As the group gallops forward closing the distance at a terrific rate, Agathon will see the fleeing giant heading south spoiling his plan to intercept that target.
“Blast and damn it all!” he will huff just loud enough for the nearby horsemen to hear.
“Yes, we have covered some of the distance needed… Close up and slow to a canter!”
As the group slows and comes together into the 10 foot radius of the sphere once again. Agathon will say to the group in lower tones, “They have seen us, but do not fret this! Now that we are again unseen, they will fear us all the more! We will stay out of arrow range and attack those fleeing in fear!”
Agathon will guide the group with nudges to Belric’s horse and soft words so that the entire group will continue forward toward the giants but at a slight northerly angle.
3 rounds of combat posted:
Jacques catches up with the giant and criticals him from behind. While he's unable to stun him, he inflicts a total of 30 points on the brute, while taking 9 points from a glancing blow from the still "feared" giant.
Thaddeus is able to cause two more ogres and giant #2 to flee east bound. He then flies southbound to support Jacques, as he spotted that the worgs broke off to fight the only visible target to them.
The two giants and one ogre unaffected by the fear run for cover near a rocky outcropping and small wood to the south. The giants pick up rocks to prepare them for hurling.
The two worgs break off and sprint off to attack Jacques. They arrive next round.
Belric and Agathon arrive among the giants. Belric's flamestrike kills Giant #2, who was already hurt. Agathon lays into two ogres, killing them both. Verlik and Garsh ready their missile weapons for engaging the giants and ogres that are looking like they want to make a stand.
Jaques presses home his attacks on the hill giant. He hears the gutteral vocalizations from the worgs closing in on him. I have to finish off this brute before those worgs get here, so I can concentrate on them. In one on one fights I can prevail against larger opponents, but if I get outnumbered, I lose the initiative!
This is a problem with the fly spell - it's too slow to pursue even a cantering horse! One-on-one, Jacques would do fine against the giant. But being swarmed is exactly what he was concerned about. Can't let that happen.
Thaddeus will fly directly towards the worgs in an effort to get close enough to use the fear wand. Just go away and let the monk paste your master, okay?
With their immediate foes down, to the riders, Agathon will shout, “Stay your bows and grab the reins! Follow me!”
At which point, he will spur Triple Sox back into a gallop and head to the southwest toward the monk and his multiple foes.
Riding in a great circle being careful to remain out of effective range of their bows and rocks , Agathon will lead the riders in a circular course around the Giants making their stand in their cover.
“Take that ye overgrown goblin!” Belric bellows out in glee seeing the giant drop in flames, “Aye run ye cowards!” Hearing Agathon’s concern, Belric turns in his saddle and notices the Worgs closing in on Jaques. “Aye lad ye got thae right o it, on tae help out our silent friend”
Round #1
Jacques attacks the giant and inflicts another 9 points of damage. He's still up.
Thaddeus is able to fly up and his fear wand works on both worgs. Both fail their saves.
Giant #1 attacks Jacques, missing.
Giant #4 throws a rock at Agathon, hitting him for 14 points of damage
Giant #3 throws a rock at Garsh, hitting him for 16 points of damage
Ogre #2 shoots his arbalest at Belric, missing him.
Agathon and Verlik swing wide east to avoid rocks, heading for the woods just southeast of them. They estimate they're over a hundred yards from the brutes now.
Belric and Garsh do the same, following Agathon and Verlik. (basically they're all swinging wide to avoid the rocks whle still heading south)
Round 2
Jacques double strikes the giant again, putting him down. His first hit broke the giant's femur and as he went down, Jacques crushes his skull.
Thaddeus changes direction towards the remaining giants now, as the worgs are running off at very high speed.
Giant 3 throws a rock at Belric, but it doesn't reach him.
Giant #4 throws a rock at Thaddeus, missing him, but Thaddeus realizes he's at the edge of their missile range.
Ogre #2 reloads his arbalest
Decision Time (see the map in the shared google doc)
Almost done! What was the old Suelish saying - divide and rule? Thanks be to Rao for the chance to truly understand the meaning! I still have work to do; there is no reason for any of my friends to die today if I can avoid it.
There should be three ogres left but I only see one. I wonder if I missed something? I'll get back there and see if I can scare off another giant.
Thaddeus will cast invisibility and fly to a position to the west of giant #4. He will take an indirect route in an attempt to avoid detection. Thaddeus will then spend a moment looking at the humanoids with detect magic again, looking for any changes or anything he missed the first time. He will trigger the fear wand with the goal of driving giant #4 out of the rocks and to the east. Finally, he will maneuver appropriately to cast orb of acid at any giant he can reach.
Counting the Ogres in cover, Agathon does a bit of mental math...
"Hmmm. Thought there to be six of them... Let's see, three now dead, one undercover with his Arbalest... Where is the Ogre with that stupidly large bow?!"
To the riders, he will say, "Two of the Ogres are missing! They may be using magic to conceal themselves from our sight! Beware! We must move! They may be attempting to escape the field to warn the others back in their camp! Brother Belric... Administer the power of Moradin's healing wisdom to our friend (indicating Garsh) and leave me be for now! We must ride!"
After allowing the priest the time he needs to heal Garsh, Agathon will wheel Triple Socks around and shout, "Follow me closely at the gallop! Verlik! Watch the group under cover closely, if the wizard sends another running, yell out so that we may run him down!"
And with that, he will spur his horse and lead the riders on a circular course staying well out of rock range back in the direction of the farm house.
Hoping that Edgar does not have an unpleasant surprise heading his way at a dead run, Agathon will scan the ground for tracks of the Ogres heading back toward the mine/fort...
Jaques looks up from the dead giant, and scans for a target. What happened to those worgs? Unless he sees a sentient member of the enemy attempting to flee, he heads for the nearest enemy, to attempt another kill. We need to wrap this up as quickly as we can. He trusts in his ability to slap aside missiles, while closing the distance to his targets.
Corrected post:
See post above.
Add Ogre #3 shoots at Belric, hitting him for 8 points of damage.
You cant see what ogre #4 is doing.
Seeing Belric and Garsh get hit nearly causes Agathon to be thrown from the saddle as his inattention to his own situation allows one of the Giants to squarely hit him in the left side with a stone.
Righting himself in the saddle and holding on for dear life as he catches his breath, he turns the riding group toward a group of small trees to attempt to get out of missile range of their enemy.
With Garsh wheezing and clutching his saddle horn with bone white knuckles, Agathon breathes a bit easier as the next volley of rocks fall short on the grassy plain.
Wheeling the horses to a slow walk, Agathon will huff out, “Brother Belric! Are you able to weave the great power of Moradin!? Garsh is hurt gravely… please heal him!” To the rest of the group he will say, “We shall wait here out of range of their missiles and allow Belric to minister to our wounds. Verlik! Keep a weather eye on the giants… Should they bolt from cover, or if our flying friend magics more out in the open, sing out! We will pursue them the moment we are able!”
”Pelor! These creatures do not mind your light glaring down upon their heads…Their evil shines… But, your good is the brighter!” The warrior will silently pray as he awaits his turn to receive Moradin’s healing…
Seeing Garsh get hit leaving granite dust on his once shiny armor, He steers his horse closer and lays a healing hand on his shoulder, channeling Moradin’s healing power into Garsh.
1 cure moderate wounds (2d8+4=10)
Just as he releases his hand an arrow grazes his forearm, Ouch, I guess that the bow hae a greater range than those pebbles thae be throwing aboot
“Agathon come here, while I take care o ye pains” Belric will lay his hands on his arm letting the power Moradin to come forth again.
Cure Serious Wounds (3d8=13)
“Okay, anyone else needing healing?” Belric turns in his saddle, looking at all and seeing that no one else needs any healing “Well then let us kill some more gobbers”
[ooc] AC 25, HP 51 Bless round 8 /90 minutes
Almost done! What was the old Suelish saying - divide and rule? Thanks be to Rao for the chance to truly understand the meaning! I still have work to do; there is no reason for any of my friends to die today if I can avoid it.
Thaddeus will cast invisibility and fly to a position to the west of giant #4. He will take an indirect route in an attempt to avoid detection. He will trigger the fear wand with the goal of driving giant #4 out of the rocks and to the east. Finally, he will maneuver appropriately to cast orb of acid at any giant he can reach.
Jacques moves east, into some rock cover to protect him from the rocks.
Thaddeus casts his spell
The bad guys all charge towards the riders, the giants have rocks in their hands.
Agathon sees the bad guys charging as Garsh and Verlik sing out. He orders a retreat into the trees and the remaining group retreats on horseback into the woods, slowed down by the undergrowth and trees.
Decision time. This was just a 1 round post.
Agathon looks up from his prayer and sees the purpose behind and Garsh's and Verlik's shouts...
"Blast!" He will violently think. "Hoped they would stay under cover a bit longer!"
Before Belric can reach for him to apply his healing, Agathon will spin Triple Sox around, the large animal objecting to the quick tug of the reigns with a snort despite the sight of giants bearing down on them...
"Quick! At the gallop! Follow me everyone!"
At that, he will dig in his heels and with a leap into motion will lead the riders away from the oncoming foes...
The comforting cloak of invisibility encloses the wizard as he looks up to see the giants charging east and away from him. Those big buggers! A fine time for them to grow some sense! I'll never catch them at this rate!
Thaddeus will dive the short 20' to the ground, landing lightly on his feet. He will then cast expeditious retreat and run east, paralleling the giants and attempting to overtake them.
I have to catch up in order to do any good. Their numbers are halved but our party is divided.
Belric will ready his summoning spell waiting till the Giants and Ogres close for maximun shock value. need tae let them get closer so the Zelekut won't hae tae face them rocks and arrows, want it tae be amidst their forces tae create the greatest havoc
Belric stays with the others as they manuever about.
CK note, If the enemy close within the 50 square, Belric will call a Zelekut to fight this will cost 100 xp from Belric
Jacques will move east-northeast, following the giants and slowly closing the range, while keeping to the broken terrain to gain the benefit of cover.
Round 1:
Jacques moves as indicated, using cover to move up.
Thaddeus drops down and casts his spells.
The giants and ogres continue to charge towards the other group.
Agathon leads the riders out of the woods to circle around.
Belric stays with the riding group, ready to cast his spell as needed.
FAST FORWARD:
The giants keep on running. Thaddeus catches up with them and scatters another giant with a fear wand.
The mounted party and Agathon can catch the running giants....and Jacques can too....question is...do you want to?
Galloping away from the main group of Giants and Ogres, Agathon smiles as he hears Garsh and Verlik nearly simultaneously shout, “Runner!” and “The Wizard got another one!”
Looking about to see one of the giants heading toward the rocky terrain where he thinks Jacques is (squinting in that direction does not reveal the monk’s exact location to him), Agathon will shout, “Follow me and leave that one to Sir Jacques!”
With that, he will take the group further away from the main group and put on what speed he can to keep the group just out of rock throwing range…
Good, good - only one giant left. Now let's try to even up the numbers a bit - the less time they are in melee with the remaining giant and ogres, the better. You're not done yet!
With a watchful eye on the remaining giant, Thaddeus will close the range and work at killing the ogres with orb of acid spells.
Jaques attempts to run down the split off giant. He's taken down one solo, and is willing to try again.
Belric follows Agathon, waiting to cast his summoning spell
Reaping 18 near noon
You all finish off the remaining giants and ogres. Total treasure found: 37gp, 45sp, 83cp, there are three giant sized bows of fine make that might fetch about 100gp each to right buyer (but sure would make a good conversation piece or wall art).
You are not too far from Ferin. YOu are in hex 03.14. Do you continue to Ferin, go back to the giant camp? Blow it all off and head for Greyhawk?
Agathon stares into the fire. As the embers lift into the sky to be lost among the limbs of the great trees surrounding the camp, he ponders the ranging battle that occurred a few hundred yards away a few hours ago…
He can see it all from the moment the wizard winked out of sight to the final blow as Jacques dropped the giant leader with a single flying kick to the head. Though he can remember little of his own deeds, he sees his companions fighting fiercely in a slow dance of dirt, swords, and blood.
”Verlik and Garsh fought mightily. He will think to himself as he glances up to see Garsh with his eyes closed and a smile upon his face. ”We nearly lost him twice today, yet he sits there wearing his pride like a fancy suit made for court! When he and I struck that Ogre together, he obviously thought it was his blow that downed the foul thing.” Agathon gladly gave him credit for the kill, claiming instead a miss for himself.
”And Verlik! He took one down all on his own. I can see why he was Captain of the Guard. And, he has the humble reckoning of a true warrior… Neither is he overly proud of his victory nor overly shy in claiming his due… Good man”
And, in his musings, he cannot help but look upon his friends with great pride. Continuing his inner dialog… “Jacques is simply amazing! His hands are swords, his feet flails, his entire being is a dangerous weapon… Belric is no slouch either! The way he hove into those Ogres with a song on his lips and great strength with every blow… His skill in weaving the great energies of Wise Moradin and matched well with his skill on the axe! And Thaddeus! Powerful he has become. We could not have handled such foes without his magic. My own magic is powerful as is the strength in my arms and spirit… But he outclasses me on the field…”
As Agathon thinks this, he counts himself lucky to be with these great men.
"Oh Great Light! Will every day of our journey be plagued with such foes we faced today? If that is your will, our tour of these steadings will indeed be a long one... As always, I beg thee to allow me the strength of your light so as to work your will upon these lands!"
”Hmmph!” He will grunt to himself… ”Well, you came here looking for adventure, boy! And did you ever find it!”
As his thoughts echo in his mind and the battle once again replays itself behind his eyes, Thaddeus begins laying out the battle plan for taking the mines. Agathon will listen intently and will interject on any point that might fall into his limited area of expertise.
And, he agrees with the general plan to accomplish this and move on to continue their tour of the steadings. And do what they all might to rid this land once and for all of the menaces that plague this region.
Thaddeus watches from the air as Agathon and Garsh lay into the last ogre, which has thrown down its weapon and is likely pleading for its life. A prisoner would have great value. It would be interesting to find out how this arrangement came about, if there are any other humanoid outposts in the area, or if they have any contact with Spinecastle. Unfortunately I would have an easier time convincing the sun to not come up in the morning than I would convincing Agathon to take an ogre alive. Both man and dwarf strike the ogre simultaneously, dropping it. It would be wise if Agathon lets Garsh claim the kill. That would build his confidence, something our followers sorely need after the dragon rolled over us.
When all foes are slain, Thaddeus will help with searching the bodies. A pittance for such powerful creatures! But then they wouldn't bring much if any coin with them on a hunting trip. Recognizing an opportunity, Thaddeus fills any empty vials with the blood of the giants, and carves two square yards of skin off one that fell on its belly. When he sees Verlik's quizzical and slightly disgusted glance, Thaddeus will respond, "Hey, what do you think girdles of giant strength and strength potions are made of? Kitten fur and butterfly milk?" He chuckles and remembers to snip a bit of hair from each giant.
That evening, inside the secure shelter, Thaddeus makes sure to roundly praise and extol the accomplishments of each member of the party while remaining mostly silent about his own contribution. He will relate any unique perspectives he had from the air and will even praise Edgar for being willing to mind the baggage train, freeing the others to fight. We won because we fought them in ones and twos. We fought them that way because I had the idea and the ability to selectively break their lines. There is no need to say anything.
When he has a moment by the fire Thaddeus will toss in the handful of hair he snipped from each of the giants. Great Rao, sacrifice of an enemy is not our way, but I can think of no better offering right now. Reason has won out over brute force and ignorance, at least here and today. Thank you for the gifts of intellect and inspiration you have instilled in me. Thank you for the knowledge and power to bring the plan to fruition, and thank you for inspiring my friends to have the wisdom to follow the plan. Thank you for our safety and our lives this day.
"I hate to dampen the celebration", he will say a few hours later, "but we needs must think of tomorrow. We have no idea how long that hunting party was expected to be away. They might be expected back on the morrow, or a week from now. Even then, how long until they send out a search party? Our original plan was to wait for any search and rescue party to get a good distance from their stronghold, and then ambush them. I still think this is a wise plan, but the enormity of our overall task - patrolling our lands and visiting each of our holdings - has me concerned that we linger overlong here. I would much rather winter over in a large comfortable city than in the field!"
"Concordantly, I would like to suggest a second possibility. There are three giants and six ogres remaining at the stronghold - and some may be working in the mines. If we can silently kill the orcish sentries at the mine, we can stone shape the entrance closed. That will hopefully give us several minutes in which to eliminate the giants and ogres, ransack their stronghold, and put it to the torch. Afterwards we can consider a means of dealing with the twoscore orcs in the mines."
"Unfortunately - as Jacques would no doubt point out if his tongue were looser - there are drawbacks to this plan. We are presently an unknown threat. They don't know we're here, how many of us there are or what our composition is. If we wait for a rescue party we can perpetuate and take advantage of their lack of knowledge. If we attack their stronghold, they will know very definitely that something is out here hunting them. And there are the slaves in the mines to consider."
"In the morning, I think we should return to camp near the stronghold, perhaps a mile or two away - not at our original camp site, but a new one. I think Jacques should be invisible and resume surveilance. I think we should do both of these things regardless of which path we choose."
Jakes twists his body and limbs, stretching out the muscles, ligaments and tendons, taking various contortions and poses by the fire. That was an astonishing fight today. I really strained myself to the limits. Proved that I can take on powerful opponents single handedly though, so long as I can keep it one to one. What must it be like for Thaddeus to be able to fell so many at a time, but be vulnerable in a one to one melee?That's why our abilities compliment each others so well I guess. What's he saying? H appears to be addressing all of us, not just Belric. Jakes listens to Thaddeus' remarks and nods along. He raises an eyebrow as Thaddeus accurately predicts his concerns, and nods again at the suggestion of another invisible reconnoiter. The remaining three giants concern him, and he wonders at their sleeping arrangements. It would be good if we could eliminate one or two as they slept. He considers that he heard rumors of some monastic orders who specialized in the silent kill, but his own training fowned on that. Perhaps a skill that was wrongfully neglected?
The party returns to a different observation point. About a half mile from the giant camp is a low hill with lots of vegetation and a rocky outcropping that make good observation points.
There is sign of previous activity at these outcroppings. Some small animal bones and a discarded, broken dagger, rusted out to worthlessness.
From this point you can observe the former farm and the approach to the smelter.
Reaping 20 morning:
Throughout the night, there was just occasional sounds of distant clicking and "thunk" noises from the smelter. A steady column of vented smoke was disspelled by an early morning rainstorm.
Now it is mid morning. The dripping of the runoff from the trees and thick fern growth is distracting to the watchers.
A duo of giants leaves the farm and walks towards the smelter, about a half mile away.
To confirm, you all were able to set up the secure shelter spell and are fairly certain you were not observed that night.
We will maintain observation for 3 days and wait to see if a search party goes out. Jacques will be invisible at the OP, going closer to observe activity or overhear conversation, but only if the risk is low.
Thaddeus and Agathon will look for back entrances to the mining complex. They will both be invisible during this time. Belric will make suggestions on where to look based on his caving and mining knowledge. Between Thaddeus' local knowledge and Agathon's outdoor skills, we hope to locate a back entrance before a search party goes out.
Belric and the NPC's will maintain light and noise discipline at the camp site.
If a SAR party goes out we will strike camp, track and follow at a safe distance until they are a few hours from the mining site.
If no SAR party goes out in the 3 day period, we will prepare for an assault on...something.
Correction on date:
Reaping 23 morning--after about 8 hours of searching, you find a hidden cave entrance about 300 feet north of the complex. Tracks indicate that a giant and a worg probably exited this cave several days before and did a sloppy job of covering their tracks. The cave entrance itself is secured by a draped moss "blanket" that makes it appear to be part of a rocky outcropping covered with patchy moss.
At dusk, you all see a trio of hippgriff riders fly by at several hundred feet, slightly east of your location. They are too far away to call to and don't seem to notice you.
Just after dark, you spot what is almost certainly a dragon, possibly the black dragon you encountered before, flying overhead, again at fairly high altitude and not paying attention to events on the ground.
Reaping 24 pre-dawn: Your spotter is startled by the flash and roar of a fireball from the giant camp, followed by bellowed shouts of alarm and metal on metal clashes and clanging. A lightning bolt sizzles. In the light's reflection and in the increasing lightness on the horizon, you can spot shadowy figures, man size moving rapidly around the camp. The distinctive twanging of bow strings and the snap of a crossbow is also heard.
Jakes says to the group, "this might make an ideal opportunity to enter through the back cave and rescue the hostages, regardless if the attackers are friend or foe..."
"Aye lads, first let Moradin's blessings be upon ye" Belric casts Bless on all.
Still amazed at talking to an invisible person and unable to escape the notion that he is talking to himself... Agathon will address the 'disembodied' voice of Jacques...
"But, we must know more of the combatants! Sir Jacques, whilst still invisible, can you go hither back into the compound and perhaps silently discover who is who? Then, may we best decide the next course of our action this day!"
To the group, he will say, "As quietly as you can, we must all gear up and prepare to fly to our friend's need should he be discovered during his next foray into the camp. The giants and orcs might be easily fooled by Sir Thaddeus' great magic; but, we know not who is fighting them now or their own magical prowess! They may spot our friend the moment he steps into their midst. We must be ready in case they too are to be our foes!"
With that, Agathon will creep slowly up and join Verlik at the observation point while he waits for the more learned among the group to settle on a final plan of action.
Thaddeus will cast invisibility on himself and Jacques. He will cast message on Jacques and fly on himself. Belric will cast bless on the party.
Jacques will move out to get a closer look at the attacking force and attempt to determine if they are friendly, neutral, or hostile. Friendlies include men of Knurl of Shirana's followers of Pholtus. Hostile would be orcs, bandits, or other humanoids. He will also attempt to identify the apparent leaders and spellcasters.
Thaddeus will overfly at an altitude of 100' or so, getting his own look at the combatants, and staying within message spell range of Jacques (450').
If the attackers are friendly, Thaddeus will make contact with a leader or spellcaster via message spell to determine their mission and see if there is any way we can coordinate an attack. He will also blow his whistle twice in cast of friendlies. If they are not friendly, Thaddeus will notify Belric with a message spell and we will decide what to do.
Thaddeus begins casting spells. "Jacques, keep in contact with me when you are able to. I can't see you so the only way I can stay in spell range is if you tell me about where you are. I'll be a hundred feet above you and can help you if you need it."
"I will blow my whistle twice if they are friendlies. That doesn't mean come charging down off the hill to fight! It's just so you know what's going on. We want to avoid any accidents or misunderstandings. If they turn out to be hostile, I will contact Brother Belric and we will decide what to do. If the evil doers can extinguish each other without our having to reveal ourselves, so much the better!"
Reaping 24, pre-dawn
Jacques and Thaddeus close the distance to the former farm now occupied by the giants. Dawn brings more light, but visibility is still low. Light fog also clings to the ground in spots.
The palisade surrounding the farm has been smashed and one of the buildings inside is on fire.
Jacques closes to within about 100 feet, moving very carefully. He sees a troop of about 20 human soldiers, wearing heavy armor. They are set up just west of the farm and their crossbows are aimed towards a smashed portion of the palisade.
Just north of them, two ballistas are being reloaded by crews of four lightly armored men each. One ballista is smashed and two dead bodies lie next to it.
A dead giant, pincushioned by crossbow bolts and a giant ballista bolt is on the ground near the smashed portion of the palisade.
Inside the compound, you hear bellowing and sounds of combat.
Thaddeus flies overhead and can make out another dead giant on the ground. The barn is on fire. An ogre and three heavily armored men are locked melee combat, but it looks like the ogre will soon go down from multiple wounds.
Inside one of the farm buildings are more sounds of combat, slamming heavy objects and commands being yelled. You can't make out what they're saying.
You don't see any flags or standards. The humans appear to be wearing the same type of armor--banded mail and look like they're all wearing the same color cloak and clothing.
Jacques will go in closer towards the 20 human soldiers, keeping to cover as much as possible (even though he's invisible), and staying out of the line between them and the smashed palisade. The reasoning is that's where their attention is focused. He will try to pick out leaders or spellcasters by seeing who has guards, says 'sir', who has the cleaner uniform, and so on.
Thaddeus (invisible as well) will reduce altitude to 30 feet and overfly the compound in an effort to make out the commands, as well as the accents of the voices. Being local he should be able to pick out at least local accents - Bone Marchers, Nyrond, Great Kingdom.
Whether an identification is made or not, Thaddeus will then increase his altitude to 400' (hovering over Jacques to stay in message contact) to look for their scouts, pickets, baggage train, or camp.
The party will continue gearing up and holding silent defensive positions.
Jacques overhears conversation and commands. Their accent is from Nyrond, possibly.
The crossbowmen have a leader, who orders them to reload. There's nothing unsual about him. They appear to be waiting for targets of opportunity. They don't wait long, as an ogre presents itself in the gap in the palisades. The crossbowmen fire a coordinated volley and the ogre goes down screaming in pain, hit by at least a half dozen bolts.
The sounds of combat from within continue.
Thaddeus, flying overhead, notices a hippogriff and rider circling above even him. The rider appears to be human shaped and male, judging from the armor.
Jacques observes all this quietly and carefully, though he is really enjoying the invisibility. It occurs to him that this may be some kind of illusion, as he's seen that used by military formations in the past, and he looks for inconsistencies, or signs of disguise. He passes these thoughts on to Thaddeus, and that this may be some kind of deception
Jacques continues his reconnaissance, looking for leaders and spellcasters. He will take a few moments to actively disbelieve the reality of the attacking humans. Thaddeus will also disbelieve. If either of us figure out that there are illusions about, we will fall back to warn the main body of the party.
If no illusions are detected: Thaddeus will don the mask of lies, cast protection from arrows, mage armor, greater, and voice of the dragon. If he thinks the effects of voice of the dragon will transmit through a message spell, he will get to within 300' of a hippogriff rider, match course and speed, and cast message at the rider. Otherwise he will do the same but from a safe conversing distance (30').
Thaddeus will then make contact with the rider (remaining invisible). He will gently challenge the rider, trying to find out who they are, where they are from, what is their purpose here, who is their leader, and so on. Thaddeus will reveal as little as possible of the party, giving vague answers salted with half truths. Just a calm, friendly conversation.
The remainder of the party will remain hidden in defensive positions.
Now that is a stroke of brilliance! I can't believe I didn't think of that! That dragon has been about and we already know it's good with illusions. Maybe it found the dead giants and decided it could take the rest by itself? Thaddeus will spend some moments studying the crossbowmen from the air. Is the formation a little too regular? Are their movements just a little too coordinated? Did the tops of the helms get filled in? Cephali gave me no end of grief when I forgot to do that once...
The question of illusionary crossbowmen solved, Thaddeus will get out the mask of lies and cast his spells as he climbs towards the rider. I mislike this mask. It itches and makes my skin crawl. I wonder if it will work if I'm invisible? Come to think of it, I wonder if voice of the dragon will work through a message spell? I don't see why it wouldn't, it's all voice.
When at last the wizard is within range, he will speak to the rider (message spell or directly). "Well met, skyrider! To whom do I have the honor of speaking? Your troop below is certainly well equipped and drilled, and your mount is a magnificient animal - please allow me to express my admiration! But if my guess is right, you are all a long way from home. If I may ask, from whence do you come, and what is your purpose in Count Dunstan's lands?"
invisibility: until dispelled
fly: 90 minutes, horizontal move 90', climb 45', dive 180'
message w/Jacques: 90 minutes, one creature, 450' range
protection from arrows: 90 minutes, immune to normal missiles but not magicked missiles, rocks thrown by giants, or crew served weapons
mage armor, greater: 9 hours, +6 AC
voice of the dragon: 90 minutes, +10 enhancement bonus to bluff, intimidate, and diplomacy checks (spell compendium)
message w/rider (possibly): 90 minutes, one creature, 450' range
With bonuses, Thaddeus is +12 to bluff, intimidate, and diplomacy checks - 10 for the spell and 2 for his stat. Charisma is also one of his prime stats. I can't recall what the effect of the mask of lies was but I'm sure it would help.
The humans appear real to you.
The message spell works at 300' even with the other factors and spells involved.
The leader is taken aback by the message he receives, but he recovers quickly and replies:
"I am Edwald and our purpose is avenging raids upon our lands by these giants and ogres below. Count Dunstan's lands? His subordinates abandoned them decades ago. This is orc country now."
He looks around and you see him pulling out a potion and drinking it.
Below, Jacques hears more sounds of combat and screaming from within the compound. The crossbowmen have all reloaded now.
Jaques grows concerned about what may be happening in the compound, and wonders about the slave, now hostages. He knows his invisibility will be lost if he attacks anything, but wonders if he can perform other acts without exposing himself. He quarries Thaddeus via message connection, if he could untie someone, or open a prison door without canceling the spell.
Belric, Agathon, and our followers will remain vigilant and hidden in defensive positions. Thaddeus will quickly explain to Jacques the triggers that will break the invisibility spell (mainly attack), with the admonishment that knots spontaneously untying or doors opening themselves will surely attract attention.
Thaddeus will maneuver during his conversation with the rider, changing altitude and course, watching to see if the rider is looking at him while doing so. If the rider's gaze follows Thaddeus, he will deduce that the potion the rider drank was detect invisibility.
In the conversation - keeping it calm and friendly - Thaddeus will assert/propose/state the following (at +12 charisma bonus plus mask of lies):
- acknowledge that Dunstan's previous followers fled these lands and are currently wild country
- truthfully identify all PC's, with title, and mention our involvement in Spinecastle and ending the war
- state our mission to reclaim and resecure these lands in the name of Count Dunstan
- state that we killed half the giants and ogres a few days ago some hours from here
- warn him of the Bloody Eye orcs in the mine, with accurate numbers
- inform him of the slaves in the mine and mention that some of them may be his folk
- propose temporary cooperation between our forces to eliminate the orcs, free the slaves, and split the treasure
"Edwald, I am pleased to make your acquaintance, and we have no intention of interfering with your taking venegeance. I have the honor of being Sir Thaddeus MacPherson of Knurl. My companions are Sir Agathon Quintus, Sir Belric Silveraxe, and Sir Jaques Jeannes. Count Dunstan knighted us for our service in journeying to Spinecastle, breaking the close coordination between the humanoids, and ending the war - at least the organized bit of it. We have been invested as the lords of Dramsburg, Arazarm, Darzog, and Ferin, respectively. Besides we four principals, we have a number of apprentices and men-at-arms with us."
"I cannot deny that our predecessors fled years ago. It is my eventual intention to punish them for their cowardice in abandoning their holdings in the hour of greatest need. These lands are indeed wild now, but the Count has tasked us to determine their current state - take stock, if you will - drive off or slay what humanoids we can, and restore the Count's justice. We are fully aware it will take years, if not decades, to accomplish this."
"We have been observing the farmstead for several days. A few days ago we had an opportunity to kill half their number when they sent out a hunting party. We ambushed them several leagues from here, towards the river, and slew four giants and six ogres. I do not know if you found the bodies and so chose today to attack, or if your attack on their reduced numbers was a fortunate coincidence."
"I do not know if you are aware of it, but there are more than a score Bloody Eye orcs and a score of ogres in a mine complex nearby that the giants had been working with somehow. See that smoke plume? That is their smelter. We suspect they are commanded by at least one spellcaster. They also have a number of slaves - some goblins, some humans, and we think even a few gnomes. Some of the slaves may be your folk that were carried away on raids."
"We have no quarrel with one another, and it seems we share a common enemy. I propose we cooperate to exterminate the humanoid infestation in the mines, free the slaves, and split whatever treasure is recovered. What say you?"
invisibility: until dispelled
fly: 90 minutes, horizontal move 90', climb 45', dive 180'
message w/Jacques: 90 minutes, one creature, 450' range
protection from arrows: 90 minutes, immune to normal missiles but not magicked missiles, rocks thrown by giants, or crew served weapons
mage armor, greater: 9 hours, +6 AC
voice of the dragon: 90 minutes, +10 enhancement bonus to bluff, intimidate, and diplomacy checks (spell compendium)
message w/rider (possibly): 90 minutes, one creature, 450' range
With bonuses, Thaddeus is +12 to bluff, intimidate, and diplomacy checks - 10 for the spell and 2 for his stat. Charisma is also one of his prime stats. I can't recall what the effect of the mask of lies was but I'm sure it would help.
"Split treasure? I don't think so. I'll gladly talk to you after the battle is over, but this is wild country and has been for a long time. The giants and ogres raided our land and took slaves and property from my people and we are here to exact vengeance. My soldiers are paid and expect rich spoils and a last minute arrangement to split the glory and treasure will not be well received. I have no hostility towards you if you are who you say you are and will gladly negotiate with you after this all done. In the meantime, stay out of the way, please."
He apparently spots you now, even in the predawn light, as his eyes lock in your general direction. He nods his head and circles his hippogriff in a tight circle around the camp below, where the sound of fighting is slowing down.
Thaddeus will tell Jacques through the message spell to get back to the main body of the party.
He will then fly back to the party's hill and tell everyone to finish packing up and head for the rear entry of the mine complex, taking a wide route around the combat and the assaulting human force. He will fill the others in on his conversation with Edwald while they pack and move.
At the rear entrance to the mine complex, Thaddeus will direct Edward to cast darkvision on Jacques. We will attempt to conceal the horses as best as possible, both from ground and air - a thick copse of trees would do it. Entry order into the mine: Jacques, Belric/Garsh, Agathon/Thaddeus, Verlik/Edgar. Jacques is still invisible and will be well ahead but will stay within range of the message spell (450').
Slaves will be freed as we go and questioned as to where the humanoids might be. We will ask for volunteers to guide us but don't expect them to fight. Freed slaves will be asked to wait at the rear mine entrance until we come back and get them. We will ask all of them if they know a guy named 'Edwald'.
Speed and stealth of the assault are crucial: we want to get as far as we can before we are discovered.
Thaddeus will watch Edwald fly away, disappointed but not really surprised, and more than a little suspicious. This doesn't smell right. He never would say where he's from, and anyone who can train, equip, and field such a force would have fought off raiders. I'm sure other petty nobles, Nyrond, or even the Great Kingdom would like to carve off parts of the Bone March - especially a producing gold mine.
"Jacques: reform with the party. These guys say they're retaliating for raids on their lands but avoided telling me exactly where their lands are. They asked us to stay out of their way and I don't see a reason not to. We're going into the rear entrance that Agathon and I found yesterday. There's more going on than their leader told me."
He will then overfly the party and get the attention of Agathon and Belric. "Their leader's name is Edwald and he claims they are avenging raids on their lands. I asked him twice where their lands were and he ignored the question. I'm suspicous but don't think they mean us any harm at the moment. He asked us to stay out of the way and I intend to do just that. Let's finish getting everything packed up and ride for that second entrance. There's a dry riverbed a quarter mile away that will let us get most of the way there without going through their troops or the combat."
Thaddeus will keep aerial watch while the rest pack up the camp, and will overfly the party at 100' while they ride for the rear entrance. "That stand of maple trees will be a good place to hide the horses. I think we'll need everyone for this assault."
Once there: "Okay - I suggest entry order will be Jacques, followed by Garsh and Belric, then Agathon and myself, with Verlik and Edgar in the rear. Jacques will be far up front on recon and I will stay in touch with him via the message spell. Agathon and I will have a torch, as will Verlik and Edgar. We'll try to stay back far enough to not mess up the dwarves' darkvision, at least until we start encountering serious resistance. Edgar, please cast darkvision on Jacques."
"Any slaves we encounter - free them right away and send them to the rear. If any of them want to volunteer to guide us through the mine complex, that's great, but we shouldn't expect them to fight. The stronger ones can organize the rest of them and they can wait at the mouth of the secondary entrance. Oh yeah - as we find them, ask them if they know a guy named Edwald who rides a hippogriff. I'm curious who the guy really is and what his intentions really are."
The party will notice that Thaddeus is even more persuasive than usual.
invisibility (self): until dispelled
invisibility (Jacques): until dispelled
fly: 90 minutes, horizontal move 90', climb 45', dive 180'
message w/Jacques: 90 minutes, one creature, 450' range
protection from arrows: 90 minutes, immune to normal missiles but not magicked missiles, rocks thrown by giants, or crew served weapons
mage armor, greater: 9 hours, +6 AC
voice of the dragon: 90 minutes, +10 enhancement bonus to bluff, intimidate, and diplomacy checks (spell compendium)
message w/rider: 90 minutes, one creature, 450' range
5 minutes pass as you pack up camp (please mark off your spell effects) and move towards the mines/smelter. It is getting even lighter now and you can see about a hundred yards.
10 minutes later you arrive in a copse of trees about 200 yards from the mine entrance.
Thaddeus hears and sees two hippogriff riders approaching. One is Edwald and the other is a female, who keeps her distance and appears to be watching all around.
"Alright, guess we'll talk this out. My advisor tells me that the information you gave us about the Bloody Eye orcs was accurate, so she thinks you may be legitimate. If you are who you say you are, we don't want to quarrel with you. We have a squad watching that mine entrance anyway. The mines go deep into the earth, my gnomes tell me. We think there may be an exit about 3-4 miles away, but we haven't found it yet.
So, you're saying that Count Dunstan wants to reoccupy this land?"
Jacques follows Thaddeus's instructions, and slips out of the camps melee as invisibly as he had slipped in. He makes his way back to the party, arriving nearly simultaneously with Thaddeus. He keeps his thoughts to himself, as he prepares his small supplies to move out. Glad we'll be moving into the rear mineshaft, I far prefer the unexpected raid with stealth, speed, and violence of action, to the frontal assault. Let the big armies do that...as they seem to be. He gives a brief, wry, grin at his own silent observation. They move to the new location, and all seems well, when he hears the beating of great wings in the sky. He looks toward the sound and spies the hippogriff riders, he guesses to be conversing with Thaddeus. Now what? He scowls peevishly. With great adventures behind him, as a named lord of the land, and with only his close companions within sight, he is slowly allowing himself indulgence in allowing his feelings to show on his face.
"Jacques, Edwald can see invisible right now, so don't do anything that might be construed as hostile. Just stay defensive for the moment."
"Well, we're all here now so I may as well make introductions. This is Sir Agathon Quintus of Greyhawk, Sir Belric Silveraxe of Knurl - late of Spinecastle. My invisible colleague is Jacques Jeannes. Our retainers are Verlik and Edgar, both of Knurl, and Garsh of the Rakers. We had a gnomish woman with us when we left Knurl - Idnae, a cousin of Ebbers. Unfortunately she perished six days ago when we were attacked by the black dragon that frequents these parts. If you would be so kind as to let your gnomes know this, we would be grateful. Gentlemen, this is Edwald, of ...?", Thaddeus will trail off momentarily, leaving an opening for Edwald to say where he is from.
"The giants we killed a few days ago were west of here, a couple of miles east of the river and north of Ferin - in some of the abandoned farmland, where the hills and forest give out. There was an abandoned, burned out farmhouse. You may have seen the bodies? If not, I don't expect you to check right now, but after this is wrapped up you might send someone for a look."
"I do not know what is known or said about us outside of Knurl - if anything! I do not know how to prove to you that we are who we say we are. I could show you our documents of ennoblement, but you could say they were forged or stolen. I am told that many adventuring companies have names and even draft their own coats of arms. We have made no such pretensions in the past, but perhaps it would be wise of us to reconsider this in the future. The simplest way would be to have a priest cast discern lies on us, but I expect you have more important work for your priests to perform."
"We think we know where the mine cavern exits to the surface. We were going to try to get inside and liberate the slaves. With any luck, the orcs will either sally out and be routed by your troops, or we will cause enough disruption and confusion inside that your force could take the mine by direct assault."
"As for the Count - well, as I said before, we are out inspecting our collective new holdings. We were given no explicit directives, but as responsible landowners we are trying to kill or drive off humanoids and bandits, restore order and commerce, and see what is left after years of lawlessness. Many farms and mines have been abandoned for years, and some villages have been out of contact for that long as well. I am not privy to Count Dunstan's plans, but I believe it is his wish that the abandoned portions of his holdings be brought back into the fold."
invisibility (self): until dispelled
invisibility (Jacques): until dispelled
fly: 18/90 minutes, horizontal move 90', climb 45', dive 180'
message w/Jacques: 18/90 minutes, one creature, 450' range
protection from arrows: 18/90 minutes, immune to normal missiles but not magicked missiles, rocks thrown by giants, or crew served weapons
mage armor, greater: 18/540 minutes, +6 AC
voice of the dragon: 17/90 minutes, +10 enhancement bonus to bluff, intimidate, and diplomacy checks (spell compendium)
message w/Edwald: 17/90 minutes, one creature, 450' range