Untold Tales of Aldhaven - Caravaners

[Rizban]

The Untold Tales of Aldhaven – The Caravaners

You have been hired to travel with a merchant company traveling by caravan from the Empire of Seven dragons in the north south into Aldhaven, where the company plans to spend the winter and conduct trade. As the newest hires, you've been grouped together into a team with a single senior member of the caravan guards to show you the ropes and explain the expectations and duties. The pay isn't great, a mere 2 silver per day, but you do get a share of anything looted from monsters or bandits that attack along the way.

There are eight wagons in the caravan, each pulled by a pair of pack horses. A merchant and a guard ride in each wagon with an extra guard in the front and rear. Two scouts range ahead on horses, and two groups of guards follow along the sides of the road on either side of the caravan. Your party is typically assigned to walk along on the western side of the wagons as you head south.

The normally two week trek has been beset by ill fortune since the day you left. While the caravan has suffered no direct attacks, there have been several broken wheels, a broken axle, a fatal snakebite, and the pack horses breaking loose during the night after getting spooked by a coyote that roamed too close, which led to a full day lost as they were rounded up. It's now into the third week of travel, and supplies are beginning to run low as tempers run high.

The sun has just risen this morning, and your party is eating a breakfast of dried trail rations boiled into a paste with a few herbs a Ranger in the caravan gathered yesterday. Today is an extra treat, because one of the merchants hauling chickens decided to donate a few of the older eggs to breakfast, which the cook stirred into the pot. The meal is frankly just short of disgusting, but at least the bits of egg give it texture.

You have a bit of time to get ready as the horses are harnessed and the wagons made ready as the caravan breaks camp.

[Thundercracker]

Alistair Esdarn

Alistair squeezed in a few morning exercises as the camp started breaking up after breakfast. He’d signed on with the hope of making a little extra coin, but so far it had been nothing but the base pay. At this rate he’d have to find something in Aldhaven to keep busy.

After finishing his (very brief) workout, he noted one of the other hired guards nearby.

“Here’s hoping for a productive day for a change,” he muttered.

Spoiler

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any player feel free to reply.

[Jeriah]

Suzy

Szagegaey-Nininguth nods as she hurriedly devours the absolutely delicious meal. Truly, the chef on this expedition understands the peculiarities of truly exquisite cuisine, and dreads the day that she will need to return to the unprocessed solid foods the humanoids seem too lazy to properly shred and ferment.

"Agreed. Productivity is paramount to proper efficiency."

Concluding her meal, Szagegaey-Nininguth dons her helmet and waits for departure.

"Human Alistair, I desire to form an inquiry as to the nature of your movements previous. I have observed your repetitions over several solar cycles but seem no closer to discerning their purpose. Is it a religious ritual, perchance?"

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Graithus Bronzescale

Graithus avoided morning meal as usual and focused on getting ready for the day. Graithus had joked the night before that the cook was trying to poison them as they neared Aldhaven - to save those 2 silver a day. He was thankful for not having the need to eat.


Graithus hoisted up his shield and brushed off the scales on his shoulder. He looked over at Alistair. "I think its so Human Alistair can run away from trouble faster." Graithus smiled.

[Jeriah]

Suzy

"I am unconvinced, Dragonling Graithus. If these repetitions bestow an increase in speed, would not all humans participate? No others do. I thus posit religious significance as the most plausible explanation."

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Graithus Bronzescale

Graithus mulled it over for a moment. "I can't think of any deity that would be impressed .... by that ... display. Perhaps that was a prayer to some undersea god, which would explain the flopping around like a fish. Maybe some obscure god of trickery - who is playing an elaborate ruse on his followers to make them look silly. I think its more likely he is trying to get the food to settle in his stomach." Graithus smiled a toothy grin to show he meant no offense.

[Thundercracker]

Alistair

Alistair ignored Grathius’ ribbing for the moment to answer Suzy’s question.

“I didn’t used to, but nowadays it takes a bit longer to shake the sleep off than when I was a boy, and it helps to move about a bit to get the blood flowing,” he replied.

“Especially if I’ve slept on a bunch of rocks,” he muttered.

“But also yes, so I can run faster,” he added with a smirk, “towards or away, long as I’m not the slowest. We’ve got a job to do, but two silver a day goes so far and no farther.”

He winced as he stretched a bit more.

“I can attest, old age and hard work are the worst things in the world,” he said, “at least until you consider the alternatives.”

[Waxpapers]

Acton

Acton slowly eats his slop, a thick blanket wrapped around his thicker frame. "And besides, there's not much point to me doing the exercising. I could spend all morning flexing, and this damp cold would still make me slower than a halfling in quicksand. It sinks into your bones, it does."

Still wrapped up, Acton stands and lumbers over to the wagon holding his packs. Shivering as he stows away his blanket, he straps on a gleaming breastplate and wraps himself in a heavy coat. "At least it'll warm up in a few hours. How many more days of this do we have left? I did not intend to spend two fortnights traveling for such little pay."

[Thundercracker]

Alistair

"Another few days I think," Alistair replied.

"What are you going to do once we get to Aldhaven?" he asked.

[Waxpapers]

Acton

Acton pulls a leather cover off the blade of a long-handled greataxe, and begins sharpening the edge. "I think I'll get myself a nice hot meal. A proper one, with all the spices you can't get up in the Empire. After that..."

Acton trails off, the large man uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. "I guess I don't really have many plans. I could pay my respects to the dragon that's said to live there- my tribe's patron told me I should bring it her regards. But that might have been a joke- you never can tell, with the great ones. Aside from that, I dunno. How about you?"

[Thundercracker]

Alistair

"Dunno, going to have to find something to earn some coin," Alistair replied, "especially if we end up getting there uneventfully and a week late. Then again maybe we should be careful what we wish for."

Having finished stretching, he pulled on a chain shirt for a little added protection and slung his bow across his back.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Graithus Bronzescale

Graithus eyes went a little wide "A dragon in Aldhaven you say, well I guess anything is possible. Aldhaven is expensive and dangerous - you might long for the days of over-boiled paste for breakfast and sleeping on rocks. "

[Jeriah]

Suzy

Though she still doesn't understand the purpose of this morning ritual, Suzy readily accepts the man's final statement.

"On that point, we are in agreement, Human Alistair. Wisdom and industriousness are far preferable to impetuousness and idle recreation. Such positive traits are seldom seen in ample enough quantity and always to be applauded."

Suzy says nothing more as they continue their conversation, as she has nothing meaningful to contribute. Although, she does agree that she finds herself already longing for another bowl of "over-boiled paste," as it was named. Simply delicious.

[Rizban]

Gunthar, the veteran guard assigned to your group approaches.

"Form up! Carnello says if we push through today, we'll reach the city tomorrow."

About an hour passes as you march forward while Gunthar rides a horse and regales you with stories of his heroics on past travels, assuring you that you too will one day have stories of glorious battle if you just stick around.

The caravan approaches a wooded area near the road, and a tall, doglike individual steps out of the trees to block the path. It's loud, but surprisingly high-pitched, voice barks orders.

"You enter Warsong territory! Pay toll now!"

Spoiler: Image

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A group of nearly twenty other gnolls slink out of the woods and take up positions around the caravan.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Graithus

Graithus casually draws his sword. He stops himself from taking a step forward when he realizes he isn't in charge of the caravan.

"Hmm maybe the caravan master deals with these gnolls all the time or wants to pay them off." he reminds himself barely above a whisper. Graithus looks over the gnoll nearest him and begins sizing them up.

[Thundercracker]

Alistair quietly strings his bow and notches an arrow.

[Waxpapers]

Acton

Acton shrugs off his coat and turns towards the largest group of gnolls. Ruefully chuckling, he mutters, "I could've sworn we had scouts."

Then, almost lazily, the big man hefts his axe. The grin slides off his face, and waves of menace roll off the normally jovial man. "Gunthar. On your say-so."

Activating my frightful presence draconic aura

[3SecondCultist]

Myriad

The last member of the caravan - who has remained out of the spotlight for the past little while, if only to get a better sense of his traveling companions - has been humming the same song to himself ever since he saw what was for breakfast. At the moment, he looks like just another caravaner in traveler's clothing, although he eschews weapons for a pack over his shoulder. The only feature that Myriad allows to betray his facade are his eyes, which are a piercing slate grey.

"... devils and black sheep, and really bad eggs!"

Although the disguised changeling chuckles at Suzy and the others ribbing Alistair's regimen, he is also very aware that he probably looks ridiculous when he does his stretches. Then again, he's made sure to get up suitably early and try to practice in a remote spot by himself, and always in someone else's form.

When the caravan sets off towards Aldhaven, Mere falls back behind the others, contributing little and keeping his eyes out. He has a job to do, after all - can't have wanton adventurer unprofessionalism ruining such a good scene study. Mere has been looking for a group of interesting enough sorts to emulate for some time, and he believes that with enough notes, he could try to pass himself off as any of those in the group for a time. An actor's duty is to his craft, first and foremost.

All of that sounds plausible, right? He could probably spin that if anyone asked him. It's definitely better than admitting to pure, inveterate cowardice, but then again he always believed that caution was the better part of valor.

Of course, things threaten to get out of hand when the gnolls show up. It's just his luck that they would appear now, on the day before they get back to civilization and he can lose himself in a few good crowds. Why did he agree to take this job, again? Well, never mind that now. Survival is the name of the game, and Mere watches with some concern as the gnolls have surrounded the caravan. He has to confess that he also doesn't much like the sound of the name 'Warsong'. So when the other adventurers get their weapons out and prepare for a battle without so much as a 'how do you do', Mere steps up. Gone is his caravan skin, discarded in favor of a rather lean and hungry looking gnoll. When he speaks, it is in the high-pitched yawling tones and syntax of the other dog-like humanoids.

"Warsong have no right to take toll! Group already paid chieftain of Rockbreaker Tribe, told they owned this place!"

Inwardly, Mere knows that his facade is thin at best. Any creature with half a shred of intellect would either know he was lying - for one thing, he isn't even sure there is a Rockbreaker Tribe - or have just him transform and know better than to trust a shapeshifter. However, he isn't counting on his lie really stopping the violence; he's trying to buy a few extra seconds of confusion among the enemy, while surreptitiously pulling some kind of alchemical sphere from his bag behind his back.

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm going to try two checks: one Bluff to confuse the gnolls for a second or two and a Sleight of Hand check to pull out a dust eggshell grenade out from his handy haversack.

Bluff: (1d20+11)[27]
Sleight of Hand: (1d20+11)[27]

[Rizban]

"ROCKBREAKER?! Kill the heathens!" roars the leader as the gnolls charge.

Fortunately, the massive leader is intercepted by the head guard before he can attack your group.

Unfortunately, as Gunthar turns his horse to attack, two arrows sprout from his chest, knocking him from the saddle.

A group of five gnolls engage you group in melee while two or three near the treeline take occasional pot shots at you with their bows.

Spoiler: Initiative

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Everyone acts before the gnolls. I'll have a map up shortly.

Thundercracker – Alistair	(1d20+3)[22]
3SecondCultist – Mere	(1d20+8)[17]
Jeriah – Suzy	(1d20)[14]
Ragnarok'n'Roll – Graithus	(1d20+1)[11]
Waxpapers – Acton	(1d20+2)[8]
Gnolls	(1d20)[8]

[Waxpapers]

Acton

"Run back to your den, little dogs!", Acton yells. He charges forward, attacking the gnoll in the front of the largest clump.

Spoiler: Actions

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I'm going to use the Battle Leader's Charge maneuver, so I don't provoke AOOs and get +10 to damage. Additionally, any enemy within 30 feet of me needs to make a DC 18 will save to avoid being shaken (-2 on attacks, saves, skills, abilities). I'm assuming all the gnolls are grouped together so that I affect all the gnolls with this.

Attack: (1d20+11)[28] to hit, (1d12+14)[25] damage if I do. (plus one more fire damage)

After I attack, I'm going to use a swift action to change my aura to dragonfire, which gives all of us +4 fire damage on all attacks.

[3SecondCultist]

Myriad

Biting back a retort to himself about checking the names of gnoll tribes before making a blind bluff, Mere waits a half second to allow the more muscle-endowed members of the group to lead the charge. His place really isn't on the front lines, but this is where he's found himself. The thin gnoll looks at the rest of the caravaners and shrugs, as if to say 'what are you going to do?', before moving up towards the melee with a chagrined expression.

Maneuvering himself up so that he's not the first or even the second to enter the fight, Mere takes advantage of the natural chaos around him to study his nearest occupied target. A kick lashes out precisely at the gnoll's solarplexus, with the intent of knocking it down in one swift move.

Spoiler: Mere, Round 1

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Myriad, aka 'Mere'
Male Chaotic Good Changeling Factotum 3 / Sleeping Tiger Monk 2 / Rogue 1
Level 6, Init 13, HP 45/45, Speed 30 ft
AC 18, Touch 18, Flat-footed 14, Fort 7, Ref 13, Will 6, Base Attack Bonus 3
Unarmed Strike +7 (1d6, x2)
Abilities Str 9, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 20, Wis 13, Cha 12
Condition None
Inspiration 5/6

Spoiler: Round 1 Actions

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So I'm a bit confused as to the state of the gnolls here. We are all going first, but the gnolls have already moved. However, they haven't officially acted in combat yet, so does that mean they're technically flat-footed? A yes or no will change pretty much my whole turn, but for now I am operating under the assumption that yes, they are flat-footed as per RAW.

Mere is going to move up to a conscious gnoll that is already adjacent to another adventurer if possible, going in for a flanked Sneak Attack. I'll spend 1 point of Inspiration to use Cunning Insight and add +5 to the roll. If anyone else wants to do a melee tag team, feel free to work with Mere on this. He is also making an Iaijutsu Focus check to do some extra damage on top of the SA. The attack bonus below does not include flanking bonuses.

Unarmed Strike (vs. Gnoll): (1d20+12)[18] for (1d6+4)[10] damage (4 from fire) plus (1d6+6)[8] SA

Iaijutsu Focus: (1d20+9)[12]

Would it be possible to throw up another link to the Discord in the OOC, Rizban? That way I can get online to make future combat posting a bit easier to coordinate.

[Rizban]

Spoiler: DM Responses and also a Map

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The group of gnolls and the other guard group is acting as a separate combat, unless you spill over into their combat area.

The gnoll archers had readied actions to attack, hence the attack on Gunthar, who was the most obvious target up on his horse. The rest are flat-footed.

Each wagon has one driver that is taking cover on their wagons but may take shots with their crossbows as they have opportunity. The guards that were stationed on the wagons have dropped off and engaged gnolls elsewhere, mostly.

Map Link

G1-G4 are gnolls.
GA is a gnoll archer.
GL is the gnoll leader of this sub group, basically a sergeant and several privates.

I used letters to represent players based on username rather than character name.

If you want to revise actions, feel free to do so.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Graithus

"I'm going to file a complaint in triplicate with the RockBreakers. This is unacceptable. I need to speak to your foreman right now!" Graithus shouts.


Graithus advances towards the nearest gnoll and being his attack.

Spoiler

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Move action to : From AE44 to AA47 (~20 ft movement)

Standard action: Breath fire on G3 and G4 (15 ft line of fire DC 16 reflex for half)

Damage : (3d8)[23]
cool down on breath attack : (1d4)[4]


Summary:
HP: 58
AC: 23
conditions: 4 points of fire shield when hit in combat

[Thundercracker]

Alistair

As fighting breaks out, Alistair takes a pot shot at the gnoll leader, his bowstring twanging heavily. He didn’t bother to watch his shot as he quickly moved closer to where he thought the action would be switched to his daggers.

Spoiler

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Attack: (1d20+9)[23]
Damage: (1d8+2)[6]
Move diagonal (assuming we’re using 2-1-2-1) from AF40 to AB44.
Drop the bow and draw both kukri as free action.

[Jeriah]

Suzy

When the Warsong gnolls appear, Suzy hums a prolonged C note to balance her energies and activate her base chakra.

"Hm. A peaceable resolution does not seem feasible. I would expect combat."

She moves 15 ft. to AA43 and manifests share pain on her psicrystal and reach on herself.

Spoiler

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When the gnolls appear, Suzy takes a standard action to activate her Base psychic energy center for +2 Str/Dex/Con for 4 hours.

After combat starts:
Move - Move 15 ft.
Standard - Manifest share pain for 3pp, 4 hour duration
Swift - Manifest reach for 3pp, 4 round duration

HP 43/43 - PP 20/26
Active Effects: Reach: +5 ft reach (4 rounds), Share Pain w/psicrystal (4 hours)
Active Centers: Base (4 hours)

Psicrystal
HP 26/26

[Rizban]

DM

Alistair's arrow easily finds the sergeant's shoulder, but she quickly rips it out with an angry growl as he dashes forward into combat, weapons drawn.

Mere cautiously approaches gnoll G2 and easily slips past his defenses, scoring 26 damage.

Suzy moves and buffs.

Graithus moves into combat and belches forth a gout of flame against G3 - (1d20+6)[22]-2=20 and G4 - (1d20+6)[24]-2=. Both manage to avoid the worst of the flames, taking only 11 damage each

Acton charges gnoll G2, ending in space Y45, cleaving its head from its shoulders with a brutal swing of his greataxe and activates his aura. As its corpse falls to the ground, the group of gnolls lets out a chorus of angry, mournful yips. His display strikes fear in the hearts of the gnoll warriors, but the leader is not intimidated.

Gunthar shakes off his disorientation, pulls his tangled foot from the stirrup and manages to stagger to his feet but fails to control his horse. The horse panics and runs east away from the gnolls, only to spot more fighting there, panic further, jostle the horses harnessed to the nearest wagon, and cause them to begin to panic.

The gnoll sergeant growls several sibilant sounds at your group, which none of you understand. She then spits in heavily accented common, "A curse on you!" and points a glowing finger at Acton, who easily shakes off the effect. She then charges at Acton, ending in space X46, her Martial Spirit stance immediately familiar to Graithus. The attack from her weapon easily slashes through his armor, wounding him and somewhat healing herself.
Will - (1d20+6)[17] negates vs DC13.
Falchion - (1d20+10)[22] – (2d4+5)[9] + Heal 2

Gnoll1 charges 10 feet into X44, attacking Acton with an angry swing of his battleaxe, hacking through his defenses. Battleaxe - (1d20+9)[26]-2=24 – (1d8+3)[10]

Gnoll3 attacks Graithus with his scimitar then takes a 5ft step into Z47. Scimitar - (1d20+7)[21]-2=19 – (1d6+3)[4]
Gnoll4 charges 10 feet into Z48, attacking Graithus. Heavy Mace - (1d20+7)[14]-2=12 – (1d8+3)[7]
Both attacks fail to pierce his toughened scales.

The archers are busy attacking other targets this round.

Spoiler: Gnoll Sergeant

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[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Graithus


"Way to go Action!" Graithus cheers as one of the gnolls falls over dead.

Spoiler

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Graithus will use the 'bonecrusher' maneuver against G4

Attack: (1d20+11)[21]
Damage: (1d8+5)[11] + (4d6)[22] +4 fire damage

If the attack hits, Action should be healed 2 hps by martial spirit



Movement: 5 foot step to Z46 (so Action doesn't get flanked)



Status
HP: 58
AC: 23

Effects:
Martial spirit +2 hps with successful hit
dragonfire (from Action) +4 fire damage to melee attacks

[3SecondCultist]

Myriad

It brings him no great pleasure to watch the gnoll get knocked about, and even less to watch the creature get cut down so brutally, even if it is at the hands of his traveling companion. Masking his distaste, the shapeshifter slinks out of range of the intimidating gnoll leader, circling to the north and around the bloodbath. Putting the eggshell grenade back into its compartment for now, Myriad sees a second opportunity: a gnoll who is already engaged in a fight with someone else.

Moving in, the changeling brings up a paw to hit the other gnoll below the belt, a measured incapacitating strike to the inside of the knee that should slow it down some.

Spoiler: Mere, Round 2

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Myriad, aka 'Mere'
Male Chaotic Good Changeling Factotum 3 / Sleeping Tiger Monk 2 / Rogue 1
Level 6, Init 13, HP 45/45, Speed 30 ft
AC 18, Touch 18, Flat-footed 14, Fort 7, Ref 13, Will 6, Base Attack Bonus 3
Unarmed Strike +7 (1d6, x2)
Abilities Str 9, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 20, Wis 13, Cha 12
Condition None
Inspiration 4/6

Spoiler: Round 2 Actions

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Mere is going to move out of the melee and circle G1 to get into a flanking position with Acton (square W43). Then he will go in for another Cunning Insight flank Sneak Attack against the gnoll.

Unarmed Strike (vs. G1): (1d20+14)[24] for (1d6+4)[9] plus (1d6+6)[10] SA

[Waxpapers]

Acton

Snarling at the pain, Acton hops backwards, then opens his mouth wide and unleashes a torrent of green fire.

Spoiler: Actions

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Five foot step to AA45, then use my breath weapon on G1 and GL. Damage is (6d6)[17] fire. DC 17 reflex for half. I'll gain 3 HP from draconic vigor.

Edit: I forgot to roll for cooldown, so I did it in the ooc discord. I got a 1.

[Jeriah]

Suzy

Charging south to Z45, Suzy attacks G3.

Spoiler

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Free action: Invest 2 pp into weapon.
Full Round: Charge. Attack. Greatsword - (1d20+13)[22] – (1d10+8)[18] + (2d6)[7] + 4 fire.


HP 43/43 - PP 18/26
Active Effects: Reach: +5 ft reach (3 rounds), Share Pain w/psicrystal (4 hours)
Active Centers: Base (4 hours)

Psicrystal
HP 26/26