With the heart of the Stolen Lands explored and the bandits who ruled there scattered, the long-contested realm finally lies open for pioneers and settlers to stake their claims.:
Amid the rush of opportunistic travelers, the PCs find themselves stewards over a new domain, tasked with the responsibility of guiding and guarding a fledgling nation struggling to grow upon a treacherous borderland. Yet the threats to this new nation quickly prove themselves greater than mere bandits and wild beasts, as the monstrous natives of the hills and forests rampage forth to slaughter all who have trespassed upon their territory. Can the PCs hold the land they’ve fought so hard to explore and tame? Or will their legend be just one more lost to the fangs of the Stolen Lands?
Sir Didymus has traveled more than 8 hours today (he's traveled 10) already. Didymus the (mount here) automatically takes 2 hours of lethal damage and becomes fatigued.
Didymus damage:2d6 ⇒ (1, 1) = 2
Lil' Didy can't really ride a horse by himself without being trained in performance or riding, and of couse he would need a custom saddle. ;)
Scarlet are you horsing-it or self-hoofing? Either way it takes her Illthir, and any mounts about 3 hours to get to the bandit base camp. It takes 2 hours if you want to hustle for a part of it, though that might be tough on Didymus. This takes into account everyone moving at 50' thanks to skaldic performance.
Zokon and Alia's mounts have likewise put some miles on themselves today (4 hours worth thus far).
As an alternative to leaving your healer Celyne back at base camp, you can take Shepherd Jhod Kavken (cleric of Erastil 4) with you instead. We can assume that he he has used a channel energy or two and of course lesser restoration on Scarlet, and that Celyne did most of the healing back at the outpost. I'll attach his character sheet to his page in a few.
We have an extra hour to figure this stuff out while Zokon finds the path again.
| Bloodrage 12/12 | Fire Strikes 3/3 | HP 43/43 | AC 18 T 14 F 14(Uncanny Dodge) | CMD 19 | Saves 6/4/0 (+1 Will vs Mind Affecting) | Init 3 | Perception 3 | 4 Female Ifrit Bloodrager (elemental, fire) | Spells 2 |
Scarlet continues to run on foot. She won't hustle as she wants to be in top fighting condition. If everyone is lucky this will be a quick revenge. If not, well she's been through worse.
The party presses onward into twilight, stalking their prey into the hills southwest of the fort. At several points along the trail through the hills the bandits dismount and walk their horses for a few miles. The tracks lead past the Old Sycamore and toward the river ford.
Zokon is quite buggered and advises rest "I hate to say it but at this stage, some sleep would be a weapon for us." as he shakes his head to clear the cobwebs for the hundredth time
Illthir bites her lip as she weights their options. Ow! On the bright side, that made her less likely to fall asleep right now. "If we stop we'll never catch up to them tracking. So we can either push into the night or try and race ahead if we want to catch them *now*. But there's always good odds we might find justice later with Scarlet's company help ..."
Sorry, most of my weekend was spent shoveling out. To Numalar's questions: The people you are following do have horses and you can't be sure of how far ahead they are by the trail signs alone. If you continue on Zokon (or whoever tracks) is going to need some way to see in the dark. Likewise if you continue on much longer some of you will need light to make camp as well.
Illthir mumbles a little and several small spheres of light popped into existence. And she managed to dig her bullseye lantern out of her backpack. "There. Let's hope that if they are close enough to notice the lights they are close enough for us to catch..."
| Bloodrage 12/12 | Fire Strikes 3/3 | HP 43/43 | AC 18 T 14 F 14(Uncanny Dodge) | CMD 19 | Saves 6/4/0 (+1 Will vs Mind Affecting) | Init 3 | Perception 3 | 4 Female Ifrit Bloodrager (elemental, fire) | Spells 2 |
Survival(Aid):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Scarlet points and directs through the trees, even as the day gives way to darkness and her darkvision kicks in.
"We should push forward on foot. Ignore the horses. Think about it - their horses must be tired as well - all the more so if they started moving earlier than us, to deliver their deadly message to the trading post. They will have made nightcamp a safe distance away, then had to go to Olegs, and away from there. Unless they have means of travelling significantly faster, or ran their horses to death, they should be close."
Alia looks around for a save place to leave the horses:"Celyne, Luna, and Didymus can stay with them and keep them save while we others press on!"
Desperately staring into the distance for signs of smoke, or a fire, she adds:"Considering that they started to travel earlier than us today, and Zokon and me have pretty much been tracking them all day since right after the incident, it's pretty save to say that we could not catch them - tomorrow they will spend all day moving away from us, unlike today-"
Looking at Scarlet, Alia continues:"And if we fail to avenge Oleg today, rather than a wild goose chase that eventually brings us back to the Staglords Fortress, we should probably try and make our way to Scarlets Brother, with or without Makdoon..."
Why do we have these? It's for our mounts, right? Constitution:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 91d6 ⇒ 4 Constitution:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 Constitution:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17 Guess Horsie is fatigued. Time to let it rest.
Illthir sighs and rub her tired eyes/legs/everything. She really wanted to sleep and she imagined the horses wanted it even more. But still, Alia was right. "I agree. As tired as I am this might be our only chance to catch them."
Bleh. At least it might make a good story. Should they succeed that was ...
| Bloodrage 12/12 | Fire Strikes 3/3 | HP 43/43 | AC 18 T 14 F 14(Uncanny Dodge) | CMD 19 | Saves 6/4/0 (+1 Will vs Mind Affecting) | Init 3 | Perception 3 | 4 Female Ifrit Bloodrager (elemental, fire) | Spells 2 |
Scarlet follows where the party goes. She's been on marches like this before, and they are never fun. At some point your feet just drag forward and you hope you'll catch up to your quarry before you make too many mistakes. Do you throw your axe or sneak up in the middle of the night? Do you burn the tent to force them into a panic, or do you bluff the size of your force to get them to surrender?
So three press on, one rest (or maybe not) and one noncommittal. The press on have it! And it looks as though you are walking on your own feet and leading your horses, correct? Didyus, Luna and Celyne are currently back at the outpost. You still have the option of dragging Jhod out with you though.
...Luna and Celyne are currently back at the outpost. ...
Why did they stay behind again? I don't recall that bit. But if they are not around then having Jhod with us is not a bad idea.
Meta-wise: because Celyne's player is currently indisposed.
In-game rational: In the retcon she would have handled most of the hp healing in the morning instead of the shepherd. That and Jhod's god is the god of hunters. If he comes with, he remains quiet for most of the chase and seems grumpy as you press into dark.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
I have nothing particularly to add.
If the enemy has gone for a single normal day by horseback, this last hour should allow us to catch up to them.
If they hustled or force marched, then they could still be 1 hour ahead of us. But if we make camp and follow in the morning then with our improved speed we should be able to catch them.
The party follows the tracks into a dark copse of trees set in a shallow valley. Ahead in the dark, beyond the scope of the bullseye lantern's light, a woman's voice begins to sing:
♬ "The door flew open, in he ran,
The great, long, red-legged scissorman." ♬
The voice seems to come from a small bundle hung up in a tree. At first it appears to be a particularly frayed, bear bag hanging spinning slowly in the breeze. Tied to the limb like overripe fruit. On closer inspection by the light of the lantern though it is revealed to be young woman's severed head. The face is twisted by tortured death and hysterical fear. It stops spinning upon locking eyes with Zokon, but continues (somehow) to sing.
♬ "Oh! ladies, see! the groom's arrived
He's caught himself a pale, new bride!" ♬
The party notes the presence of horses beyond, but there is no light. The head hangs at eye-level 60' away (just inside the edge of where the lantern's cone of light is brightest).
knowledge (arcana) DC 24:
Someone has magicked the head turning it into a sort of sentry. They magicked it to speak as well via magic mouth. The DC is slightly higher to account for what is hopefully your character's unfamiliarity with this relatively rare spell.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
Numalar confers with Scarlet for a moment.
"Ah, a sentry skull. An orcish spell. It can warn the caster of danger, but they have to be nearby."
"I'm guessing that's raised the alarm," says Numalar. "They have to know we're here."
Numalar turns to Shepherd Jhod.
"Shepherd, perhaps you should stay with the horses. If you brought a bow and you see a target, by all means shoot, but otherwise, if there is a fight let us stay between you and them. Though perhaps you can give us a blessing before we go in?"
I figure there's a good chance he has a bless spell prepared.
I don't want to burn through all my second level slots, but I can cast aid now if someone is going to volunteer to draw fire and be the tank.
I can also use dancing lights to light up the enemy camp, if you guys want.
"Eww..." Illthir sighs at the sound of the ghastly song. Bride when it could have wived? Of course, that'd call for a little rework of the line. Or 'He caught himself a pale, new bride of death derived'? But that's too long ... 'His new bride, of death derived' maybe - unless caught is important. Hmm. She makes a mental note work a bit on those rhymes if she were to include them in her upcoming saga. But perhaps not now.
"Okay, everyone's in a shape to fight?" she whispers as she readies her weapon. If needed, she had an Invigorate scroll she planned to use if someone was too tired to focus.
That is: Illthir has a scroll that suppresses Fatigue for 10 min. Anyone need that?
"Ah, a sentry skull. An orcish spell. It can warn the caster of danger, but they have to be nearby."
"I'm guessing that's raised the alarm," says Numalar. "They have to know we're here."
Numalar turns to Shepherd Jhod.
"Shepherd, perhaps you should stay with the horses. If you brought a bow and you see a target, by all means shoot, but otherwise, if there is a fight let us stay between you and them. Though perhaps you can give us a blessing before we go in?"
I figure there's a good chance he has a bless spell prepared.
Yes, there is a very good chance. ;) He blesses the party.
Without much in the way of ceremony Shepherd Jhod blesses the party without stopping to look at them. Instead he scans the darkness.
For simplicity sake Jhod wil be leading the horses at the back of line. Retcon that if you like, but let me know.
The party advances forward following the path to the edge of a clearing that has seen some camping in the past. Beyond the party can hear some horses shuffling slightly on their tethers. The space is dark but by starlight and (in the case of those without darkvision) lantern light the party sees solitary elven man clutching an animated disembodied woman's head by its hair with one hand while buttoning up his pants with the other.
Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zokon
__ elf
__ Illthir
__ Jhod
__ Scarlet
__ Numalar
__ Alia
