

Aaron Cartwright limps in through the door leading to the rear courtyard, a piece of knotted string in his hands. "I heard yelling whats going on? Where's Roland going?" he asks as he hobbles into the room, walking without his crutches now, his leg still in a rough splint, but getting better day by day thanks to Osrik's treatment.

Noticing the new arrivals he tucks the string into his pocket and puts on a happy face and moves to greet them arms held wide to get their attention, "Welcome to the Thistleboar Inn! The best Inn in town," he smiles at his own little joke.

"You can call me Aaron, what can i get for you fine gentlemen?" he asks moving over to the bar and taking a peek into the kitchens. "Breakfast is still warm if you'd like, or if social norms are not a concern and you're thirsty after your journey, the owners there, just brought in a few casks of the famed Brundlebur Mead, only 2 silver a glass. Or we have some local ale if coin is tight," he offers nodding towards Dragul and Osrik at their table.

[Anubis Dread]

"What? Oh, I'll take ten," Knail replied absently, dropping two gold pieces onto the counter before walking over to the two adventurerers. So the Stone was gone it seemed. And these two were intent on finding it. That had to mean they had a clue he didn't. As such he needed to get onto their good sides and wring them for information.

"Hello! Baron Knail Vix, a pleasure to meet you," Knail greeted the two. "From my understanding it seems we may be hunting after the same objective."

[niks97cobra]

Dragul looks alarmed at Osrik. He had thought about getting help, but a complete stranger already knows.

"I am Dragul Ironskull, of the famed Ironskull Hall," Dragul lies, knowing he has yet to build Ironskull Hall.

[Anubis Dread]

"Interesting," Knail replied. He'd never heard of an Ironskull Hall. It was either not important or non-existent. Or a gap in his knowledge, but that was ridiculous. Still there was no use calling the odd man orc out on it. "I am of the famed Vix Manor." That was certainly not a lie. Granted the place had little to no gold or servants to speak of now days, but it was still there and technically his.

[r2d2go]

Osrik sighs as the newcomer announces himself, but waves him forward. Biggles got tha' right. Tha' stone's gone, though we foun' a deed ta' the tower where it's kept. We just need ta' find tha' tower.. He pulls out the scroll to show the baron.

[Anubis Dread]

"Well I have to say that's somewhat discouraging. But then again, going to a tower we have the deed to sounds significantly easier than delving through some dangerous old mine," Knail notes. "Oh, thank you," he says softly as his ten drinks arrive, letting each of his cultists grab one while he held one in each hand as he looked over the map. Hm, he'd studied this time period before...


History: [roll0]

[Foodle]

As Aaron places the tray of drinks on the table he heads back out the back door again and vanishes into the forge area.

Looking at the address and the name of the country at the top of the document, Knail can't help but feel that he'd heard of Grotsby in passing during one of his lessons as a child. Or was it Gatslan, or Abberby... It was too long ago. Thinking about it, it didn't matter because he couldn't remember anything besides they were names he'd heard anyway.

Aaron limps back after a couple of minutes carrying a scabbarded sword in one hand and a large single headed hammer in the other. Resting them on a nearby chair he turns to Dragul, "I couldn't find any of those spiked caltrop things back there, but there were those," he says pointing to the weapons. "That hammer is a bit well used by the looks, but it should get the job done. Darcy's still working on getting the food together," he says nodding before moving back to the bar.

No caltrops out there, Berger, the guy that was running the little blacksmith only ever bothered to take the weapons and armor. You'll have to wait til you get to a bigger town, on the plus side you can have those weapons for free if you want, or you can leave the coins for Berger when/if he comes back.

Darcy can get together 14 packs of rations with the non-perishable food they have stocked at the moment, that you can all split among yourselves.

[niks97cobra]

"Excellent, I wouldn't mind a few days of relaxing before we head out, but I am still willing whenever."

Dragul polishes his new used weapons, tipping a few gold to Aaron. He can get Berger back at some point if need be.

[r2d2go]

Osrik nods and gestures towards the Baron. Assumin' you'll want ta' be joinin' us, les' take a day an' show you tha' things we got. Then we c'n go off ta' Fort Tanner.

[Anubis Dread]

"The more the merrier for our little band!" Knail agrees, downing his drinks and picking up two more. "Bartender, another ten rounds for our new friends!"

[Foodle]

Aaron beams from the bar and pulls out another tray and loads it up with cups full of mead. Darcy scurries around collecting all the empty ones and rinsing them out ready to be used again, it wasn't often that so many got used at once. Old man Billington, an ex lumberjack that had left the job to his sons years ago, ambled over with his fiddle and took a seat in the sun and started playing in the early afternoon. By nightfall about 15 more people had turned up and a impromptu party kicked off, as most of the villagers had never seen a Baron before and found an excuse to come and drink some of Gretchen's Ale and have a bite to eat.

The next day finds you all still abed at sunrise, the creaking timbers in the roof finally waking you as the sun slowly warmed them a couple of hours later. Downstairs you find the place clean and tidy, the broken chair and spilled beer nowhere to be seen. A large pot of stew left over from last night sits covered and still hot over the burnt out coals in the kitchen for you to help yourselves from.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia Thoene - Half-elf Bard

"--right, I'm goin', I'm goin', ya barmy," a young woman shouts as she stumbles out of what you could have sworn was a supply closet. "What's a cutter got to do to get some respect around here?" she says, straightening her leather jacket before turning on her heel and marching straight back into the supply closet. There's some rattling and crashing before she comes out again, sneezing and wiping dust from the knee-length skirt she wears over leather leggings. "I guess he wasn't peelin' me when he said the portal was one way." She looks around the inn with a critical eye. "Suppose it's not too low a kip to land in. Kind of small, though."

Her gaze settles on Dragul, Osrik, and the Baron, who are obviously out of place here. "Ho, ya bashers. Can ya tell me where this is?"

The woman is short, barely taller than the dwarves, with light brown hair reaching to her shoulders. If you look closely, you can see a slight point to her ears, the only clue to non-human ancestry.

[Anubis Dread]

Knail had long ago discovered an excellent cure to a hangover, no matter how potent it may be. The first step was to drink some ale by yourself in your room before going to bed to make sure your buzz kept going. The second step was to continue to drink ale in the morning. This way you had a blissful state of permanent drunkenness, and the nasty hangover would never hit.

Being that he was already tipsy, the fact someone seemed to crash through out of a closet did little more than make him raise an eyebrow. "Nowhere important, save that it's near the Mines of Madness. Except even THAT isn't important anymore given that the Forever Stone is no longer there," he shrugged.

[niks97cobra]

Dragul stares at the woman coming out of the closet. "This keeps getting more weird as the day goes along," Dragul says. He chugs his drink.

"Where are you looking to be?"

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia -- Half-elf Bard

"Where am I going?" she mutters as she takes a map out of her belt pouch and unrolls it on the table. It's a mess of arbitrary lines and symbols, with an occasional word written on it in a hard-to-read hand. "He might as well have sent me to the Mazes for all the good this map will do me," she says, squinting at it, apparently having as hard a time figuring it out as you do. "Well, there's a frowning face here, at something called the 'Barmy Mines'. And here's a town called . . . Ffft Tanner? Ah-hah!" She stabs her finger down. "Look, it's a smiley face. That must be where I need to go. There's a word nearby, it says something like Abbacabam? Where's Abbacabam?"

[niks97cobra]

Dragul shrugs, "Never heard of it."

He drinks some more ale.

[Anubis Dread]

"Huh. Well beats me, all that sounds like jibberish," Knail shrugged. "The Mines of Madness are close by. That's probably the Barmy Mines correct? If so you're fairly close."

Was this person looking for the Forever Stone as well? Likely not, otherwise they would have mentioned it. He was far too sober to be dealing with these sorts of things. By which he meant 'a little'.

[Foodle]

"Wasn't that the name on your bit of paper? Abramacdabrious or whatever it was," Aaron chimes in as he walks past having heard part of conversation. "And welcome to the Thistleboar Inn, if you need anything Darcy should be able to help you. I'll be out back, fixing those steps if i'm needed," he says walking off muttering about how he must be going deaf having not heard the front door open.

[niks97cobra]

"Well, I've proven I'm not the best scholar. Osrik, I dunno what to make of all this. If my opinion means much, I'd like to sell this sword before the sun ruins it," Dragul states as he gulps more of his ale... he has had enough that it doesn't matter to him, but he is also eager to get on the road now that he has done his relaxing and shopping.

[r2d2go]

Osrik looks a little strangely at the newcomer, then collects himself and speaks. "Err... We jus' had a... talk, wit' Abracadamus. If he's the one yer lookin' for, he's gone, like tha' Forever Stone. We were jus' tellin' this lad tha' we've got tha' deed ta' 'is tower. Ye' c'n join us, if ye' like." He glances at Dragul and whispers, "We were jus' talkin' 'bout gettin' more people, an' these people show up? A bit o' a strange coinc'dence... Anyway, ye' c'n probably bes' sell tha' swords if we stop by tha' dwarven lands. They dinnae go out in ta' tha' sun anyhow.''

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

"Ugh. I suppose that squiggly thing here could be a tower. Guess that's the best clue I have, unless any of you Clueless happen to know another way back to the Cage?" She looks around the table. "No? Then off to this Abbacramwhatsit's tower then, and let's hope we don't hit the blinds. Bartender, you have any worthwhile bub?" She draws up a seat and slouches into it.

[Anubis Dread]

"I'm not exactly sure what's going on, but welcome aboard," Knail greeted their new companion. "I'm pretty sure bub is booze. If so they have some that works, though I'm not sure if I'd call it decent. It's not far off from it though."

[niks97cobra]

"I suppose it is settled then. Off to Fort Tanner?" Dragul suggests.

[r2d2go]

Aye, seems like. Les' go.

[Foodle]

Collecting your gear and the food parcels from the kitchen, you wave good-bye to Biggles, Aaron and Darcy. Three small children follow you to the outskirts of the village, pestering the lot of you with questions about what bad guys you're going to slay and treasure you're going to steal. They soon leave though as the four of you head south; Osrik and Dragul, dwarf and half-dwarf. Lucia the short half-elf girl who just appeared out of a closet and the Baron Knail Vix with his three fanatic followers in tow.

It's a seven day journey to Fort Tanner if the weather stays fine. The first day is spent heading south along the gravel road that serves as the main trade route between Beslin to the north and Tolmaine to the south, the road cuts it's way slowly downhill as it drops into a wooded valley where sometime tomorrow it connects to the branch heading north-west towards Fort Tanner. You only pass a couple of other travelers, a lone man and his mule heading south that were stopped at a small stream, and a caravan of six heading north.

As the sun begins to descend in the afternoon, you start to think about possible places to stop and camp for the night, or if you should push on and eat your dried foods Darcy had prepared.

So marching order?

Camping, where do you guys want to camp? Are you looking for any particular places; water source, clear ground, a cave, etc? (Roll some survival or something appropriate if you're looking for a particular place and don't mind if it's off the road) Gonna go foraging or eat dry tack? What's the plan for future nights?

Watch during the night? Or just trust the main road to be safe?

[niks97cobra]

"Just cause I'm bigger than you, doesn't mean I don't like some cover," Dragul says to Osrik. "But I dunno if we need to go far from dis here road."

Dragul whispers to Osrik, "I dunno if I trust that Baron guy with them followers, we should be watchful. I'll take first watch."

Dragul will take lead in marching as well.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

The first time Lucia steps outside, she stares at the sun until her eyes water. "Been a while since I've seen a sun," she says. "That's yours, huh? Kind of plain, though. Maybe even a bit dim."

It's clear that she's not the outdoorsy type, and seems to be impressed by all the dirt, and the sheer number of animals that live in the wild. After the party has been traveling for a little while, she grows a bit peevish. "It's a lot farther than I expected. How far is this Tanner place, anyway? Are we almost there?" When told it's seven days away, her eyes grow wide. "How can anyplace be that big, with so much nothing in between?"

[Anubis Dread]

Knail marched at the back of the group during the day. Well almost. His three followers followed along behind him in a fan formation. They weren't fighters, but if things got so bad that they were attacked from behind with no warning or reason at least one of them would die rather than him. He was too important to them for him to die before them. They'd rather die than see him harmed after all. ...well they'd rather die than he be dead anyway. Probably.

"Yes, it is rather depressing how long you can go on a road without coming to a passing tavern. I am DEPRESSINGLY sober right now," Knail agreed with Lucia's statement, holding a hand to his forehead and looking away from the sun. Stupid headache... well at least it was time to camp for the night.

Clapping his hands, Knail let out some orders. "Feritch, set up my tent and the tents of my companions. Toris, begin cooking a meal for everyone. Candy, I need a massage. The order of the nights watch will be Feritch, then Toris, then Candy. Proceed." His servants got to work, one of them beginning to erect tents, one to start a fire and the other one began working on Knail's back as he lay down on the ground and sighed. "I miss having more than one concubine," he states wistfully as she worked his back.

[r2d2go]

Osrik passes one of his many flasks of alcohol to Knail, but agrees with Dragul to be careful with these newcomers.

[niks97cobra]

"How much does she cost?" Dragul questions the Baron.

[Foodle]

Candy looks up lazily up at Dragul and her eyes track up and down his battered and poorly repaired plate armor as she looks slightly offended, "When you can afford something that hasn't been glued back together we can talk," she says dismissively going back to Knail's shoulder rub.

You take your time to get the camp set up on the side of the road, gather some firewood and explore your immediate surrounding. But with nothing much else to do except wait for morning to arrive, you end up scoffing down the meal Toris makes from the parcels Darcy had prepared for you after your long day walking. You discover a bush of berries on the other side of the road too and supplement you meal with their fresh, almost ripe fruit.

As darkness sets in Dragul and Feritch sit at opposite ends of the camp and keep watch into the night. Both refuse to head to bed when the other one offers, Dragul unsure of the Knail's little band, and Feritch unwilling to defy his idol. You hear the howling of wolves in the distance and the squawks of birds startled by a predator nearby and Dragul catches the sound of a snapping branch from the edge of the forest a short time later, but in the end nothing comes crashing out of the trees towards you and the relax back in your seat.

Partway through the night Feritch is replaced by Toris, who after about an hour wanders over and whispers to you, "Did you just cough? I thought i heard a cough," he asks quietly, peering at the darkness ineffectually with his human eyes. "It must have been the priest," he says trying to convince himself as he turns and starts to walk back to his spot.

[niks97cobra]

"Creeper."

Dragul tries to listen more closely.

Perception
[roll0]

Survival
[roll1]

[Foodle]

Now that you're listening for it, the nights sounds take on a new pattern and you can definitely hear something. But by the sounds of the occasional crush of leaves and snapping twig, it would appear that whatever it is, it's moving away quickly now deeper into the forest.

[niks97cobra]

Dragul does not follow the sound and wakes Osrik for his watch, warning that something may be out there.

[r2d2go]

Osrik groggily gets up, but after hearing what Dragul has to say, shrugs. If whatever's causin' tha' noise is goin' away, no reason ta' go chasin' after it. Unless ye' think it's suspicious? I c'n always ask tha' gods if ye' think it's important.

[niks97cobra]

"Just keep an extra ear out," Dragul suggests.

[Foodle]

The night ticks on and Osrik can hear Toris complaining softly to himself when Candy fails to wake to take her shift. Not wanting to wake Knail in the process of waking her, he leaves her and stays in his spot. As dawn approaches you can hear him snoring, asleep on the ground.

As the birds awake and start calling out with the lightening of the sky, the rest of you wake to a sparsely clouded sky. Though far to the south the sky is darker leading you to think this afternoon might bring with it rain. Sometime today you should reach the intersection heading to Fort Tanner, the day after that you should leave the forest and be in the village of Righson by the evening.

So Marching order i have: Dragul <- Osrik <- Lucia <- Knail <- The Doomsday Squad?

[Anubis Dread]

Sounds about right.


It seems Candy hadn't taken her watch... as usual. Knail would be a lot more disappointed if it didn't mean he woke up next to a beautiful woman. If he still had multiple concubines it would be one thing, but Candy was all he had right now. He should probably just give up on giving her watch entirely. They had other servants to cover the gap now after all.

Thank chaos Osrik had plenty of mead, otherwise he would have had to skip breakfast and have nothing but food. He needed to remember to stock up on barrels of wine when they reached a town that had a decent stockpile.

[Foodle]

Not wasting much time, you pack up your gear and make a early start trying to get as much distance behind you as you could before the weather turned bad. A family of seven, a wagon loaded down with all their possessions passes you heading north to Beslin. The man briefly inquires to the road ahead and you recommend him the Thistleboar Inn and warn him their might be hungry animals about. He in turn explains that the Hobgoblins west of Khyber Pass, between the Golden Peaks and the Western Ranges, have been becoming more aggressive with a few outlaying farms being raided. So he's moving his family somewhere safer.

You take your turn north-west towards Fort Tanner in the early afternoon and the sky is now a dark grey. An hour later the first few spits of rain start to fall.
Quickly moving off to the side of the road, you set up your tents as quickly as you can under the meager protection offered by some of the larger trees there and take shelter from the rain as it increases in ferocity over the next few hours. It lets up somewhat to a steady patter shortly after nightfall and you all manage to get to sleep, with Osrik and Dragul taking turns keeping watch from the entrance of their tents.

Lightning starts to crash in the early morning during Osrik's watch, the rain is just a drizzle for now, but the rumble of thunder that follows some of the flashes makes him think that they were striking not far from here. In a series of successive flashes of lightning Osrik spots movement on the otherside of the road during the first flash. His suspicions are confirmed when with the next flash he very clearly see's two humanoid figures rushing across the road towards their camp, one carrying a massive club and the other a spear.

Osrik, they don't know that you've seen them. So you can get off a surprise round on them if you want. Then we'll go into initiative.

Just going to average the initiatives for the enemies and you to save rolling lots of rolls from now on.
Knail 1, Lucia 5, Dragul 2, Osrik -1 = 7/4 = 2

Party Initiative: [roll0]
Enemy Initiative: [roll1]

Osrik's Surprise Round, then Enemies, then Party.
Drawing up the map now... Done!

Ok from inside your tent you can only see Bandit 1 & 2. If you step outside you'll see all the rest except for bandit 4 (DC17 perception to spot as an action), since he managed to not completely fail on his stealth roll.

[r2d2go]

Osrik chuckles to himself as the bandits charge. "Ye' fools chose tha' wrong dwarf ta' rob!" With a wave of a hand, he launches holy fire at the spear-wielding scoundrel, then sends a sword of force to engage him. Seeing the bandit drop, he runs somewhat towards the club-wielding bandit, trying to encourage him to get closer so his spiritual weapon could attack him as well.

Sacred Flame: [roll0], [roll1]
Spiritual Weapon: [roll2], [roll3]
Move as shown on map.

[Foodle]

"Ah!" the lead bandit screams as the bolt of divine fire hits him and he crashes into the tree and Osrik's ghostly weapon puts an end to him. A figure to the left swears and starts running forward and the half-orc, for that's what he seems to be now that you're closer, with a hand carved branch lets out a bellow of rage seeing his companion fall and he charges forward. Meanwhile from the other side of the road you hear a call of "Light!" and off to the right a man with an axe reaches into his glowing pocket, pulls out a glowing stone and throws it into the middle of the camp. Arrows quickly streak into the camp, some aimed at the dwarf, while the rest fly towards the tents.

Bandit 1: Gained "Dead"

Bandit 2: P13->M11

Great Club @ Osrik: [roll0]; CRIT!
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Bandit 3: C9->K10

Bandit 4: Multiattack

Longbow @ Osrik: [roll3] | Hidden Adv. [roll4]; MISS
Damage: [roll5] | If Crit: [roll6]

Longbow @ Osrik: [roll7] | Hidden Adv. [roll8]; HIT!
Damage: [roll9] | If Crit: [roll10]

Bandit 5: Multiattack

Target (1-4 clockwise from the top left): [roll11], [roll12]
Longbow @ Lucia's Tent: [roll13]; MISS
Damage: [roll14] | If Crit: [roll15]

Longbow @ Lucia's Tent: [roll16]; MISS
Damage: [roll17] | If Crit: [roll18]

Bandit 6: Lobs a rock with light on it towards the tents.

Casts Sanctuary on himself (You need to roll a DC 12 Wisdom save to attack him, if you fail your attack either targets something else in range or fails)
Then falls prone (ranged attacks have disadvantage)

The Party's Turn

[Anubis Dread]

What was that noise?! It was completely disturbing his... oh... ohhhh. Well this was inconvenient. It seemed as though they were being attacked by a few thugs and a bunch of archers. He wanted to just go in blasting, but Knail could see that the dwarf was having some trouble.

Muttering under his breath, the tiefling cast a spell and a thick fog rolled into existence.


Delaying until everyone else has gone, because Knail is casting Fog Cloud - 20foot radius spread starting at L12.

Also, Wild Magic! [roll0]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

Lucia comes stumbling out of her tent, barefoot and wearing just the shift she was sleeping in with the leather jacket hastily thrown on over it. She is holding her bared rapier in her hand, however. "Pike it! What addle-coved berk is shooting arrows at us? Bandits? I'll put you lot in the dead book." A quick look notes that Osrik is in trouble, so she turns her magic his way. She more sings the word than speaks it, but Osrik immediately feels better. Then she turns her attention on the half-orc he's fighting. "How much of a bubber was your dad that he piked your mother?" The insult is laced with magic, and the infuriated half-orc finds himself so angry he can't swing his club straight.


Move
Exit tent

Bonus action
Use 2nd level slot to cast healing word on Osrik
[roll0] hp recovered

Action
Use vicious mockery on half-orc
[roll1]
[roll2]
And takes disadvantage on next attack roll

[niks97cobra]

Dragul moves forward and attacks the nearest bandit with his battleaxe.

Move to K9
Att: [roll0]
Dam: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

[Foodle]

The bandit that had rushed in from the right shies back in fright as Lucia rushes from the tent, but is quick enough to swing at her form as it escapes the reach of his blade.

Opportunity Attack

Bandit 3 @ Lucia: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Just Osrik to act still.

[r2d2go]

Osrik grunts as he takes a beating, but returns with a swing from both the spectral weapon and his own hammer.

Attack: [roll0], [roll1]
Bonus: Spectral Weapon move and attack: [roll2], [roll3]
Move as indicated on map.

[Foodle]

"What's going on?", "Boss?" and "I can't see a bloody thing!" call out from all around you as Knail's spell takes hold and a thick mist rises from the ground blanketing the camp in a grey haze. You can hear footsteps from outside the fog and then quiet but for the two still inside. The archers outside the mist hesitate unsure what to do and move to hopefully get a shot not obscured. The two inside the mist, their targets still vague shapes in front of them let loose, swinging viciously at the shadows in the greyness.

Bandit 1: Attack Osrik

Great Club: [roll0]; MISS (if you have 1 or more of both Adv. or D.Adv they all cancel and none apply, so attacks as normal)
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Bandit 3: Multiattack @ Dragul

Shortsword: [roll3]; MISS (Same deal)
Damage: [roll4] | If Crit: [roll5]

Shortsword: [roll6]; MISS (Same deal)
Damage: [roll7] | If Crit: [roll8]

Dagger: [roll9]; HIT! (Same deal)
Damage: [roll10] | If Crit: [roll11]

Bandit 4: P24 -> T19
Hide: [roll12]

Bandit 5: C19 -> C12
Hide: [roll13]

Bandit 6: Stand, U18 -> W15
Hide: [roll14]

The Party's Turn

If you're passive perception beats their stealths you can attack them, otherwise it takes an action to try spot them.
If you walk out between the south and eastern edges, you should automatically spot Bandit 4 though, due to his lack of cover.

[Anubis Dread]

No more arrow. That was good, now they could take their time and kill the bandits who dared charge right into their camp before focusing on the ones outside of the mist. Of course he couldn't see a damn thing, but he didn't need to. He knew where Osrik was, and knew that the enemy would be surrounding him. It was pretty simple to work out the rest from there.

Knail muttered a spell under his breath before a huge boom of sound burst out from the dwarf. ...wait, that could ruin half the stuff they had in the camp. Oh well, it couldn't be helped.


Careful Shatter centered on Osrik. Excluding everyone in the party (yay for 18 Charisma).

Damage: [roll0] Sonic, save for half.

Bandit 1: [roll1]
Bandit 3: [roll2]

[niks97cobra]

Dragul continues blindly swinging at the bandit.

Riposte
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
If crit:[roll2]


Standard action
Attack: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]
If crit: [roll5]

[r2d2go]

Seeing Dragul score a nasty hit on a nearby bandit, Osrik directs his own hammer and spiritual weapon at that target before moving away, trying to lose his attackers.

Bonus: Move Spiritual Weapon and attack: [roll0], [roll1]
Action: Hammer: [roll2], [roll3]
Move: As shown, move in a circle so it's harder to figure out where I went.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

Lucia finds herself under attack from all directions, including some piking wizard's who's spamming the area with mist and bursts of sound. Realizing the danger they're in, she sings another healing word for Osrik, before attempting to find the bandit who took a swipe at her.


Bonus
Healing word on Osrik
[roll0]

Action
Hold Person on Bandit
[roll1]
Cast detect thoughts

[Foodle]

"Jonas, do something about this damn fog!" the darker piece of mist in front of Dragul and Osrik calls out. "Find the mage and stick him!" a voice outside the fog calls back sounding closer as it speaks.

The shadow he was beating on now vanished, the bandit with the great club slowly and carefully shuffles towards the tent entrance that he'd seen the mage that cast the spell at. His foot brushing up against a guy rope he sweeps his club down on the entrance and hoped the shape he could make out was the mage.

Bandit 6: W15 -> Q13
Casts Bless on Bandit 1, Bandit 3 and Bandit 4

Bandit 1: M11 -> N10
Greatclub @ Knail: [roll0] + Bless [roll1]; HIT!
Damage: [roll2] | If Crit: [roll3]
If it hits... Knail Concentration Check: [roll4]; SUCCESS!

Bandit 3: Multiattack
Shortsword @ Dragul: [roll5] + Bless [roll6]; MISS
Damage: [roll7] | If Crit: [roll8]

Shortsword @ Dragul: [roll9] + Bless [roll10]; MISS
Damage: [roll11] | If Crit: [roll12]

Dagger @ Dragul: [roll13] + Bless [roll14]; HIT!
Damage: [roll15] | If Crit: [roll16]

Bandit 4:Multiattack
Longbow @ Lucia: [roll17] + Bless [roll18]
Damage: [roll19] | If Crit: [roll20]

Longbow @ Lucia: [roll21] + Bless [roll22]
Damage: [roll23] | If Crit: [roll24] otherwise Draw his dagger and move from T19 -> K14

Bandit 5: Multiattack
Longbow @ Dragul: [roll25] | Adv. Hidden: [roll26]
Damage: [roll27] | If Crit: [roll28]

Longbow @ Dragul: [roll29] | Adv. Hidden: [roll30]
Damage: [roll31] | If Crit: [roll32] otherwise Move from C10 -> E14 and ready an action

The Party's Turn

[Anubis Dread]

He'd hit him... he'd hit him! HOW DARE HE! Knail grimaced in pain, his face contorting in rage. He knew exactly where that club had came from. This bandit was going to die.

Raising his left hand, the Baron pointed a large diamond ring adorning his hand at where he believed the enemy was before blasting off a huge burst of sound at the bandit. Since he couldn't see the bandit Knail also immediately backed off and looped around until he thought he might have lost the enemy.


Chromatic Orb: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] Thunder damage.

[Foodle]

As Lucia complete's her spell a flood of mental noises clamour in her head from all directions. It takes awhile to sort them out, but in the end she can tell where each bubble of emotions are coming from.

[r2d2go]

Osrik scowls, smashes and slashes at the bandit in front of him before backing up further.

Hammer: [roll0], [roll1]
Sword: [roll2], [roll3]

[Foodle]

The bandit's feet collapse under him with combined assualt of magic and spiritual weaponry. He should be dead, but with a grunt he pushes himself back to his feet ready to continue the fight.

Half-orc racial ability to not die and go to 1HP instead used.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

Now that she knows where the enemy is, she intends to do something about it. But first, she shouts an encouragement to Osrik, "Put 'im in the dead-book, ya blessed blood!"

Then she closes with the nearest enemy, hoping he hasn't moved, and pokes him with her rapier before stepping back into the fog.


Bonus Action
Bardic inspiration for Osrik
Can add d6 to ability check, saving throw, or attack roll

Move
Move to attack Bandit 3, then move to new position

Action
[roll0]
[roll1]

[niks97cobra]

Dragul continues to attack the bandit, yelling, "You smell like purple worm poo!"

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

[Foodle]

"You don't smell much better buddy," he replies spitting a wad of blood on the ground before attacking in a flurry of swings and lunges, trying to find a chink in Dragul's armor. Meanwhile the Half-orc bandit blunders forward after the mage and crashes forward into the tent, knocking out the poles supporting it as it comes down in a tangle of canvas, rope and wooden poles on Knail, Candy and himself. The sudden and unexpected smothering of the tent collapsing around him, pulling the three of them to the ground causes enough of a slip in concentration for the fog to start thinning away. Yells of triumph sound from outside the fog as it fades a quick as it came and arrows once again start flying into the camp.

Bandit 1: N10 -> O10

Get caught in the tent and knock it and everyone inside to the ground.
The tent has collapsed, Knail and the Bandit 1 are prone.

Bandit 3: Multiattack

Shortsword @ Dragul: [roll0] + Bless [roll1]; MISS
Damage: [roll2] | If Crit: [roll3]

Shortsword @ Dragul: [roll4] + Bless [roll5]; HIT!
Damage: [roll6] | If Crit: [roll7]

Dagger@ Dragul: [roll8] + Bless [roll9]; HIT!
Damage: [roll10] | If Crit: [roll11]

Move: K10 -> K9

Bandit 4: Throws his dagger to the ground and draws his bow.

Multiattack
Longbow @ Dragul: [roll12] + Bless [roll13]; MISS
Damage: [roll14] | If Crit: [roll15]

Longbow @ Lucia: [roll16] + Bless [roll17]; HIT!
Damage: [roll18] | If Crit: [roll19]

Bandit 5: E14 -> G16

Multiattack
Longbow @ Lucia: [roll20]; HIT!
Damage: [roll21] | If Crit: [roll22]

Longbow @ Osrik: [roll23]; MISS
Damage: [roll24] | If Crit: [roll25]

Bandit 6: Q13 -> K16

The Party's Turn
So Knail's tent is collapsed, count moving within it as difficult terrain. The Half-orc is blocking the door, prone too. So you'll either have to kill him or cut a hole to get out. (He has 1hp)

[r2d2go]

Osrik glares at the attackers, then says If'n ye' want ta' take out one o' tha' archers, this'll help. Guidin' Bolt!" As a bolt of light fires from his outstretched palm, Osrik directs the sword to finish the half-orc and takes cover. Then, as he sees the archer just drop, he grins. "Guess ye' didn' need ta' help finish 'im off."

Guiding Bolt at Archer 4: [roll0], [roll1]
Spiritual Weapon at Half-Orc: [roll2], [roll3]

[niks97cobra]

Dragul parries one of the attacks from the bandit, and then swings his axe. "Die!"

Parry Damage Blocked: [roll0]

Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit: [roll3]

Second Wind
[roll4]

[Anubis Dread]

Looks like the fog was down... damn it. Knail pushed the tent off of himself and got to his feet, rushing into a better position before looking out over the enemies. He could drop another fog, but that wouldn't do much good at this point. It was better to just take the remaining enemies down.

Raising his ring, Knail shot off a pair of bolts of lightning at the enemy archers.


Using Twinned Chromatic Orb, using Tides of Chaos to gain Advantage on the attack roll vs Bandit 4

Bandit 4: [roll0] [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
On Crit Add: [roll3]

Bandit 5: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]
On Crit Add: [roll6]

Annnd I just realize I've been forgetting to roll for Wild Magic. Whoops. [roll7]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

Now that someone's finally put the piking mage out of commission, Lucia can see again. It looks like everyone's got the bandit well-in-hand, so she instead turns on the more distant enemies. With a word and a gesture, she tries to take one of them out of the fight, at least for the time being.


Action
Try to overcome sanctuary [roll0]
If succeed, use Hold person on bandit 6
If fail, use Hold person on Bandit 5
[roll1]

[Foodle]

"Bloody overgrown!" the bandit says stabbing forward with force and rolling around the dworc to a new position, "Lump of metal!" he says trying the new angle of attack. Finding himself also next to Knail he stabs backwards with his dagger at the mage too. The bandit hiding behind the tree looks towards the archer and mouths something then turns tail and runs as fast as his legs can carry him. The archer's eyes bulge at the sight and he struggles against the spell.

Bandit 3: Multiattack

Shortsword @ Dragul: + Bless HIT![/I]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Move: K9 -> L10

Shortsword @ Dragul: [roll3] + Bless [roll1d4; MISS
Damage: | If Crit: [roll5]

Dagger @ Knail: [roll6] + Bless [roll1d4; MISS
Damage: [roll7] | If Crit: [roll8]

Bandit 5: Nothing

Save against DC 14: [roll9]; FAILURE

Bandit 6: Dash!

K16 -> W24

The Party's Turn

[r2d2go]

Osrik glares at the fleeing bandit, trying to finish off the nearby bandit before shouting "Oh no ye' don'! Guidin' Bolt!"

Guiding Bolt: [roll0], [roll1]
Spiritual Weapon: [roll2], [roll3]

[niks97cobra]

Dragul is getting quite annoyed and continues his assault.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
If Crit: [roll2] (I've been forgetting savage attack lol)

[Anubis Dread]

Knail had been in melee far more than he was comfortable this fight. At least they all seemed to be on their last legs.

Lunging forward, the sorcerer attempted to sweep a hand full of lightning at the immediate threat.


Shocking Grasp: [roll0]
Hit: [roll1] and can't take reactions for one round.
Crit: [roll2]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elven Bard

"Time to put you in the dead-book!" Lucia shouts as she lunges at the bandit chief. Unfortunately, good intentions don't do much good when your sword goes awry.


Move
See map

Action
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Foodle]

As Osrik's spell slams into the fleeing bandits back, the glowing pebble winks out, covering the area in darkness and the sound of rain. "Ohohoho! It's like that then?" he says with a mad laugh before launching into a whirl of weaponry at his attackers, seemingly unconcerned with the change in lighting. The archer continues to struggle to lift his hand to his quiver, finally breaking the spell as he draws an arrow.

Bandit 3: Multiattack

Shortsword @ Dragul: [roll0]; HIT!
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Shortsword @ Lucia: [roll3]; HIT!
Damage: [roll4] | If Crit: [roll5]

Dagger @ Knail: [roll6]; HIT!
Damage: [roll7] | If Crit: [roll8]

Bandit 5: Nothing

Save against DC 14: [roll9]; SUCCESS!

The Party's Turn

[Anubis Dread]

"Damn it just die already!" Knail cursed as he unleashed more lightning on the bandit.


Pretty sure Tieflings have Darkvision, so if the bandit is human I should get Advantage on the roll since I can see him but he can't see me. If he isn't human it instead balances out.

Shocking Grasp: [roll0], [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit: [roll3]

[niks97cobra]

"Well fought duel, time to die!"

Att: [roll0]
Dam: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

[r2d2go]

Osrik points at the last bandit, shooting holy fire at it and finishing him.

Sacred flame: [roll0], [roll1]
Spiritual Weapon (if it can) [roll2], [roll3] - unneeded :smallbiggrin:

[Foodle]

The last bandit falls and nothing else around you seems to be moving. Lucia's tent has arrow holes through it and Knail's is a crumpled heap on the ground with the scared Candy huddled inside it still. The rain continues to fall, but the lightning has eased up with the thunder sounding off in the distance. As far as you can tell it's still about three hours until daylight.

[r2d2go]

Osrik sighs and motions towards his tent. Lemme say a prayer o' healin'.

Channel Divinity to get people to half, then Prayer of Healing to heal all for [roll0], then patch up any remaining wounds with healer's kit for [roll1].

[Anubis Dread]

Looks like they were all down. Good. They'd caused him far more injury than he liked. Which was to say he liked not being injured at all and they'd wounded him pretty badly.

"Candy, set the tent back up and wait for me," Knail ordered. He needed to work out his frustrations somehow, and he preferred to do so by drinking and making merry until he forgot what he'd been mad at to begin with. While she was doing that though... his funds were somewhat low. Perhaps these highwaymen had some money on them.


Investigation: [roll0]

[niks97cobra]

Dragul assists in searching the bodies.

[roll0] Investigation

[Foodle]

You give the bodies a good once over, checking their pockets, feeling for concealed items or anything else stashed on their bodies. Mostly they just have the gear they're wearing and a few coins here and there. When you rip open the shirt of the bandit that tried fleeing you see that whole left side of his chest is covered in a tattoo depicting a winged snake/dragon in a circle eating it's own tail, it's scales actually hundreds of small overlapping runes. Also on his person is a waterproofed leather case the size of a small book, containing a small colour sketch of a middle aged woman dressed in an evening gown, her dark hair pulled back into a bun and also a smooth grey stone the size of a walnut carved with small symbols.

There is the gear they're wearing: Leather Armor x3
Studded Leather Armor x1
Chain Shirt x1
Spear x1
Carved Branch Great Club x1
Shortswords x2
Daggers x4
Handaxe x1
Longbow x2
Quiver of Arrows x2


Coins: 5gp, 37sp, 28cp
Silver Ring (5gp)
Picture of a woman
Carved Stone

Let me know what, if anything, you decide to take.

[Anubis Dread]

He had no need for weapons or armor. Knail did however have a great need for that gold, silver, copper and silver ring. Though he suspected that the other might content him on that. He supposed they might well need to split the goods, as frustrating as that was.

Still that symbol was... interesting. It seemed vaguely familiar in a way.


History and/or Religion: [roll0]

[niks97cobra]

"Coin! A succussful battle indeed."

Dragul studies the picture to see if he recognizes the woman.

[roll0] History

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

"Do ya often get knights of the cross-trade raiding your camp?" Lucia asks. "I've seen better security at a run-down kip in the Hive."

She goes through the loot to see if there's anything useful to her, but the only thing that looks like she can use is the studded leather armor. She's going to have to scrub it to get the smell of bandit out. She grabs a couple of daggers while she's at it.

[r2d2go]

After healing the party, Osrik grabs the chain shirt, looking it over intently. "It's na' tha' bes' quality, but it'll sell. Les' get some sleep, we've got tha' rest of tha' trip ta' make."

[niks97cobra]

Dragul settles back down. "Remind me to buy a pipe and some leaf in the next town. Help get back to sleep."

He drinks a bit from his flask instead.

[Anubis Dread]

Right. His tent was set back up, Candy was waiting, he was done. "Pick up everything that hasn't been already, we'll sell it at the next town. After that rest," Knail ordered his remaining servants before heading back to the tent. Nearly dieing did not leave him in a good mood. And if there was one thing he hated it was not being in a good mood. He'd have to make sure his mood was thoroughly changed before he got back to sleep.

[Foodle]

You've seen the serpent eating it's own tail before, or at least a version of it, nothing like this one with the runes though. Usually it's used a symbol referring to eternal renewal or the cyclic nature of time and events and is know as a Ouroboros. The picture doesn't seem to be of anyone famous and could possibly be the man's wife or mother depending on how long ago it was drawn.

You eventually get back to sleep and when you awake the rain has finally stopped but the sky is still overcast. The temperature already starting to heat up you pack your gear away and Knail's followers shoulder their now bugling packs and you leave the scene of the skirmish behind you as you set out northwest along the path on what promises to be a muggy, humid trek to Righson.

The road emerges from the tree's in the early afternoon and winds it way up and down rolling hills, through uncultivated countryside. Late afternoon you start to see signs of people again, rows of tree's planted along boundaries, tilled earth and whole paddocks of grains. Sam, an weathered old farmer passing the other way with his cart and mule, assures you the village is about an hour further on down the road.

The smoke from chimneys can be seen ahead of you and coming down a final hill, the village comes into view. It spreads out across 8 acres of land and in ringed in a wooden palisade roughly 10ft tall. The road passes through a gate, that stands open still, and directly through the middle of town, exiting another gate on the far side. You're pulled up short at the gate by a man in meticulously clean scalemail, carrying a halberd in his hand, with a short sword strapped at his waist and a metal pipe whistle on a cord around his neck.

"Woah now! Hold up there you folk," he says quickly taking in all your armor, weapons and the blood stains on Lucia's armor. "What's your business in Righson? We don't want you bringing any trouble you hear?"

[niks97cobra]

Not one to be the talkative type, Dragul speaks up as everyone else is silent, "I think I want some ale and a bed, is such an illegal activity here that you are yelling at us?"

[Foodle]

He squint at you some more for a few seconds before leaning back and setting the butt of his halberd on the ground. "Right. Well if it's ale you're after The Plum is where you'll be heading, only tavern in town. Just keep those weapons in their scabbards and don't go starting any trouble," he says glancing around Dragul and looking over Knail's two followers loaded down with spare weapons and armor. "Follow the path to the green and hang a right, it's the noisy building with the plum tree outside."

"You lot heading north to Lord Matherson's call then?" he asks relaxing some more and moving aside so you can file through the gate. Through the gate the road continues to weave its way towards the northeast, mostly wooden houses line the side of the road, some with signs dangling outside advertising their business. Torches are set in brackets every 100ft or so, but have yet to be lit. Alleys and side streets branch off at random, apparently such things as street planning weren't thought of before the buildings were built.

To Knail and anyone that rolls above a 12 on History (Assuming Knail would be well versed in the lords of the kingdom)

House Matherson
The Matherson's are one of the noble families that reside in and around Fort Tanner. Their main estate though is much further to the south towards Daggard and Khyber Pass, where they manage and oversee the area and it's operations. Most of the family doesn't actually live at their manor, preferring the comforts found in Fort Tanner or further south in Tolmaine.
Their main duty is maintaining the watch towers at the mouth of the pass and overseeing the many quarries in the area.

[Anubis Dread]

"We tend to march to our own beat. This is the first time we've heard of such a call," Knail admits. The door was now open. That was a good thing. He would have hated to flaunt his status to get inside. Then people would know to evacuate the local taverns, which was simply no fun at all.

A call from Matherson though? "Did something happen at the pass?" Knail deduced.

[Foodle]

"No no, i suppose you wouldn't have at that. Messenger only came through here couple of days ago, surprised you didn't run into him on the road," he says thoughtfully. "Word is the Lord's wanting to push through the pass and claim some of the land on the far side from the goblins, offering up some tempting coin for anyone that knows how to use a spear. Daresay that one could haggle out a bit more from the recruiters though," he says jerking a thumb in the direction of the Dragul is his plate armor.

"Fellow tacked up a flyer on the notice board at Pete's, uh The Plum, the tavern," he stammers out having to explain to you newcomers. "Right well, come on in. Gates close an hour after sundown and open back up at first light," he says with a look towards the horizon and the sun's fading light.

***

You leave the gate guard behind and head further along the path into the village. About 600ft along the road splits to run around the village green, a boy can be seen making his way along the main roads lighting the torches and a short way down a fork in the road to the right you can see what must be the tavern the guard talked about. The tavern is a two story wood and stone building that sits back from the road and is fronted by a grassed area split through with a cobbled path leading to the steps and the front entrance. A couple of grey haired men sit at a table outside under the plum tree smoking their pipes and playing cards in the light from a couple of candles. Quite a lot of noise is coming from inside as workers finishing up for the day come to have a drink or three.

Inside the tavern a bar, surrounded by men still in their working clothes, takes up most of one wall, a wooden plaque with some writing and three throwing knives hangs on the wall behind the bar. The rest of the room forms a rough U-shape around the the bar. A small raised platform sits empty against the other wall opposite and trestle tables and wooden bench seating are scattered around the rest of the open space. The tavern seems rather full given the size of the town and a group of about eight young men are busy getting drunk loudly and playing darts at the far end of the room. A happy looking bald barman is busy serving drinks at the bar, a wet rag draped over his shoulder and two red haired woman, that must be mother and daughter, rush around delivering drinks and food to the various tables.

[r2d2go]

Osrik shrugs and confers with all of his companions, figuring that a deadly battle is a good measure of how likely someone is to backstab you. "Think we shoul' help tha' locals? Clearin' goblins is usually a good deed, an' tha' coin might be decent." Assuming the idea isn't entirely abhorrent to the group, he walks up to the bar and gets a mug of ale, refills his flasks, and asks around. "We heard tha' lord wants ta' clear out tha' pass? Also, do ye' think ye' coul' point us ta' a place ta' buy an' sell armor an' such?"

[Foodle]

"Eh what pass?", "Lord Caspin? Whats all this now Pete?" a couple of the locals to your left add their queries to the bartender.

"You're misinformed master dwarf," the bartender says waving away the questions from the other two and pointing to a section of the wall near the exit with pieces of paper stuck to it. "That was Lord Matherson that posted for that, but you'd be meeting him and his two days north of here, near Fort Tanner. That lot over there have it in their heads to take his coin too," he gestures towards the group of young men drinking and playing darts.

Now that you're closer to the bar you can see that the plaque set on the wall behind the bar is in fact a trophy of a sorts marked as the Righson Fairday Knife Throwing Shield. Tacked onto the bottom of the shield are 27 small metal labels, 6 of the last 10 having Pete. S, stamped on them.

"Welcome to The Plum anyway, Pete Sutherland at your service," he says with a wink. "As to armor and such there's Stantos and Co. near the north gate, they carry a lot of general goods, basic blade and such. But if you're willing to pay a bit more for better quality..." he says slapping his hand down on the bar in front of you and sliding it away, revealing a throwing knife of excellent quality as one of the men that talked before rolls his eyes at the display. "Then go see Nigel, you would have seen him on the way in outside with Bert. His shop is near the western edge of the wall, hard to miss."

[Anubis Dread]

What a pitiful excuse for a bar. Only two bar wenches, both of whom were related ot the owner. A small area to revel in. Ale that didn't seem to be much stronger than juice that had been left in the sun. It was more than a dissapointed. Then again, it was still a step above the last tavern. And after their close call last night Knail had every intention of enjoying himself to the fullest.

"Goblins? Well yes I supposed we could use some more coin. Once we spend what we have of course," Knail suggests as he sits down at a table, his servants sitting around him. "Let's see, I didn't drink much today so... three barrels of ale should do it. And your finest meal that isn't still twitching," the Baron added as he got himself settled. First to drink and make merry. Then he could go about making a little mischief. He hadn't had a little bit of chaos in almost three days now, it was chafing at him.

[Foodle]

The older of the two serving woman looks up sharply as you order three barrels of ale unsure if you were serious or not. "Ha! I'll see the colour of your coin first!" she laughs, quickly doing some maths on her fingers as she tried to convert tankards to gallons to barrels. "It'll be 20 gold for the ale and the meals, and if you're planning to put away all that grog tonight, i'll have a platinum out of you as bond for possible damages," she states hands on hips waiting and hoping that you were just bluffing.

[Anubis Dread]

The tiefling laughed. "ONE platinum? Sure, why not," Knail let his laughter peter out into a chuckle as he handed over the money. More than a third of his wealth, but he hadn't had a good night out in some time. Though he would need to bring in some people from outside the tavern if he wanted it to be a truly enjoyable evening. It was a little bit of a sausage fest right now.

"Come on, sit down friends," Knail gestured with his head to the rest of the party. "I think we've all earned a night of revelry."

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

"A moment, ya bubber!" Lucia yells at Knail before turning back to Pete. "This cutter you mentioned, Nigel. How honest is he? Honest enough not to bob us, but not so honest that he won't try the cross trade? Or is he too honest for that?"

[r2d2go]

Osrik shrugs and goes off to sell his chain, and perhaps find some half-decent scalemail. I like drink as much as tha' next dwarf, but revelin', na' so much. I'm off ta' find better armor, dinnae burn tha' place down. We c'n find this Matherson on tha' morn.

Scale mail (200 gp), sell the Chain (+32.5 gp). How much money do we have, by the way?

[Foodle]

Pete looks at Lucia confused as he pieces together what she was actually saying, meanwhile the man at the bar that had spoken before just looks at her confused his mouth slightly open, "Hahaha! I didn't catch a word of that. Good luck to you Pete!" he says good-naturedly to the bartender before downing the last of his drink. "Yeah... i think. He wont cheat you if that's what your getting at lass, he's been working round here since before this place had walls," he says nodding while still giving the small lady in front of him a confused look.

The matron of the place sighs and takes Knails money, "Your meals will be out shortly," she says before heading towards some double doors set in the back wall leading to the kitchens and storage areas, wearing a satisfied smile on her face. She returns after a second and hands Pete the coins, he looks the group over once more and disappears out the back through the doors.

As the owner heads out back a fellow, with a his hair black hair slicked back and a sporting a goatee, leans back in his seat watching Pete's exit. Once the bartender is out of sight he spins around and helps himself to a place at your table. "Good sirs, welcome to our little backwater. Did my ears hear correctly and you are looking for a little fun?" he asks leaning across the table. "Alexandar has just the thing to liven up an evening," the man says placing a thin vial of purple powder on the table and spinning it around with his fingers before palming it away again.

"For a price of course," he says with a smile and another glance towards the door Pete had exited through.

Knail will recognise the the powder as the crushed root of the Silius bush. The powder is snorted and the effects usually take effect within 15min. It's a strong upper, with hallucinogenic properties if more than a single dose it taken. Though anymore than a single dose in a 24h period can lead to bad side effects or even death in rare cases.

Street level costs such as this vary from between 1-3gold a dose depending on quality and demand.

[Anubis Dread]

Oooo, that was definitely a way to spice up the evening. If there were more women and musicians in the bar Knail would be content, but as it was a little extra edge would turn a somewhat depressing party into something enjoyable.

"Feritch, go and sell the loot we gathered at that place that was mentioned before," Knail waved his servant away, trusting him to remember the details even though he didn't. Feritch was the one with a head for details after all. "Candy, go to our room and change into something a little more fun." Robes were all well and good for formal occasions and travelling, but being his only concubine he wanted her presentable. Had they booked a room yet? He supposed it was just a formality.

"So Alexander, how much for that small dose of fun?" Knail asked with a raised eyebrow.

[niks97cobra]

"I like a party as much as the next dwarf as well, but Knail, do you think THAT is a good idea? Don't ya got anything we can smoke and relax with? I'm not much on puttin' somethin' up my nose. A bit of grass will do me well." Dragul awaits an answer so that he can relax before bed, but he does help himself to one of Knail's barrels. Somebody has to drink it, no use letting it go to waste.

[Foodle]

Alexandar smiles at Dragul, "But of course, not everyone has the fortitude for the stronger stuff," he says with a shrug, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small pouch of halfling leaf the size of your palm which he tosses to Dragul. "Five silver for the pouch. The Silius though will set you back six gold for the vial or if you're just after some fun tonight, two gold will get you enough to see you happy til morning," he says again spinning the vial on the table in front of him between his fingers.

"Just a word of warning. Don't go smoking that in here, if you want to smoke you do it outside or Pete'll kick up a fuss," he tells Dragul while Knail decides.

There looks to be enough in the vial for 4 doses, so you save money if you buy in bulk :smallsmile:

There's also a small crude pipe in the bag of halfling leaf. It's nothing fancy, but will do the job.

[niks97cobra]

Dragul sets a gold piece down and walks out side with the halfling leaf. He strikes a match and gives it a try. If it is a worth while leaf, he goes back in and requests another bag, "Some more for the road."

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

Parties are all well and good, but business first. Lucia follows Osrik on his shopping trip, seeing if the merchant is dishonest enough to sell some tools of the cross trade: lockpicks and such.

[Anubis Dread]

Six gold for four doses... interesting. That'd be more than enough for everyone brave enough to actually use it. On the other hand it'd be nice to have some for the road. He doubted the man had more than one vial though.

"I'll take it. And two more if you have them," Knail replied. If something was worth indulging in, it was worth overindulging in. That was how he dealt with life anyway. Then again, that was mostly because the world was going to blow up in about five or so years anyway. He'd probably be a little more careful if he thought it actually mattered.

[Foodle]

"Two more?" Alexandar asks stunned for a second before laughing and sliding the first vial across the table. "You should pass through here more often my friend! If i had known you were coming i'd have been more prepared. Unfortunately i have only enough for another vial, but i can have it here by tomorrow morning for you," he offers shaking his head and still chuckling to himself and collecting the six gold.

The double doors open again accompanied by the sound of liquid sloshing and Pete comes back in with a 31 gallon barrel of beer, branded with his seal and still cold from the cellar. The eyes of most of the people in the tavern follow its progress across the room to your table. "Alex! You better not be selling that junk in here?" he growls at Alexandar, who quickly stands up with his hands raised to the sides. "Peace Pete, you know i don't do that stuff no more. You can search me if you want?" he bluffs stepping towards Pete, who just grunts angrily turning back to the barrel and motioning to another patron to help him lift it into the cradle before quickly tapping it. Alexandar turns back towards Knail, rolls his eyes and mouths tomorrow before heading out the door.
Suddenly Knail finds himself with a few new friends at his table as Pete brings over the first round of flagons.

Outside, night has finally completely fallen, only the light escaping buildings windows and the torches set along the path leading back to the green provide light. The old men are still at their table smoking and playing cards, the bartender had said one of them was Nigel, the smith you were after.

Feritch heads on out loaded down with the extra gear, back towards the green and then northwards, in search of Stantos and Co. and willing to go banging on doors if the shop was already closed, which he suspected would be the case.

Dragul follows you out a short while later and lights up his pipe. It's not the best he's ever had, but it's not bad either and he lets out a contented sigh.

[Anubis Dread]

Ah, three barrels of the good stuff. A vial of the even better stuff. His concubine on his lap and a bunch of new friends wanting to share the revelry. He'd missed this. Unfortunately he was attempting to fly a little bit under the radar right now, otherwise it wouldn't be such a small and boring party. But a party it still was, and Knail was content to have it.

He of course shared the ale freely and drank plenty himself. Figuring he could turn the situation to his advantage, he also asked some questions regarding their ultimate destination and the goblins. His coin purse was going to feel rather light if this kept up, so any chance to replenish it was welcome.


Persuasion: [roll0]. If all of the free booze and partying gives advantage, then also [roll1].

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

Lucia partakes a little in the partying, albeit sparingly. She knows that a girl has to be careful if she wants to stay safe. But a bit of drink, and a little coaxing, and she's willing to share a song or two. Some of her father's standbys, such as "The Shepherd's Dog" and "There's a Drow in the Kitchen," and one dirty little number she wrote herself called "The Jinkskirt's Lament."

After that, she calls it a night. She has some shopping to do in the morning.

[r2d2go]

Osrik returns from his armor sale to make sure nobody goes too crazy, helping the barkeep and family deal with drunk and rowdy patrons.

[niks97cobra]

Dragul settles in for the night in his room once he is sufficiently relaxed. He tries not to get to crazy, for a dwarf.

[Foodle]

Lucia's music was well received and by the third pass at The Jinkskirt's Lament, most of the partygoers where singing along. As she left for bed, alone, there were a few disappointed faces from the younger attendee's and cries of being soft little elf from some of the others. But turning in early paid off the next morning when you wake with no hangover, feeling refreshed and are able to tiptoe round the unconscious forms in the front yard and go find Nigel's shop before anyone else is awake.

Dragul heads to bed early to, but no one dares to call the dworc names. A couple of loud crashes and bursts of yelling wake him a couple of times in the night, but other than that he slept peacefully thanks to his new supply of leaf.

Osrik was hard pressed sampling the ale himself and trying to stop the human folk from getting to out of hand. He ended up drinking two men under the table when they challenged him to a drinking game and getting to know one of their friends, one of the youths heading to Matherson's to take his coin as an archer, a well spoken 17 year old boy who's name eludes you but who helped you break up fights and carry people out of the tavern all night.

Knail wakes up tangled in his sheets, one arm numb tucked against his body at an awkward angle. Soft snoring can be heard coming from a red headed female face down on the floor next to him and the broken pieces of a round of cheese are scattered over his bed and through his hair. Candy sits on the other side of the bed throwing up into a bucket, and a half filled mug of ale sits on the stand next to her.

The night turned out to be one of the biggest parties of the town this year, attracting even more people to the crowded tavern once dark had set in and word had got out about a rich adventurer shouting free ale. As you make your way downstairs the place is still a mess, tables have been dragged all over the place, there's beer, blood, food and discarded tankards all over the floor. One bench stands propped against the wall and there's somehow a hole in the floorboards. "One hell of a night," Pete greets you as you come down. "Not too bad though thanks to Tommy and Osrik there. A broken bench, a couple of floor boards, a tap and a bottle of my spirits are missing by my count. Could have been a lot worse."

He hands Knail back eight gold from his bond and wishes you the best on the road. As you exit he puts out a sign that says "Closed for the Day" and shuts the door.

Feritch brings back 90 gold in a small pouch, which he hands to Knail. For the nicked, scratched and bloodstained weapons and armor it's probably a good deal.

What did Lucia want to buy? If it's standard gear she'll be able to find it at Nigel's.

Done in town and what's the plan? Fort Tanner and the spot Matherson said to head to are both northeast along the same road for a few of days, though you turn off south to House Matherson's Fort Tanner lands after two days. Fort Tanner is another two days further north east.
I should point out also, since there seems to be a little confusion there, the goblins aren't a local threat. Why Matherson is calling in sellswords this far north from the pass is anyone's guess. The pass itself is roughly 9-10 days march south from Fort Tanner.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

Lucia borrows just enough of the party's loot to acquire what she needs, if anyone's willing to sell it.


OOC: I'd like to buy thieves' tools. Lucia has the proficiency, but I couldn't figure out a way to make sure she had the tools themselves.

[Anubis Dread]

Well that had been... SIGNIFICANTLY better than he'd expected from a town of this size and a tavern of this quality. It had been just what he needed to unwind from all the travel and fighting he'd had to do lately. What's more with just the fight from yesterday he'd earned far more back than he'd spent on ale, drugs and whores. Though to be fair he hadn't spent anything on whores this time, otherwise he would have woken up with at least six other women in the room. On the other hand, it was kind of embarrassing to only deal two gold worth of damage to the bar. He was getting sloppy.

Knail hands ten of the ninety gold he received selling the loot to each member of his party (he HAD taken a larger share to sell off and split after all, but a chunk of it was still his share by right), and after getting Candy taken care of, Feritch to put some clothes on and waiting for Toris to finish converting the very few people who still believed in his little cult while sober Knail finished his little drug deal arranged the night before and headed off with the others.

[r2d2go]

Osrik stays a few minutes to patch up wounds and help repair furniture, then shoulders his pack and sets off with the rest of the party. Well, tha' went 'bout as well as I coul' expect. Les' go smash the' faces o' some gobs.

[Foodle]

Lucia finds Nigel smithy easy enough due to following the sound of his hammer in the early morning stillness. He looks rather confused at what you want from him, but after you mime out and eventually sketch the rough shape of what you're after it dawns on him what the hell the cross trade was and he returns with a set of thin wires and picks of various shapes and sizes which he sells to you for a fair price.

The group meets back up and you make your way from the tavern, through the village green, past a sign post that had been ripped out of the ground and north towards the other gate. A different gate guard stands watch here and his face looks familiar, perhaps you'd met him last night. Dragul, remembering he wanted to buy some caltrops, spins on his heel and heads for Stantos and Co., which you'd just passed. He returns a couple of minutes later and you head out onto the road.

It's a two day march to the turn off towards the Matherson's property and two hours later you see some figures walking on the road ahead of you. When you get closer it's just Tommy and three of his friends that were playing darts earlier in the night. They explain the other's must have chickened out, as they hadn't shown up to leave in the morning, and decide to walk with you as they attempt to match the group's pace. They're not much to look at; Tommy carries a hunting bow, quiver and a knife. His friends between then have one set of old leather armor, a homemade shield, a couple of hand axes and a sling. Tommy lets out a slow whistle of admiration when he see's Osrik's golden armor. "See guys, this is what we have to look forward to. This is just the start, once we mop up these goblins, we'll have enough coin to outfit our group and go hunting riches like these fine folk," he explains to his friends.

They day turns hot quickly and the march becomes horrible for those hungover as the alcohol sweats out of you. You stop on the far side of a bridge crossing a 10ft wide stream in the late afternoon to set up camp for the night. The boys, not having tents of their own just dump their gear under a tree and rush to the stream for a swim.

Lucia should have gotten the gear from her starting package/background as well as 100gp to spend on other stuff. You could have brought it with that, or if you forgot about that, you're now 100gp richer :smallsmile:

Got Dragul some Caltrops, they're 1gp

Also added another tab to the google doc sheet (Tracker in my signature) which has all the loot in. Feel free to move things around. Technically the gems and such are Dragul/Osriks, so you can decide who's carrying what. Some is also unassigned for now and is being carried by the Knail's cultists. Some some rolls to see how trustworthy with money they are...
[roll0], [roll1], [roll2]
[roll3], [roll4], [roll5]
[roll6], [roll7], [roll8]

[Anubis Dread]

Rule number one of any hedonist - always carry a spare drink. Pulling a flask out of his pack, takes a rest under a tree and sips it gingerly while getting a shoulder rub from Candy and supervising his other cultists arranging the other things for the break. He wished he could follow more than just rule number one. With his cult broken down to just these three travelling with him he was breaking a hell of a lot of rules right now. Most notably 'never have fewer people than the ones who might come by to stop a riot' and 'always have at least one girl for every day of the week'. His servants were worth three men and women a piece, but they were overworked for being a part of a cult that lauded itself on being a haven for the lazy.

"Ten gold says they all die in their first battle," Knail remarks as he sees the idealistic boys splashing around. Though honestly he hoped they survived more than that. If they did their spirits would broken. He could easily convert them and get a few more cultists to divide up the labor further. He knew he was trying to travel right, but three faithful was just too few.

[r2d2go]

Osrik chuckles at Tommy's excitement. "Dinnae think ye c'n jus' go off ta' adventure an' let tha' gold rain. It's a dangerous job, an' many o' tha' lads I know died tryin'." With this, his facial features darken and he pulls of a glove to show the scar left from the altar. "Me, Dragul, an' a couple o' other lads, went ta' find tha' Forever Stone. At one point, we had ta' sacrifice on a altar ta' keep goin'. Turned out it dinnae need a life, jus' blood, but it sucked half tha' blood out o' me arm an' left me wit' a curse - until I c'n find a high priest ta' heal tha' wound, I cannae do quite tha' things I used ta'. An' we dinnae even find tha' blasted stone." Osrik chuckles again, and shrugs. "Ye' might make it, but ye' might want ta' think twice 'fore doin' anythin' suicidal. Jus' sayin'.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

"You'll not bob me with that bet," Lucia tells Knail. "Those berks don't have the wits between them that three blind cranium rats would."

She's finally gotten the studded leather scrubbed and fitted to her liking, and she's been wearing it most of the day. It's not as comfortable as her astral eel pants and jacket, but it will do.

[niks97cobra]

"Should we stay with them? They are quite loud.." the half-orc complains.


Carrying loot
Dragul would never allow the cultists to have any of the previous adventures loot, and would insist on either he or Osrik carrying it.

[Foodle]

A scream of horror rings out from the stream and frantic splashing can be heard. "Help! It's got Jacob!" Tommy's voice can be heard shouting back towards you. As you look over you can see one of the boy's tangled in a large clump of vines and branches that's just sitting in the middle of the river unmoving with the two other boys tugging at Jacob's exposed arm, struggling to pull him free and keep him above the water.

"It's alive! I saw it grab him," Tommy yells at you as he rushes to the tree where there gear is and grabs at his bow.

You guys: [roll0]
Shambling Mound: [roll1]
The Boys: [roll2]

Boy's -> The Party -> Mound

[Foodle]

Tommy quickly strings his bow and rushes in closer to get a clear shot at the mound. "I'm not crazy!" he yells back at you.
Standing on the bank he pulls back the string and lets loose at the mound of vegetation which jerks back suddenly as the metal tipped arrow sinks into it. Rodrick and Ben, still in the stream, continue trying to free their unconscious friend from the tangle before he drowns and the manage to pull him free, his bleeding from a gash of his stomach and his arm looks broken, but he's free.

Tommy: Shortbow @ Shambling Mound

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Rodrick: Help Ben (Advantage)

Ben: Pull Jacob free.

Strength Check (DC 14): [roll3] | [roll4]

Just gonna draw up the map now if anyone is reading this... Done

The Party's Turn

[Anubis Dread]

Seriously? Knail sighed, not even bothering to stand up. A plant monster. The best thing for that would be fire... except that it was water logged, meaning that might not be the case. Lightning was a safe bet, but could end up hurting the boys... so lightning was a safe bet. But perhaps something less conductive would be better.

Raising his ring, Knail shot off a bolt of sound at the creature.


Chromatic Orb (Sonic), using Tides of Chaos to get Advantage.

Attack: [roll0], [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] sonic.
Crit: [roll3]

Wild Magic: [roll4]

[r2d2go]

Osrik frowns, then raises his hand and shouts "Guidin' Bolt!"

Guiding bolt: [roll0], [roll1]

[niks97cobra]

Dragul moves into attack, swinging his battle axe.

Attacks
Att: [roll0]
Dam: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

Action Surge
Att: [roll3]
Dam: [roll4]
Crit: [roll5]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

"Glad I didn't take that bet. I'm not so sure those berks will make it through the day," Lucia mutters as she gets to her feet. She draws her sword as she closes in on it, but can't get close enough to strike. Instead she can only shout an insult.

"Hey, you addle-coved treant wannabe!" she shouts. "Lose your shepherd?" Of course, the insult only makes sense if you've heard her father's story about a shambling mound. Magic laces the insult, though, so it doesn't have to make sense.

Then again, maybe it would help if it did. The mound shows no sign of being affected.


Move
See map

Action
Use vicious mockery on mound
[roll0]
On hit, [roll1] pyschic damage and disadvantage on next attack

[Foodle]

The mound of floating vegetation flinches back from Dragul's axe as it cleaves into some of it's roots and vines. Rearing up from the water to tower over the warrior, part of the dripping mound whips towards Dragul attempting to smother him in plantlife. Dragul dodges and another arrow comes flying in from the bank to sink into the mound as the other boys drag their friend free of the water and rush to arm themselves.

Shambling Mound: Multiattack
Slam @ Dragul: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Slam @ Dragul: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] | If Crit: [roll5]



Tommy: Shortbow @ Mound
Attack: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7] | If Crit: [roll8]

Rodrick: Disengage
Run back to the tree and pick up his shield and handaxe.

Ben: Disengage
Drag Jacob out of the water and up onto the bank.

Jacob: Death Save
DC 10: [roll9]


The Party's Turn

[Anubis Dread]

Huh. This piece of wood was tougher than he'd thought. Still he was in no danger, so might as well just keep plucking away at it while the others wrestled it.

Raising his ring, Knail shot off another burst of sound.


Chromatic Orb (Sonic): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]
Wild Magic: [roll3], Tides of Chaos is recharged/

[r2d2go]

Osrik mutters a word to heal the unconscious mercenary before firing another blast.

Healing Word: [roll0]
Guiding Bolt [roll1], [roll2]

[niks97cobra]

Dragul swings hard, happy to be showing off for the young kids.

Att: [roll0]
Dam: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

Lucia closes in on the monster and screams, only it's not a normal scream--it's louder, more powerful, stronger. Water rushes aside and the shambling mound quakes, but it doesn't move.



Move
See map

Action
Use level 2 thunderwave. I'm not quite sure of the shape of this one. It's a 15' cube originating with the caster, but I'm not sure whether that puts the caster at the center, the face, or the corner of the cube. In any case, I think I positioned Lucia so she won't hit anyone but the shambling mound.
[roll0]
[roll1]
On save, half damage. On no save, pushed 10 feet.
EDIT: I seem to be rolling great for the monster's saves.

[Foodle]

Jacob bolts upright into a sitting position coughing out water as Osrik's healing mends the worst of his injuries. He looks back towards the stream and the blood drains from his face. Scrambling to his feet he bolts to the safety of the tree. The creature vines creak and crack under the assault and it reaches for the new source of pain and damage to it's body, but is just too slow and the half-elf easily swats aside the grasping arms. Another arrow comes flying in, joined shortly after by a sling stone and the splash of another body entering the water.

Shambling Mound: Multiattack
Slam @ Lucia: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Slam @ Lucia: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] | If Crit: [roll5]

Seems i can't roll any better for their attack rolls either. Double miss.

Tommy: Shortbow @ Shambling Mound
Attack: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7] | If Crit: [roll8]

Rodrick: Move
Charge back towards the fight

Ben: Move & Sling @ Shambling Mound
Run to the remaining weapons and grab his sling, then run back to the bank.
Attack: [roll9]
Damage: [roll10] | If Crit: [roll11]

Jacob: Run away!
The Party's Turn

[r2d2go]

Osrik, seeing that they can most likely slowly whittle away at the creature, simply summons holy fire and saves his spells for healing.

Sacred Flame: [roll0], [roll1]

[Anubis Dread]

He didn't want to use anymore magic. What if they ran into something more threatening than a big clump of seaweed? Knail lazily tossed a small orb of acid at the thing.


Acid Splash: [roll0] save.
Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

[niks97cobra]

"Kill the bush!" Dragul cheers on the young guys as he wildly swings.

A: [roll0]
D: [roll1]
C: [roll2]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

Her magic having failed her twice, instead Lucia tries a less mystic approach and just stabs the piking thing. She can't seem to find any vitals beneath all those vines, however.

Then she shouts her encouragement to Dragul. That, or she's cursing him in elven--it's hard to tell. Either way, Dragul feels more capable of taking on the oversized shrubbery.




Action
[roll0]
[roll1]

Bonus Action
Use bardic inspiration on Dragul

[Foodle]

The shambling mounds twisting vines easily deflect the weapon attacks away from it's bulk and it launches itself back at Dragul, trying to wrap itself around the warrior. The first attempt failing as the dworcs axe slicing through the reaching vine, and the next one knocking him sideways as it connects against his armor. More missile's rain in from the shore and the splashing behind Lucia and Dragul resolves into the form of Rodrick who lets out a roar and hacks at the creature too. Meanwhile their rescued friend presses himself against the tree and peers past Knail, ready to bolt again should the mound leave the water.

Shambling Mound: Multiattack
Slam @ Dragul:
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Slam @ Dragul: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] | If Crit: [roll5]

Tommy: Shortbow @ Shambling Mound
Attack: [roll6]
Damage: [roll1d6+1 | If Crit: [roll7]

Rodrick: Move & Handaxe @ Shambling Mound
Attack: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9] | If Crit: [roll10]

Ben: Sling @ Shambling Mound
Attack: [roll11]
Damage: [roll12] | If Crit: [roll13]

Jacob: Cower behind Knail
The Party's Turn

[Anubis Dread]

This thing was tougher than he thought... a part of Knail wondered if he should be expending more energy on killing it. Then again, HE wasn't the one getting wailed on. And even if it killed some people, there'd still be a few more chumps between him and it. More acid it was!


Acid Splash Save: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[r2d2go]

Osrik, deciding not to let the boys do more than him, fires off another bolt of light.
Guiding Bolt: [roll0], [roll1]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

Lucia follows Osrik's attack with another stab at the creature. Finally, her blade slips past the vines and hits something resembling vitals. She hopes.


[roll0]
Second roll for advantage: [roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]

[niks97cobra]

Dragul continues to attack the mound, confident he can take this creature out without any special tactics.

A: [roll0]
D: [roll1]
C: [roll2]

[Foodle]

The shambling mound rears up out of the water and slams down at Lucia, collapsing around her and entangling her in vines and grasping roots, as it swallows her whole into it's body.

"Nooo!" Rodrick yells slashing furiously at the creature's moss covered back with his handaxe. Tommy and Ben's missiles harmlessly splash into the water as they quickly avert their shots, unsure what to do and unwilling to accidentally shoot the woman.

Shambling Mound: Multiattack
Attack @ Lucia: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Attack @ Lucia: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] | If Crit: [roll5]

Tommy: Shortbow @ Shambling Mound
Attack: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7] | If Crit: [roll8]

Rodrick: Handaxe @ Shambling Mound
Attack: [roll9]
Damage: [roll10] | If Crit: [roll11]

Ben: Sling @ Shambling Mound
Attack: [roll12]
Damage: [roll13] | If Crit: [roll14]

Jacob: Frightened

Lucia is "Engulfed", by both attacks hitting you you became grappled and it gets to use the below ability on you.

Engulf The shambling mound engulfs a Medium or smaller creature grappled by it. The engulfed target is blinded, restrained, and unable to breathe, and it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw at the start of each of the mound's turns or take 2d8 + 4 bludgeoning damage. If the mound moves, the engulfed target moves with it. The mound can have only one creature engulfed at a time.

You other's don't have line of sight to her to heal etc. (and your attacks wont hit her, that was just fluff)

I'm not sure if you are able to free yourself or not, as engulf seems to be something completely separate from grapple and i'm imagining you essentially swallowed by the mound. If you use your action and can beat it in a Strength contest, we'll say you tear yourself free from the inside. The Mound's STR modifier is +4 if you want to roll both (if the other's don't manage to kill it before then)

The Party's Turn

[r2d2go]

Osrik's face goes white and he runs forward to deliver a prayer of healing.

Move as shown, Channel Divinity to heal Lucia to half.

[niks97cobra]

Dragul is surprised Osrik cares about the closet sleeper. The half-orc continues to attack the shambling mound, "Save her!"

A: [roll0]
D: [roll1]
C: [roll2]

[Anubis Dread]

Alright this was getting ridiculous. Conserving resources was all well and good, but this had gone on for way too long. Raising his ring, Knail sent out a huge blast of sonic energy at the creature.


Casting Chromatic Orb (Sonic) our of a 2nd level slot. Using Tides of Chaos to gain advantage.

Attack: [roll0], [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit: [roll3]
Wild Magic: [roll4]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic! Lucia tells herself. It would be a lot easier if she could piking breathe! How did the Shepherd get out of the shambling mound. She seems to remember that he somehow started a fire--that hardly seems like a good option now. Instead, she struggles and fights and tries to break herself out.

When that fails, she yells: "Get me out of here, ya berks! Knail, you better be magicking up a storm!"

Then, the whole creature suddenly thrums, and slumps over and stops moving. Encouraged by its apparent demise, Lucia pushes and pulls and forces her way through the vines until she at last emerges, panting.

"Addle-coved, overgrown shrubbery! If I never see another shrub again, it'll be too soon."


Ignore--the creature died while I was still working on this post.

Action
[roll0] vs [roll1]
Try to break out

Bonus action
Bardic inspiration on Knail

[roll2] vs 14

[Foodle]

Rodrick helps pull the last of the mound from Lucia and what was the mound, begins to float down stream to the north, breaking up and spreading out over the water as it goes. "It's dead?" Tommy asks tracking the remains as it drifts away. "Haha! Back to the nine hells with ya, ye beastie!" Ben yells flinging another stone after it. "Was it really a demon?" Tommy asks extending a hand to help pull Dragul, Lucia and Rodrick from the stream.

[r2d2go]

Osrik shakes his head as he patches up wounds. "Devils an' tha' like are smarter than tha' an' tend na' ta' be plants. Probly jus' a plant monster."

Healing Kit: Lucia [roll0], Dragul [roll1], Boy [roll2]

[niks97cobra]

"Aye, lad, it was a demon. It shall haunt the world no more," Dragul says, trying to sound like a wise, experienced dwarf.

[r2d2go]

Osrik whacks Dragul gently over the head. "Don' scare tha' lads, Dragul. Sorry lads, Dragul tries ta' connect wit' 'is dwarf wisdom, but tha' Orc blood dinnae help. He's a good lad, smart on tha' battlefield, but needs more temple learnin'."

[Anubis Dread]

"It was just a bunch of seaweed. Animated, deadly seaweed," Knail replies, sighing in relief as he let Candy get back to work. He hadn't even stood up during the entire encounter. "That was child's play compared to most of what you'll be seeing up ahead though."

[niks97cobra]

Dragul laughs as Osrik tries to reach his head. "It was an evil demon of the forest that would have turned the woman into acorns."

Dragul tries to act big and scary and talk with a deep voice.

[Foodle]

Rodrick just stalks out of the water, looking rather shocked after the fighting had stopped and Ben and Tommy look between Dragul and Osrik, unsure who to believe, but hoping that Osrik's version was right. "Well i think i'd like to find another spot to sleep at before the sun's gone. Somewhere a bit further away from the water," Tommy says heading back over to make sure Jacob was ok.

"We showed that thing what's what now didn't we? All them spells flying around, i aint never seen any magic more than was used to light a fire afore. An' you mister Dragul, sir. That thing couldn't touch ya, reckon you could teach me a couple of moves?" Ben prattles on going to pick up Jacob axe by the tree and doing some practice chops with a serious look on his face.

Jacob gets up and brings Lucia a blanket as she makes her way over still wet from the river, "It's horrible isn't it? I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move! If Rodrick and Ben hadn't have grabbed me when they did, it would have eaten me whole," he says with a shudder.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

"Thank ya, lads," Lucia says as she accepts the blanket. "You're all right cutters, aren't ya now? Yeah, that was a nasty piece of work, there. An' don't listen to that half-orc berk over there. He doesn't know when to stop rattling his bone box. That thing there was a shambling mound. Never seen one before, but I've heard stories. Chant is that they're just big plants, more instinct than brains. Not like devils at all. Them I've met. Most of them would just as soon put you in the dead-book as look at ya, but they're smart too, and like to play with their victims."

[Anubis Dread]

"Another spot? This place is perfectly safe! Who'd be stupid enough to sleep near a river known for having a shambling mound! Now that it's dead nothing should bother us," Knail noted. Either not noticing the irony in the statement or simply not caring.

Still he wasn't about to start arguing the matter. It seemed like it'd be easier to convince a brick wall to move than these simpletons budge on anything. "Feritch, gather our things," Knail sighed reluctantly, clapping his hands as he gave the order.

[niks97cobra]

"I can't teach ya' how to become a dwarf but I sure can spare with ya," Dragul suggests. "Just make sure you keep a better watch out fer those bush demons."

He adds, "I dunno, I think this place is fine."

[Foodle]

You end up moving another 500m down the road and finding another spot to set up your tents and Ben earns a few more bruises as Dragul shows him what not to do with an axe. Over dinner Tommy and Ben explain how the the four of them had planned to go join the army in next spring, but this offer from Lord Matherson had come along out of the blue and they'd decided it wouldn't hurt to get some hands on experience and perhaps earn a position among his household guards, which would no doubt pay a lot better than anyone would earn in Fort Tanner's standing army. Jacob and Rodrick remain rather silent through all this and head to their sleeping rolls shortly after.

The night passes uneventfully and in the morning Jacob gathers his things and clears his throat before talking to Tommy and the group. "I don't think i thought this through properly, it's not like the stories at all. I'm going to head back to Righson, Jenny's there and..." "I'll go back with him too," Rodrick says standing and going to collect his few things. Moving over to Ben he passes him his shield, "Don't go dying out there, you still owe me money," he says with a glum smile.

"Anytime you're in town you're welcome at my place," Jacob offers the group as they wave goodbye.

***

Around midday you come to an spot where the road is joined by a rutted track heading south that appears to be quite well used. Ben points out that that's the path they'd be taking as it heads to the Matherson's place the flyer had said to meet at.

If you went south with the boy's you'd reach the estate either late tonight or early the next morning. Fort Tanner is still a good two days further along the road.

[niks97cobra]

"I dunno about you, but I have no need for quick coin, I'd rather continue on to the Fort, so we can get closer to finding this tower," Dragul says.

[r2d2go]

Osrik shrugs. "It's na' really 'bout tha' coin. I've no love fer goblinkin, an' I'd like ta' help people take tha' land goblins infect. An' if tha' duke is rich 'nuff ta' hire us, he might have a map - remember we dinnae actually know where tha' tower is. It's faster ta' go ta' him than tha' fort, too, an' we might be gettin' further from tha' tower by travelin' more. But, if ye really want ta' go straight ta' tha' fort, I'm na' against it."

[Anubis Dread]

"But quick coin is the best coin!" Knail protested. "Trust me, I need that Forever Stone. But the world isn't going to end for at LEAST another five years. We should get some more coin so we can enjoy ourselves, then move back to being immortal so we aren't all consumed by the twisting shadows of chaos that will engulf and devour the world whole."

[niks97cobra]

"Five years? We could lose months fighting goblins, but as I seem out numbered, goblin slayin it is," Dragul sulks as the forever stone seems so, so far away.

[r2d2go]

Osrik pats Dragul on the back. "Don' worry lad, tha' Lord migh' have more knowledge ta' help us. Don' think of it as spendin' time on somethin' other than tha' stone, think of it as a diff'rnt way ta' get ta' it."

[Foodle]

You leave the road to Fort Tanner and head south with the boys, the path seems well used and in the early evening the land around you starts to be divided by low stone fences or rows of trees. Signs of grazing and left overs from the previous years farming can be easily seen in the paddocks. You spend the night camped in the grass on the side of the road and march on early the next morning, the manor become visible on the top a of a low hill in the distance, three stories high and constructed entirely from stone hauled from their quarries near the pass. A 5ft high wall rings the base of the hill, surrounding an assortment of smaller buildings and outside the walls twenty or so white tents are set up in neat rows in a field.

Decorative shrubs, carved into the likeness of animals line the last mile of the road and you're soon stopped by a group of three armed men in uniform marked with the crest of House Matherson, a pickaxe over grey and green. "Halt!" a short and somewhat round looking man with a couple of marks of rank on his shoulders, and streaks of grey at his temples, calls out to you holding up a hand as the trio walk towards you.

He looks you all over with a critical eye, judging your worth, his gaze lingering on Osrik's golden chain and his eyebrows raising questioningly at the sight of Lucia and Candy. "Welcome to Wilcox Manor. Brandon Matherson, heir to the House, is currently enlisting volunteers for a venture to the south. If you're here for that potential fighting men are to meet with Lt. Dovedale at the well," he says warmly though mainly to the armored forms of Dragul and Osrik.

"Camp... followers will need to be examined by the chief medic before being permitted to work. We wont have any diseases ruining our men. You can find him in the tent with red stripes," he says to Lucia and Candy with a look of distaste.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

Lucia actually giggles at the berk's condescension. She considers correcting him before sizing him up, and deciding he isn't important enough to be worth the effort to put him in his place.

Instead, she smiles sweetly and says, " Thank you, sir. I'll be sure to present myself to whoever I need to." In other words, not the quack who's feeling up the jinkskirts. She curtsies and follows the others, if necessary silencing Candy. If anyone needed a good once over from a doctor specializing in beneath the skirt diseases, it was her. Well her and Knail.

[Anubis Dread]

Let's see... he could either kill them all right here, or let them live. If he killed them he wouldn't be around to insult any of his loyal followers anymore. They could also loot the bodies of him and the other guardsmen, then back out and head back towards the Forever Stone and call it a loss. The other option is he could let them live. If he did this the guard WOULD be around to insult his cult further. But they could get paid, and there was no risk of death.

Knail sighed. "I'll let you off with a warning - don't insult my cult again," he told the guard sternly. "But yes we're here for the mercenary work. It seems we'll be heading to the well then."

[r2d2go]

Osrik returns the guard's smile, but not nearly as warmly. "Thank ye, sir, but as a ordained cleric o' Moradin I assure ye that my companions haf a clean bill o' health." Then, he starts walking.

[niks97cobra]

"Told ya we should have kept straight. Look at the shoddy craftsmanship of the manor. No dwarves put that together, looks like poo," Dragul mutters loudly enough for everyone to hear.

[Foodle]

"Cultists?" one of the soldiers at the back asks his companion with a confused shrug. Then the short mans eyes bulge at Dragul's comment and his face flushes a deep red, "How- I we- yo-," he stammers as you walk past and the other two try calm him.

"I'll be watching you halfbreed! Such disrespect of the House wont be tolerated once you've signed on!" He calls out his promise after you, once he'd calmed down enough to get the words out.

***

Following the road, you can see a dozen wagons partially loaded near one of the stone buildings through the gate in the wall ringing the hill before you turn away from the manor and towards the tents. The tent village is orderly and clean. Neat rows of tents stand crisp, clean and pegged down into the grass, the space between tents shows signs of slowly being trod into mud and dirt after the rain a few days ago. On the far side of the camp the sound of arrows hitting targets and practise swords clacking on shields can be heard, accompanied by the shouted commands of an officer.
A few men in uniforms lounge around the place playing dice or repairing armor and clothes, and while there are enough tents set up for over a hundred men, not all of them seem to be occupied just yet. You spot the well in the center of one of the recently made paths and a man in his thirties playing with a golden haired dog, his desk and papers left unattended for the moment inside a tent with the front pinned up and open to form a awning and let in the fresh air.

He looks up as you approach and wipes off his hands on his pants as he stands and comes to greet you all, "Ah fresh meat!" he says jokingly with a grin shaking Osrik's hand in welcome. "Lieutenant Dovedale, nice to meet you all. We've got what? Nine of you? All looking to hire on?" he says with a questioning look to the unarmored forms of Tommy, Ben, Knail and his followers. "Right. So i'll need your names, any previous experience and any special skills you might have," he says waving for you all to follow him as he moves back over to his tent and takes a seat at the desk in the shade.

[r2d2go]

"Osrik Stonehammer, Cleric o' Moradin, combat medic, divine smiter, an' maker o' booze. Survived goblin wars, dragons, purple wurms, an' all manner o' deadly creatures. On tha' note, so has tha' lad o'er there, Dragul. We'd like ta' ask tha' Lord fer somethin' unusual, na' coin, as a reward fer helpin' ye wit' our exceptional skills. We've been travelin' wit' tha' mage there an' his... companions, an' tha' lass wit tha' rapier an' rapier wit, an' they might want part o' it too. Tha' other lads, we met that town over, so na' so much."

[Anubis Dread]

"Baron Knail Vix, Baron of the Vix Barony," Knail introduced himself smoothly. "The men and woman in the red cloaks are my personal religious followers. They don't do any fighting, nor would I ask it of them. They'll simply accompany me. As for my own talents... well I'm a leader of men that can make any man take an extra arrow or two before going down. I'm a twister of words that could decieve the most perceptive of opponents. I'm a brillant stragist, gentleman and scholar. Also I can blow stuff up with magic."

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

"Oh, me?" Lucia asks. "Well, I'm a right good cutter now, aren't I? I'm a fair hand with a rapier, and trained since childhood in the bardic arts. I can sing and play, and I also know the sort of magic to read men's minds or blast them with thunder, even patch them up again if need be. Also I might have some slight knowledge of the cross-trade, if you know what I mean."


OOC: Probably not, but I figured it's best that she not come right out and say that she's a thief.

[Foodle]

As Osrik rattles off his list of achievements and skills Dovedale quickly notes downs a few pieces of information and looks at another ledger on his desk before jotting down a few more words. "Dragons? That'll be a tale to hear," he says eventually, looking up and rocking back on his chair legs as he listens to the rest of what you have to say. "What kind of unusual? I can't guarantee anything, Lord Angus Matherson is at his residence near Khyber Pass, but i might be able to get you an audience with his son Brandon if i think it's worth disturbing him."

When Knail starts talking he can't help but let out a laugh. "Ha! Forgive me if i have my doubts about that. Why would a Baron be traveling by foot, and wanting to sign on for some mercenary work? 'Twisting of words' alright. Well i don't care what you want to claim to be, though i wouldn't go claiming such things around Brandon unless you can back them up. Either way mages are always a welcome addition. Though we wont have any freeloaders, if your followers are to stay you'll need to see the quartermaster and pay their way."

"Yes you, do you have a name?" he replies to Lucia. "You sound like you're a deft hand at pretty much everything. Have you led a command before?"

Tommy and Ben step forward giving the Lieutenant a salute, "Tommy and Ben of Righson, to the south. Ben's been learning how to use that axe and i'm handy with a bow, sir. We've umm... We killed a shambling plant beast thing that tried to eat Jacob, our other friend. He went back with Rodrick though. We were all going to join together bu-"

"Peace!" Dovedale breaks in as Tommy starts to ramble. "It's clear you two are eager, but lack the experience. We'll need to whip you into form, that takes time. Time we don't have the luxury of. Take your gear and head to the training grounds and talk to Sgt. Wilson. Get him to put you through your paces and see if you'll be able to be ready in time." The boys quickly nod and disappear towards the sounds of fighting.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

"Ah, right," Lucia says. "My name's Lucia Thoene, and I've led a crew before, but it wasn't what you'd call a proper command. But we're not what you'd call proper soldiers. You could have us march in formation and whatnot, but we'd be more use to you and your lord as irregulars, going where normal soldiers can't go and doing what they can't do."


[roll0]

[Anubis Dread]

Knail just smiles, pulls out his certificate of birth, flashes it briefly and tucks it away again. Let him make of that as he will. That said the fact he was a noble was largely irrelevant now days. He could pull people in without having to tell them he had noble blood, and the actual barony itself wasn't exactly all of expansive even when it had been in constant use.

The quartermaster though? Very well. "You three go see the quartermaster," the tiefling advised his followers. "Oh and Candy, if he attempts to put you into any task where you'd need to check with that doctor first, come get me." Candy was his concubine and faithful companion. Not a camp trollop to be passed around.

[r2d2go]

We need directions. Tha destination, an' tha goal, tha's between me an' tha' lord, but trus' me, it's na yer average trip.

[Foodle]

He scribbles down Lucia's name in his book while he thinks and when Knail presents his proof, he gives it a quick read over before looking at the tiefling more closely as Osrik explains. "If you wait just a moment, i'll have Grant show them the way," he says as Knail instructions his followers. Standing and walking back outside, he whistles loudly and the dog comes running. A few moments later a uniformed lad of about 16 appears, "Sir?" he questions giving the group a curious look from the corner of his eye while staying focused on his superior.

"Run these three up to the quartermaster and then send a message to Lord Brandon. We have a Baron Knail Vix and some irregulars," he says with a glance to Lucia, "down here that don't want gold. But instead a chance to speak with him."

The nervous boy quickly repeats his orders back to Lt. Dovedale and then waving for them to follow after him, leads Knail's followers out and back towards the manor gates at a brisk walk. He returns 15 minutes later and whispers to Dovedale.

"Looks like you have your meeting, if you report to the manor just after midday the servants will see you to him. Until then, you're welcome to have a look around camp, wash up, relax or get something to eat - mess tent is the large one near the training grounds, it should have some left over breakfast, just don't go causing any trouble."

[Anubis Dread]

Knail somehow managed to avoid bursting into laughter. Him not cause trouble? Apparently his name wasn't nearly as famous as he thought. Still he had no intention of causing too much chaos until he was either useful enough they wouldn't just kick him out or about to leave anyway.

"Thank you," Knail forced out calmly. He might as well take advantage of the facilities and have a decent meal, and a... not even decent but still acceptable washing.

[r2d2go]

Osrik offers his expertise with healing kits to the doctors before regaling various mercenaries with stories of his personal experience with goblins and orcs, warning of underhanded tactics, ambushes and overwhelming swarms.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

Lucia joins Osrik, and in between stories, sings and plays for the soldiers.

[niks97cobra]

Dragul does not like this at all. He jots down on a piece of parchment that he wants to teach that guard a lesson. The dworc is happy that Osrik did the talking, but now they might not be getting coin to? He notes on the piece of parchment to bring up wanting some coin if the information doesn't lead them directly to the tower.

In the meantime before the meeting with Lord Brandon, Dragul fills up on leftovers and smokes a bit of his new leaf to relax him.

[Foodle]

The doctors turn out to be a single person, a halfling with glasses. He explains that they have only had superficial injuries so far and he hadn't really much to do to keep him occupied for the last few days. That is, until Ben shows up, his arm cradled before him and sweat pouring off his face. He gives Lucia and Osrik a strained smile and explains that he'd tried one of the techniques Dragul had shown him, but must have done something wrong, cause he'd been knocked over and hurt his arm. The doctor you both pop his shoulder back into place easy enough and send him back on his way.

In the mess tent you help yourselves to a meal of mashed vegetables, sausages and eggs. As you eat your meals a few other mercenaries start filtering in, looking to get in early for lunch. Word around the camp is that they'd be marching out in the next couple of days. Gregor and Dovedale were good leaders, but Clemin's, was an arse who only got the position because he was some second or third cousin to the Matherson's. Which unsurprisingly was the short pudgy man that greeted you when you arrived. No one's really sure why they're set to fight the goblins, but they're just goblins and it sounds like easy money to most of them.

***

As the Mess tent fills up some more, you grab what ever food you want and head out, stopping off at the well Knail and anyone else that desires to, washes their face and cleans the worst of the road from their bodies. Then onto the manor, the doors are open and the floor is polished, tapestries depicting great hunts and battles hang of the walls and it isn't long before a old servant quickly approaches you.

"M'lord Vix?" he inquires of Knail with a small nod before gesturing to a door off to the side of the entrance hall, "Right this way."

He leads ushers you all into a waiting room, a small bookcase takes up one wall and a couple of soft couches surround a small table which is set with some freshly baked bread, honey and a small glass pitcher of iced water. "Master Brandon is just finishing his lunch and will be with you shortly," he informs you before leaving out the door on the opposite side and closing it gently behind him.

If you want to hash out what you're asking of him in relative privacy before you meet him, now would be a good time. Or you can argue in front of him. Up to you :smallsmile:

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

Lucia lounges in one of the chairs, adjusting her skirt so it covers her knees. "So how do we want to deal with this berk?" she asks. "Are we gonna try to bob him, or play it straight? And I know you folks want the dark of abrawhatsit's tower, but a little jink wouldn't hurt either."

[Anubis Dread]

"Get paid as much as possible for as little work as possible. Do the job, get paid, then head off to our real objective much richer than we were before," Knail shrugs. "That's the plan as I see it. I don't see any reason to make it more complicated than that."

[niks97cobra]

"If he can't help us with the tower, I say we leave unless he offers some hefty coin," Dragul grumbles, dreaming of the forever stone. It seems as if he is getting more and more obsessed with reaching the treasure.

[Foodle]

A different servant enters in through the back door and gets your attention. He's an younger man with short blonde hair and an immaculately trimmed beard, he obviously takes pride in his appearance. He bids for you to follow him and waits to show you the way down a short corridor and into what appears to be an office of sorts. A man in his early 40's in dark green clothes, rings on his hands and a gold chain about his neck sits behind a large wooden desk. Windows take up most of the back wall letting in the midday light and look down the hill and out over the makeshift army camp. Sheets of paper are stacked to one side of the desk and a partially emptied glass of whiskey sits near his hand. This must be Brandon Matherson, the first son and heir of House Matherson.

Four chairs are waiting arranged in front of his desk. He squints at Knail as you enter then adjusts his rings, stands up and speaks. "Be welcome all of you. Baron Vix, what brings you and your men to my lands? My servants tell me you wish to fight?" He says shaking his head is dismay. "Anyway, be seated. Manfred, get our guests a drink," he instructs the blonde servant as he indicates a shelf of crystal decanters lining part of a wall and nods to the chairs before he sits back down into his chair.

[r2d2go]

Osrik raises his eyebrow at Matherson. We work wit' each other, na' for anyone. An' me an' Dragul are tha' ones with tha' request. Tha' other two coul' care less, far as I c'n tell. Anyway, we're lookin' fer somethin'. A tower, in... Well, best I jus' show ye. If ye coul' tell tha' servant ta' go..."

Assuming Matherson complies, and Dragul has no objections, Osrik pulls out the deed and shows him, careful to keep it firmly gripped.

"If ye c'n show a way ta' tha' tower, I'd be happy ta' provide my expertise fer no further charge. I dunno 'bout tha' others, but they all c'n handle them selves, better than me, even, though na' so much healin'. An' we c'n do a lot more than yer average merc. Tha' four o' us got ambushed while sleepin' by eight bandits on our way ta' tha' town we foun' tha' boys in. Includin' a mage, a half-orc, an' a elf. Got all of 'em, na' one of us dropped. So think on our help's worth, 'fore ye decide."

[Foodle]

Brandon looks to Osrik and ***** his head to the side for a moment considering the dwarf for the first time before waving absently for Manfred to wait outside should they need him. Pulling a pair of spectacles from a drawer he carefully reads over the deed before sitting back in his chair again, hands clasped on the desk before him, a look of deep thought on his face.

"Grotsby... That's an old name. If my memory serves, it was around long before the civil war that split the three cities. I remember my childhood tutor mentioning it in an example comparing... something. I don't remember. I might be able to get word to him for more information. But this still seems paltry recompense for risking your lives battling goblins," he explains.

Running his hands through his hair, he sighs and looks back to Osrik. "This is bad business on my part, as your help would be most welcomed," he says turning to face Knail. "But i met your father once, before that horrible incident, and it wouldn't sit well with me knowing i'd sent his last remaining son into danger under false hope," he says to the tiefling before addressing all of you.

"I can't guarantee that my tutor will know what or where you can find this tower. I actually can't even say for certain the old kook is still alive, he was in his fifties when he was employed by my father. So i insist of paying you at least the standard wage. Should, after our objectives through the pass are accomplished, there still be no word back. I can offer you a larger bonus. If you're all willing that is."

[Anubis Dread]

Knail had been about to say something flippant about the pay, but stopped himself. This man knew his father? ...that changed everything. There were very few things that could make Knail drop his persona and get serious, but an appeal to his family was one of them.

"Agreed. That seems a fair price," Knail replied. He decided not to mention he'd originally only been interested in the gold. It wouldn't reflect well on his dead family. "I need to ask what the standard wage is of course, but I'd consider it an honor to try and make your lands a safer place regardless of what information we gain on the tower."

[Foodle]

"Let me see..." He says as he ruffles through some of the papers on his desk til the finds the one he was after, pulling it free of the pile. "Here we are," he says running his finger down a list of different pay grades he'd approved. "Veteran soldiers: 2 gold on non-fighting days. 10 gold on fighting days, plus a fair share of any reclaimed items the goblinoids might hold and a bonus worth 25% of your total pay once we've secured the area properly, with the option of continued employment in defense of the new outpost. My father's advisers estimate it should take us no more than a week, two at the most once we're through the pass to drive out the goblins. It'll be close to two weeks before we see any of the green skins with luck, we'll be beginning the march south to rendezvous with my Father's troops camped at the base of the pass, on the morning after next."

[Anubis Dread]

"So we're looking at about a month then," Knail frowned thoughtfully, linking his hands together and bringing them up to his mouth as he thought. Always double the expected time frame. Actually you should always QUADRUPLE it. Doubling it got the time it would usually actually be estimated as if people didn't always think in the most optimistic terms possible. Doubling that again gave you some extra time to work with in case more went wrong than could be expected. That said he didn't need to say that part out loud. If they worked for two months they worked for two months, it didn't alter their plans.

Let's see... two gold a day meant fourteen gold a week. He'd spent about fifty odd gold back at the tavern, so if they went two weeks without fighting and managed to somehow win the lands back with only one day in battle that was thirty eight gold in total. Of course that was a low estimate. In truth it would likely be more like a month in this campaign, at least 50% of which would be fighting days. Or rather that would be the truth if he was to think in terms of a pessimist, but not the worst case scenario. If that was the case it would be more like... one hundred and seventy eight gold pieces. During which his servants would also be earning some coin, albeit considerably less. Plus they got loot from the goblins. AND that didn't include the 25% bonus, which could be staggering if his estimates were conservative.

Alright, pros to going on an extended journey to off a bunch of goblins: good pay, it helped House Matherson who seemed to be friends of his house and it bolstered his reputation when it had taken a bit of a nose dive due to all the public damages and the like. Cons: he wouldn't be using that time to find immortality, he would be in a strict military organization and he could die. Did the pros outweigh the cons? ...well he was always in risk of death, albeit at differing levels. Was the risk of death in a military campaign more than in a rambunctious party or hunting the Forever Stone? Perhaps, but not by much. As for finding immortality, he still had about five years before the world ended. Plenty of time. So the only real con was not having the absolute freedom and hedonism he was accompanied to. On the other hand a month would give him plenty of time to set off a rather spectacular send off for himself...

"I'm officially in," Baron Knail swore. "Unless events change in the future I suppose. But as it stands the idea appeals to me." He'd need either a cart full of ale or some herbs to help him through withdrawal, because he doubted he could sate his needs while they traveled.

[r2d2go]

Osrik nods. Sounds good ta' me.

[niks97cobra]

"A month is a long time, but if Osrik is in, I suppose I am too," Dragul mutters, at least partially satisfied with the pay.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

"The jink is fine," Lucia says. "But what are you going to have us do? We're not just a bunch of bashers like Dragul here--no offense, Dragul--so surely you have something more challenging for us."

[niks97cobra]

"I hit harder than you, no offense taken." Dragul smiles, knowing that he touched poo, but isn't a sissy.

[Foodle]

"That'll be for my father to decide. I'm not heading south, i'm needed at Fort Tanner. Captain Gregor will be heading the journey south, i'll pass on to him your request for work behind enemy lines. If they have lines, we're unsure if the Hobgoblins will involve themselves in a fight over their cousin's territory," he explains as he places the sheet of paper back in it's pile.

"Baron Vix, i shall have a room prepared for you in the manor, unless you wish to stay with your men below. Other than that, you can report to Captain Gregor he'll see you settled."

Unless you want to sneak around the manor or steal stuff from the quartermaster and risk getting in trouble, i'll narrate you through to Khyber Pass.

[niks97cobra]

Dragul spits on the ground. He felt discriminated against. Some fancy title and suddenly the dwarves look second class. Dragul looks to Osrik.

[Anubis Dread]

"I'm not foolish enough to turn down a stay in a proper bed for solidarity. They'll be plenty of nights in the future I can spend in the camp with them. One night of relaxation won't hurt," Knail took the offer gratefully.


No trouble. Well unless you count maybe getting slightly drunk and/or sleeping with between one and three servants, but nothing that could get him in actual trouble.

[r2d2go]

Osrik shrugs, then whispers to Dragul. "Tha' baron's got friends. Wait til' we get ta' a real dwarvern city. Then we'll see who's laughin'."

No trouble. Though, I will show the soldiers a few spells before sleeping.

[niks97cobra]

Dragul sneers, though he knows Osrik is right. They would be honored guests, he thinks. Right?

[Foodle]

Pointedly ignoring Dragul's breach of propriety, Brandon bids you farewell and sends you on your way. The three of you head back down to camp and meet up with Cpt Gregor, who seems impressed with all your abilities and assigns you your tents and duties for the next day and for the march south. Meanwhile Knail gets to relax in his comfortable rooms and sample a good portion of the manor's wine cellar.

You learn that Knails followers have been split up, with Candy working in medical tent as an assistant, Fetrich helping with the quartermaster and Toris, the cooks. Tommy managed to get a position as a scout, due to his skill with the bow and the fact he knew how to ride a horse, and Ben a spot in the infantry. Lt Dovedale assures you there should be nothing surprising you between here and your destination, and that it was a good chance to test the new recruits. By the time you leave the army numbers somewhere close to 130 fighting men and woman.

All in all it's a six day journey south towards the pass and it's largely uneventful. Fetrich manages to secure Knail a spot on one of the supply wagons. Osrik gains a few wide eyed recruits eager to lap up his tales that help him with setting up his tent and such. Another veteran tries to pick a fight with Dragul, but it gets broken up before it starts and Lucia finds herself suddenly 20 gold richer after winning a high stakes dice game on the third night.

The army by-passes the town of Daggard, just sending the supply wagons on a detour to restock while the main group heads straight towards the pass and Angus Matherson's main force. You march into the pass and towards the guard tower that the path passes under on it's way up and through the mountains. It's early evening and cook fires can be seen, though not as many as you were led to believe. The army set's up it's tents and it doesn't take long to learn that Angus Matherson had sent the bulk of his force through the pass the previous day to set up fortifications at the mouth of the pass on the far side, in the unlikely possibility of a retreat they could deny the enemy the easily defended portion of the pass.

You briefly see the old grey haired noble the next morning talking to Cpt. Gregor as your portion of the army marches out into the pass. The pass is a windy trail through the mountains, barely wide enough for the wagons to navigate. Looking to the cliffs rising to your left it's easy to see why Lord Matherson wanted to secure the entire pass, if an enemy had access to the top of those cliffs it'd make moving through the pass almost impossible.

It's a two day march through the pass, limited as you are by the narrow path and many turns. After camping on the path for an uncomfortable night you continue the next day and a couple hours into your march a rider can be heard before he's seen riding way to fast for the path and coming the opposite way. "Make way! Make way! Captain Gregor!?" he yells as the column flattens itself against the cliff face. He reaches the captain and some words are exchanged, then the order for double pace comes through and to make sure you're ready to fight.

You emerge from the pass an hour later to see half prepared barricades and hastily dug ditches. Men in the grey and green of House Matherson busy fighting what looks to be a mixture of hobgoblins in loose formations and goblins scampering around all over the place. The humans look to outnumber the goblinoids and the men around you charge forward with a yell, leaving you standing above the scene unsure where you're needed most.

Osrik: From here you can notice that some of the goblins seem to be moving strangely. Less nimble that the others and appear to be covered in slime/mud/mucus? some type of thick liquid substance anyhow.

What do? Where to?

Gonna update the map with a rough layout, so if this isn't crossed out, i haven't done it yet

So it's a zoomed out view. If you want to come up with something clever, by all means. Otherwise choose where you want to help first, victory seems assured, it's just a matter of how many people victory will cost you.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

"Right, now," Lucia says. "The biggest problem I see is that the defenses don't do much good when everyone's on both sides of them. Since most of us are on this side of the defenses, and most of them goblin bashers are on that side, I think the best thing to do is to get all of us on this side, and all of them on that one, and then we just defend the barriers."


Which makes sense only if the barrier isn't facing the other way. We don't want to put the goblins on the side where they can take advantage of the defenses and we can't.

[Anubis Dread]

Alright, let's work this out. What was the situation? There were a bunch of goblins running around trying to kill people. They were cut off from the rest of the army and there were some goblins between them and the defensive perimeter. What's more there were some goblins that had already gotten through the defenses, meaning the defenses were not exactly secure. So their goal should be to kill all the goblins or at least rout them.

What were their assets? He had a Horn of Blasting, which would be perfect for taking out wide swatches of goblins. He had Shatter, which would be perfect for setting up a landslide by cracking the cliff. Would a landslide do anything? By the looks of it there were no goblins near the cliffs for the rocks to crush, and since it was a cliff it wasn't sloped meaning any rocks that fell would fall straight down. That option wouldn't work then. He could turn invisible and take one person with him. But what would they do with this ability? If he could turn ALL of them invisible they could slink through, but just him and one other person wouldn't work. He supposed he could take four if did it right, but that still wouldn't accomplish much.

Alright step one - remove the goblins that had already penetrated the defenses. Step two would be to reinforce the defenses to prevent more goblins coming through. In order to do step one they needed to engage the goblins asap. So Lucia was completely correct.

"Let's wipe out the goblins on this side then rush over to the defenses," Knail agreed.

[r2d2go]

Osrik looks a bit worried, glancing at the slower, mud covered goblins. "Hol' up. Tha' goblins are terrible creatures, but na' dumb. Ye c'n bet there's somethin' up... Anyone know wha' tha' slime is?"

Generic Int: [roll0]
Medicine: [roll1]

[Foodle]

The slime only seems to be covering a handful of the goblins, but as you look at them you notice those covered in slime aren't carrying any weapons either and instead appear to be scrapping handfuls of the stuff off their bodies and throwing it at the soldiers or even running in to clamp their mouths around exposed legs, necks and arms. Whatever the stuff is, it's not good, as the slime hits it's target, it evaporates on contact with the flesh, turning from a runny brown/yellow and into a puff of black smoke, leaving behind swatches of dead flesh where it had been.

Lucia is correct, from where you are the pass widens out at the base of the mountain. you're currently up hill from the barricades and the path flows down out of the pass. The barricades are only half formed, tree's being a rare site around here, but those that are up are currently serving to block the hobgoblins from getting through. Though the goblins themselves seem to have no trouble weaving through the poles.

[Anubis Dread]

"Alright, anyone have any objections to me starting to blast away at some of the goblins?" Knail asked, whipping out his orb and balancing it on one finger as he looked over the groups thoughtfully. With how the battlefield was he could pretty much let loose with every area spell he had and hit a fully group of goblins in the process. And since they were goblins they'd probably all die from each hit. Unfortunately he only had three shots, four or five at the most if he dumped everything he had into it. Not nearly enough to kill them all. But if he got close enough he could start blasting with his horn. In short the battlefield was perfect for him to let loose, and he decided not to bother waiting for an answer before marching forward to get in range.


What are the distances on the map? Shatter has a fairly long range, it probably wouldn't take too much to get close enough to the groups between them and the fortifications that Knail could start blasting.

[Foodle]

The party heads on down the hill after the rest of the soldiers, intent on driving out or killing the enemies behind their lines. Knail takes aim at the cliff towering over the goblins back line of archers and sends a concussive blast at it's face, dislodging a good portion of the face, which tumbles down crushing those below it. There are still goblins about though, some engaged with the soldiers and other's running around causing havoc.

Added another map of your current battle, which we'll be using for this combat.
This is just your part of the fight, the rest of the goblins are busy with the rest of the soldiers nearby.
Knail can still act this turn.

The Party's Turn

[Anubis Dread]

...people were tougher than goblins right? Oh who cared, he was going to get to use his new toy! Rushing off to the side of the battle, Knail raised the magic horn to his mouth before... realizing he'd barely hit anything. Frowning in frustration, the Tiefling instead absently sent out a burst of sound to blast the battlefield.


Horn, [roll]5d8[r/oll] damage. Half on a successful... I think it was Con save? On a 5 it also blows up and deals [roll0] fire damage to Knail if I remember right.

ScG5 [roll1]
Bandit 2 Top [roll2]
Bandit 2 Bottom [roll3]
Bandit 1 Top [roll4]
Bandit 1 Bottom [roll5]
ScG1 [roll6]
ScG4 [roll7]
ScG3 [roll8]
SIG3 [roll9]
AG2 [roll10]
SIG 2 [roll11] (I think is in range?)

[niks97cobra]

Dragul charges the closest archer goblin.

A: [roll0]
D: [roll1]
C: [roll2]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

"You addle-coved berk!" Lucia yells at Knail. "You're killing our guys too. That was Robb! I liked Robb."

Unfortunately, she doesn't have the time to spare tearing Knail a new one. Instead she rushes to the side of one of the remaining soldiers. She can't quite reach the goblin she's fighting, but she can still curse him in elven, sparing a few words of encouragement for the soldier--also in elven, so it's doubtful he understands.

The goblin seemed to have understood elven, however, as he dropped dead from the viciousness of the insult comparing his mother to a rotten grapefruit.


Move
See map

Action
Vicious mockery on goblin Scimitar goblin 5
[roll0]
[roll1]
Disadvantage on next attack

Bonus action
Bardic inspiration on Soldier 6

[r2d2go]

Osrik simply throws some holy fire at a goblin, though he does keep an eye out for more threatening opponents.

Fire at goo gob 2: [roll0], [roll1]

[Foodle]

The last remaining scimitar goblin looks across to the archer, screaming in goblin and pointing to Knail. Who promptly readjusts his aim and fires an arrow at the mage that just killed most of their squad. "Bezak! Komf sibar luctoo amar," the sword wielding one yells again and the archer and him take off towards the barricades to the south, while the mucus-y slimy goblins continues to attack. One luanches itself at an archer's legs, while the other two scrape off handfuls of the stuff covering them and throw it towards their targets.

If you speak goblin: "Run! Luctoo will slow them."

Scimitar Gob 2: Dash

D11 -> C23

Archer Gob 2: Shortbow @ Knail

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Move: H15 -> G21

Slime Gob 1: Bite @ Soldier Archer 1

Attack: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] slashing + [roll5] necrotic | If crit: [roll6]

Slime Gob 2: Fling Slime @ Dragul

Dragul Dex Save vs DC 13: [roll7]
Damage on Failure: [roll8] necrotic

Slime Gob 3: Move

E13 -> F10

Fling Slime @ Soldier 2
Soldier Dex Save vs DC 13: [roll9]
Damage on Failure: [roll10] necrotic

[Foodle]

Some slime splatters over Dragul with a soft hiss, while the soldiers manage to avoid any further harm. Dropping his bow the archer, stabs at the goblin with his dagger, while the other soldiers charge into to attack the rest.

All: Move into position

Soldier Archer 1: Dagger @ Slime Gob 1

Attack: [roll0]; Miss
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]
Slime Gob Death Save: [roll3]

Soldier Archer 2: Shortbow @ Slime Gob 1

Attack: [roll4]; Miss
Damage: [roll5] | If Crit: [roll6]
Slime Gob Death Save: [roll7]

Soldier 2: Mace @ Slime Gob 3

Attack: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9] | If Crit: [roll10]

Soldier 6: Spear @ Slime Gob 2

Attack: [roll11]
Damage: [roll12] | If Crit: [roll13]

The Party's Turn

[Anubis Dread]

Well that had gone better than expected. Unfortunately everyone was all spread out now, so he couldn't just blast them again. Holding out his diamond ring, Knail blasted one of the slime goblins with a blast of fire.


Chromatic Orb vs Slime Goblin 1

Attack:
Damage: [roll1] fire.
Crit: [roll]3d8]

Forgot to roll for Wild Magic last round, so rolling twice now to make up for it. [roll2], [roll3]

[niks97cobra]

Dragul rushes forward, attacking the slime goblin closest to him. He screams, "Move forward! Push them back!" The thrill of battle rushes through him.


A: [roll0]
D: [roll1]
C: [roll2]

[r2d2go]

Osrik runs forward and prays, healing nearby soldiers.

Assuming I can even heal the soldiers and they don't die at 0, I heal them to half with Channel Divinity.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

Lucia closes in on the remaining slime goblin and starts stabbing.


Move
See map

Action
Attack goblin
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Foodle]

The two goblins that were fleeing, continue to do so, rushing past a stack of uncut timber poles and back to the main group. The last remaining slime covered goblin, hunkers down and darts forward at Lucia's calf, his jaw stretched wide as he tries to clamp down on flesh, only to be kicked aside by the halfelf.

Slime Goblin 3: Bite @ Lucia

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] slashing + [roll2] necrotic
If Crit: [roll3]

Scimitar Goblin 2 & Archer Goblin 2: Dash away!

The soldiers recently returned to the fight by Osrik rush in to swarm the little monster, stabbing and clubbing at it til it stops moving.

S2: A - [roll4], D - [roll5], C - [roll6]
S4: A - [roll7], D - [roll8], C - [roll9]
S5: A - [roll10], D - [roll11], C - [roll12]
S6: A - [roll13], D - [roll14], C - [roll15]

[r2d2go]

Osrik looks around, considering. "We c'n get tha' most done in tha' most crowded fight. Les' find it."

Not sure where enemies are most dense, but my vote is we go there.

[Foodle]

The soldiers you help rush off to reinforce the front and attack the last remaining enemies still inside the defenses. You look around and survey the scene trying to decide where to go to next.

Updated the overview map, each group has percentages for their health as a unit.

[Anubis Dread]

"The pass is still being swarmed by goblinoids. We need to push them back so the soldiers can use the defenses properly," Knail advised.


J12 or J14 seems best. Using 3 Sorcery Points to regain a 2nd level spell slot. Going to need a lot of AoE.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

"Glad to see that addle-coved Knail didn't put you in the dead-book, Robb," Lucia says with a warm smile. "Now let's get those piking goblins." She charges toward the most threatening group of goblins.


I think the ones at I12(?) (I can't see it on my phone) are the worst threat. Let's go kill 'em.

[Foodle]

The lot of you charge off after the rest of the soldiers to help the group of defenders that's found itself being attacked by both sides, while the hobgoblins hold off the reinforcements. Your group of soldiers initial charge, breaks through the hobgoblins line and now the hobgoblins are forced to defend against an attack from all directions.

While the charge made a hole, it didn't kill all the hobgoblins. While those that were knocked down climb back to their feet, the defenders that didn't got with the tide now find themselves confronting some rather annoyed looking hobgoblins.

You can place your token anywhere in the blue area to start with.

The Party's Turn

[r2d2go]

Osrik immediately summons a spectral sword to attack before firing off holy fire. Hopefully, tha' sword gets ta' swing fer awhile...

Action: Sacred Flame @ Piker1 - [roll0], [roll1]
Bonus: Spiritual Weapon @ Piker1 - [roll2], [roll3]

[Anubis Dread]

Ah, like ducks in a row. Knail grinned eagerly as he rushed forward, raising the horn to his lips and blowing a sour note.


Damage: [roll0], explodes on a 1 for [roll1] fire damage: [roll2]

Soldier 1: [roll3]
Soldier 2: [roll4]
Soldier 3: [roll5]
Captain 1: [roll6]
Hob1: [roll7]
Gob1: [roll8]
Gob2: [roll9]

[r2d2go]

Osrik facepalms, then yells at Knail. "Stop killin' our damn soldiers! I don' have that much fas' group healin'!" Shaking his head, he gets out his healing kit.

Not actually mad, but I figured Osrik would say it :smalltongue:

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

"You berk!" Lucia cries. "Do that again and I will stab you." She moves in close and then screams, a piercing cry that staggers the hobgoblins but doesn't really hurt them.


Move
See map

Use Thunderwave, should hit Hob Claymore 1 and Hob Axeman 1. I'd hit Hob Axeman 2, but that would hit the unconscious soldiers, and I don't want to risk killing them.

Pushed 10' if fail Con, half damage if succeed.
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[niks97cobra]

"Stop hitting our men you idiot!" Dragul yells. "I am not going to be in a camp with a bunch of soldiers who want to kill us. We fight by their side!"


He charges forward but doesn't go to deep in the fight. If he has to change course to take on Knail, he will do so. He is not going to have someone that is willing to hit him at his back casting spells.

A: [roll0]
D: [roll1]
C: [roll2]

[Foodle]

"Gesark tulu lisai achtar!" the hobgoblin with the big sword yells spinning to face the direction of the spells being flung at them. The other hobgoblins turn to see the new threat, hacking at their current targets before charging at the party, the one with the pike maneuvering past everyone to get to the mage that killed his comrade. While the one with the huge sword barks commands at them all.

Hob Claymore 1
Move: E9 -> G9

Multiattack
Claymore @ Dragul: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]
If Hit (Martial Advantage): [roll3]

Claymore @ Lucia: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5] | If Crit: [roll6]

Activate Leadership

Hob Axeman 1
Move: C10 -> G13

Battle Axe @ Knail: [roll7] + Leadership [roll8]
Damage: [roll9] | If Crit: [roll10]

Hob Axeman 2
Battle Axe @ Soldier 6: [roll11] + Leadership [roll12]
Damage: [roll13] | If Crit: [roll14]
If Hit (Martial Advantage): [roll15]

Hob Piker 2
Move: I7 -> H12

Pike (Reach) @ Knail: [roll16] + Leadership [roll17]
Damage: [roll18] | If Crit: [roll19]
If Hit (Martial Advantage): [roll20]

While the Hob Claymore 1 is up and able to speak add 1d4 to any saves the hobgoblins make. (ie. 1d20-14 + 1d4; then pop that number into the sheet.)

[Foodle]

Three of the soldiers fall, blood seeping from the ears after Knail's sounding of the horn. Another falls to the blow of an axe and there's suddenly far fewer combatants nearby. As Lucia lets loose a thunderous boom from her spell, the sound echo's off the cliffs before a louder but similar crash of thunder can be heard outside the barricade and you see a cloud of dust rise up where a group of soldiers had been engaging some goblins.

The sound of running can be heard from further back into the pass and shortly two archers appear. "Look out!" one of them calls to Knail before urging his companion to aim at the pike weilding hobgoblin. A quick glance reveals it to be Tommy in a fresh set of studded leather and sporting the same shortbow he'd brought with him.

A small group of goblins to the south can also be seen taking interest in the fight and have turned to start heading this way, it wont be long before they close in.

Soldier 4

Longsword @ Hob Axeman 2: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Soldier 7

Light Crossbow @ Hob Piker 2: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] | If Crit: [roll5]

Tommy

Shortbow @ Hob Piker 2: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7] | If Crit: [roll8]

The Party's Turn

[Anubis Dread]

Gah! Pain! In a panic, Knail brought the horn back up to his lips and let off another note. All the soldiers were out already, so it couldn't deal anymore damage. Except for uh... his comrades... but they were tough enough it would barely effect them. And the goblins would deal more damage if they lived than his horn would, which was almost guaranteed to kill them right?


Uh... hm. Maybe I should have made an Evoker instead of a Sorcerer :smallredface:

Damage: [roll0], on a 1 the horn explodes dealing [roll1] fire damage. [roll2]

Hob Axeman 1: [roll3]
Hob Axeman 2: [roll4]
Hob Claymore 1: [roll5]
Hob Piker 2: [roll6]
Lucia: [roll7]
Dragul: [roll8]

[r2d2go]

Osrik glares again at the baron, yelling "Tha's na any better, ya' bloody madman!" He focuses his attacks at the hobgoblin, but advances on Knail.

Action: Guiding Bolt [roll0], [roll1], crit: [roll2]
Bonus: Move and attack with Spiritual Weapon, Advantage from Guiding Bolt: [roll3], [roll4], [roll5], crit: [roll6]
Move: As noted on tracker.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard


"Stop doing that, you piker!" Lucia yells at Knail. That piking berk was going to be the death of them all.

Lucia turns back to the hobgoblin swinging around the big claymore. "Hey you, with the big sword. Compensating for something, are you?"

As he keels over, Lucia grins. "These guys can give it, but they can't take it."


Vicious words on hobgoblin
[roll0]
On hit, disadvantage on next attack
[roll1]

[niks97cobra]

"I'm going to kill you!" Dragul curses and screams at Knail and advances towards him. His voice is even louder than usual since the dwarf can't hear himself.

Move to G11 and attack hobgoblin
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll]2d8[/roll

If the hobgoblin dies move to H13 and use action surge to swing at Knail. If the hobgoblin lives, disregard the move and attack at Knail.

Subdual damage if it would kill Knail.
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[Foodle]

Dragul's attack is deflected by the haft of the pike and the hobgoblin, bleeding heavily already, adjusts his grip and stabs out in retaliation at the dworc. The goblins to the south arrive looking suddenly unsure if they made the right choice after seeing their tougher cousins blasted into the ground. But with the option of fighting you or the group of soldiers chasing them, they pick you. Arrows, slime and even sling stones, hurled by a goblin atop a wolf, fly towards you as they scream their shrill war cries and charge into the fray.

Hob Piker 2

Pike @ Dragul: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Gob Archer 1

Shortbow @ Knail: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] | If Crit: [roll5]
Bonus Action: Stealth - [roll6]

Gob Archer 2

Shortbow @ Osrik: [roll7]
Damage: [roll8] | If Crit: [roll9]

Gob Archer 3

Shortbow @ Osrik: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11] | If Crit: [roll12]

Wolf Rider 1

Sling @ Osrik: [roll13]
Damage: [roll14] | If Crit: [roll15]

[Foodle]

The last remaining soldier of the original group lift his shield to protect from any stray arrows and rushes in to aim a blow at the hobgoblin's back. Tommy and his archer friend panic momentarily when they see the goblin atop a wolf, a thin spear leveled and charging straight at them. Switching targets they quickly let fly a couple of shots at him before ducking behind the rocks.

Soldier 4

Move: F7 -> I11

Longsword @ Hob Piker: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Solider 7

Lt Crossbow @ Wolf Rider 2: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] | If Crit: [roll5]

Move: Q4 -> P3

Tommy

Bonus Action: Ensnaring Strike

Shortbow @ Wolf Rider 2: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7] | If Crit: [roll8]
If Hit (Enemy Save): [roll9]; MISS

Move: I5 -> Q2

The Party's Turn

[Anubis Dread]

"It's not MY fault you keep getting in the... ah forget it," Knail sighs as he moves to the side and blows another note on the horn. And this time there wasn't even anyone else in the way! That was a nice change of pace.


Damage: [roll0], damage on fail [roll1], fails on a 1 [roll2]

Slime Goblin 1: [roll3]
Slime Goblin 2: [roll4]
Wolf 1: [roll5]
Goblin Shot 2: [roll6]

[r2d2go]

Osrik walks over to Knail, directing the spiritual weapon with him. As he reaches the baron, he whacks him over the head while firing at a nearby rider. "If ye use tha' thing one more time with someone "in tha' way", I'm treatin' ye as a threat ta' yer allies. Fer now, ye' c'n cont'mplate yer sins withou' healin'."

Action: Sacred Flame @rider [roll0], [roll1]
Bonus: Spiritual Weapon move
Move: Move as shown.

[niks97cobra]

Hearing Osrik ONLY scold Knail disappointed Dragul, but Osrik is the only one he trusts, so he goes with the dwarf's judgement. However, he wasn't going to break his neck trying to save the Baron either. Dragul then turns his attention the wolf rider coming up. He pulls out one of his handaxes and throws it at the rider.

Attack Wolf Rider 2
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf bard

Lucia glares at Knail, but she doesn't have time to deal with him now. Besides, it looks like Osrik has him in hand. First, they need to deal with these goblins. She rushes over to the wolf-rider. "Hey, is that your mother you're riding there?" she shouts.


Move
As shown

Action
Use vicious mockery on wolf-rider 1
[roll0]
On hit, [roll1] psychic damage and disadvantage on next attack

[Foodle]

Magic and axes fly and the horn blasts out again, smashing two goblins from their feet and leaving the others that were caught in it's blast with their ears ringing. The last remaining slime goblin lurches toward Knail with his hands outstretched, arrows come flying from multiple directions at Osrik and the goblins on wolves, pull free some type of spear, circle around and charge at Dragul and Lucia.

Slime Goblin 1

Bite @ Knail: [roll0]; CRIT!
Damage: [roll1] slashing + [roll2] necrotic
If Crit: [roll3]

Goblin Archer 1

Shortbow @ Osrik: [roll4] | Advantage: [roll5]; CRIT!
Damage: [roll6] | If Crit: [roll7]

Goblin Archer 2

Shortbow @ Osrik: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9] | If Crit: [roll10]

Wolf Rider 1

Move: Circle away then charge Lucia

Action
Goblin Spear @ Lucia: [roll11] | Disadvantage: [roll12]
Damage: [roll13] | If Crit: [roll14]
If Hit (STR Save DC 13 or knocked prone): [roll15]

Bonus: Disengage

Wolf Rider 2

Move: Circle away then charge Dragul

Action
Goblin Spear @ Dragul: [roll16]
Damage: [roll17] | If Crit: [roll18]
If Hit (STR Save DC 13 or knocked prone): [roll19]

Bonus: Disengage

[Foodle]

Some of the soldiers chasing the goblins arrive and crash into their rear while Tommy and the other archer pepper the mounted goblins with arrows. Looking around, this battle seems almost overwhelmingly won at this point. You can hear a horn blowing in the distance and can see the surviving hobgolbins trying to extract themselves from their engagements. Flames flicker on the ground near the group of soldiers outside the barricades that was surrounded by goblins previously and the air is filled with dust and smoke out there.

Tommy

Shortbow @ Wolf Rider 2: [roll0]; MISS
Damage: [roll1] | If Crit: [roll2]

Soldier 7

Lt Crossbow @ Wolf Rider 2: [roll3]; MISS
Damage: [roll4] | If Crit: [roll5]

Soldier 8

Shortsword @ Goblin Archer 3: [roll6]; MISS
Damage: [roll7] | If Crit: [roll8]

Soldier 9

Shortbow @ Wolf Rider 1: [roll9]; MISS
Damage: [roll10] | If Crit: [roll11]

Soldier 10

Spear @ Goblin Archer 3: [roll12]; HIT!
Damage: [roll13] | If Crit: [roll14]

Soldier 11

Shortbow @ Slime Goblin 1: [roll15]; MISS
Damage: [roll16] | If Crit: [roll17]

The Party's Turn

Edit: Also Knail needs to start doing some death saves, or use the cats or wait for heals.

[r2d2go]

Osrik hesitates, weighing between the tactical advantage of having Knail conscious and fighting, compared to his own wounds and his wish to make good on his threat. However, remembering the cat statues, he decides to patch up himself while directing the sword. "Tha's why ye don' do tha' to yer allies..."

Action: Heal kit on self, [roll0] healed.
Bonus: Spiritual Weapon as shown, [roll1], [roll2], [roll3]

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucia - Half-elf Bard

Lucia breathes a sigh of relief when she sees Knail go down. He had done almost as much damage to the enemy as to them. Almost.

She turns back to the wolf rider, an insult on her lips before she has a better idea. A snatch of song, a gesture, and the rider can no longer move. Not much she can do about the wolf, though.


Action
Cast hold person on wolf rider 1
[roll0]

I couldn't seem to get the saves to work and show me hit or miss, but I'm assuming he doesn't have a +6 Wisdom save.

[Anubis Dread]

Hey he did WAY more damage than everyone combined... even just counting the hostiles. Maybe. Probably :smallamused:

Death Save: [roll0]