The group does his best to stay hidden and unheard. The occasional shifts of the not-so-subtle ones draw worried looks from their comrades, but everything seems to remain quiet.
Night falls and you find yourself under the darkness, without proper shelter, and under the drizzle! It's going to be a long night!
Spectacular. Servayn thinks as the drizzle saturates his clothing and leaves him shivering. He hauls some relatively dry sticks up against a tree so that he can seat himself above the mud that will be soon to form, leaning against the tree, and spreads his horses saddle blanket out over it's rump and shoulders, to help it stay warm in the miserable weather.
Ember just snorts, his unnaturally warm breath leaving a trail of fog from his nostils, as he settles down on the ground, showing a reptilian disdain for the weather.
Unless Kriger convinces a group to patrol this evening, so that we can ambush them, we've got nothing to do but wait, right now. Ember and I can take first shift, if you'd like, although we could benefit from some sort of camoflauge, if you think you're up to that, Tuck, to make our position less visible if a group of bandits come from the fort, or from the way we came, to the fort...
Having settled down in some semblance of a camp, Lukasz was ready to enjoy a night under the stars, until it started to rain. Frowning as his clothes started to get soaked, he attempted to cast a few cantrips to keep himself dry before giving up his futile attempt as the parts he was able to dry quickly got soaked again.
Ditching his plans to transcribe the spells from the confiscated spellbook into his own, he does his best to get comfortable to spend a dreary night in the rain, doing his best to set up some place that was dry and hidden from sight of the fort.
"Your boys needin' someone to help 'em out in scoutin' the area?" He asks Akiros. "At least that way, I'll be of some use to you while I'm here. Not much for sittin' around doin' nothin'."
Akiros, looks at Kriger with wide eyes: "In this weather? In the dark? With a troll in the area? What do you think we are? Salaryman? Nuns?"
At this, everybody laughs.
As if to underline his point, a shrieking howl in the distance pierces the night and freezes everyone's blood, as if a metal canvas had been ripped with violence.
After a moment, one of the bandits asks Akiros, obviously nervous: "D'ya think HE will join us for tha dinnar?"
Aux says, bluntly: "Can't you see it's tha troll? 't means it's picked up a trail or something. Wouldn't wanna be outside tonite..." Then, with all this philosophy pouring out of him, he feels thirsty and empties his big mug, followed immediately by more philosophy, but in some orcish dialect perhaps, and the whole band laughs at his long burp.
Tuck sets up his own tent, removing it from the saddled horse. While not being the outdoorsman that Garrick was he does try and conceal the campsite as best he can with Servayn's help.
"Servayn, I'm not sure how effective this will be. Maybe we should of had Kriger setup a hidden camp for us before charging off. I'll follow your shift by the way," Tuck says while leading his horse to the others so they could cluster together for warmth. Horses never seem to mind the rain too much, lucky beasts. After finishing the wet and dreary chore he tries to dry off and warm up with his own blankets.
After the howl Tuck quickly moves out of his tent, blanket wrapped around his shoulders, sword and whip at the ready. He looks around, listening to try and figure out were and how far away the sound was. If it's nearby he'll duck down beside the tent and undergrowth hiding.
"Are you kiddin' me? This is what it's all about! HA! HA!" An idea comes into his head, "I'm going after it. Make your wagers boys, I'm coming back with troll leftovers. Hey Aux, you like 'em rare, or well done?" He gives him a slap on the arm. "Any of you dare to come with me, come on. Otherwise, if I'm not back by tomorrow, then all of you who bet on the troll, collect your money." He says as he gathers his things preparing to leave.
"I don't see how you all just stay cooped up in here. I haven't survived this long waitin' on death. If I see it coming my way, I take the battle to it." He gets a little quieter but still speaks loud enough for all to here, HA! HA!"
Akiros SM:
Aux SM:
Dovan SM:
A big smile blossoms on Aux's face. Some of the other bandits pick up on it. Dovan looks suspicious, but keeps to himself. Quickly, a "possey" is set up of Aux and four bandits. "I like your ideeee!" Says Aux as they leave the fort, Aux and Kriger riding horses while the four bandits are on foot, carrying torches.
The rain has taken a pause, and the moon is starting to show slowly.
As you crouch in the wet grass, your lungs fill with reminiscences of wet oat, lavander, a dash of mint and, yes, something composty...
The moon seems to push the clouds aside and shapes can be seen across the hill. Four of them walking, carrying torches, with two more on horses, in your direction, along the path leading away from the fort. At this distance, details remain elusive (1,000 feet).
Your hear muffled voices and the occasional laughter. Their armors are noisy in the night, filling the darkness around with metal tinges.
Servayn Perception , Stealth
Lukasz Perception , Stealth
Janku Perception , Stealth
Kalsgrim Perception , Stealth
Tuck Perception , Stealth
Troll: Perception , Stealth
Group chance (75% and below to be lucky):
You hear scuttling noises in the distance. The sound of loud footsteps crushing the grass, trying not to stomp. It's unclear what kind of beast this is, but it's big.
As you leave the fort, Auchs carrying a lance with a big grin on his face, the bandits are all excited and you see them moving to the battlements. They're cheering the names of the merry band as they slip out of the fort. Akiros has chosen to go in the tower to better watch the show. Dovan is nowhere to be found...
You notice bandits lining up on the battlements in the distance.
Servayn leans to Ember and whispers, "Can you bite the lurking beast and lead it to the men from the fort? If we can pit them against one another, and Kriger can avoid getting killed in the ensuing melee, it will go better for us than if we have to fight them both independently..."
He softly incants a cantrip to help Ember to locate the beast.
Ember peers into the darkness, attempting to divine the location of the sneaking creature.
If he spies the beast, Ember will attempt to stealth close enough, perhaps settling down along the beast's path of movement, to make a single attack and then flee in the direction of the band of men from the fort.
"Keep your eyes peeled, Aux. Let's try and spot this beast before he spots us." As he squints to attempt to see as far as he can in the dark. Maybe we can make it to the camp before we meet up with the troll. Else, the Gorumite's gonna be mad that he wasn't here to help take down a troll! If that's the case, I'll have to remember to explain in detail how I cut it to pieces and how it was such a 'glorious' battle! HA! HA! A wry smile creeps up on his face at the thought.
Servayn Initiative , Stealth
Lukasz Initiative , Stealth
Janku Initiative , Stealth
Kalsgrim Initiative , Stealth
Tuck Initiative , Stealth
Kriger Initiative , Perception
Troll: Perception , Stealth
Troll: Initiative
Auchs Perception
Auchs Initiative
Bandits Perception
Bandits Initiative
Ember Intelligence
Ember Attack: ;
As the group of bandits approach, everyone stiffens as they move slowly above the rim of the cliff. The four bandits carrying torches are walking in front, looking through the darkness, their swords in hand.
The first bandit catches sight of Janku as the group springs the trap.
In the night, a sharp and terrifying howl slashes through the night, freezing the blood in your veins. Ember has found the troll!
Servayn just shakes his head, bewildered at how untenable this situation has become. Kalsgrim somehow got separated by such a gulf that none of the spellcasters can reach him to apply enlarge person or healing magics, and Ember so utterly failed to get between the troll and bandits that he's not even in sight. Indeed, he may have gotten out of range and dissipated back to whatever plane he came from, for all Servayn knows...
Time to improvise, he thinks, praying that he has some greater destiny than to be eaten by a troll this evening. Cayden, protector of fools, drunkards and unruly children, be kind this night!
He steps a pace to the west, and attempts to hiss the words to a grease incantation beneath his breath, positioning it to target the ten foot square beneath the two centermost bandits.
Servayn steps one and casts grease, as per above.
After the surprise round, Ember will haul butt away from the troll, and try to end his movement on the other side of the bandits (ignoring a possible use of pounce to kill one, since he's trying to not get eviscerated either by the troll *or* the bandits, and ending his action out of 5 ft. step-and-attack range of either).
Seeing that his wonderful hiding spot was compromised, Janku steps into view of the bandits, brandishing his holy symbol. His visage seems to take on an alien, and vicious form...somehow larger with long blood tipped spikes lining his armor; his face a flaming skull with red embers for eyes, and long fangs.