Lord Borak the Despoiler |
Borak nods as he's given orders. He's intent on marching and keeping the others marching, so as he takes over leadership, he starts barking cadence to keep everyone's mind focused.
Con save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
"Old King Cole was a merry old soul and a merry old soul was he!
He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his privates, three.
Beer, Beer, Beer said the privates,
Merry men are we!
They're none so fair that they can compare to Delta Company!
Old King Cole was a merry old soul and a merry old soul was he!
He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his corporals, three.
We need a three-day pass said the corporals,
Beer, Beer, Beer said the privates,
Merry men are we!
They're none so fair that they can compare to Delta Company!
Old King Cole was a merry old soul and a merry old soul was he!
He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl,
and he called for his sergeants, three.
Push, push, push said the sergeants...."
Belac93 |
Borak singing will give everyone else advantage on their con checks. Nice idea!
Roll insight if you want an idea of who is winning the fight.
Chase Strumhold |
- Skills:Acro+4,Arcana+3,Ath-1,Decp+3,His+1,Intim+3,Inves+1,Nat+1,Perf+5,Pres +5,Rel+1,slofh+2,stlth+2
- Attk:Dagger +4 1d4+2p, QuarStaff +1 1d6-1
Chase oblivious to anything other than the group marching picks up Borak's chant and echoes it in harmony getting entranced in the movement of the troops.
Elena D'augustino |
Insight: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16
Well, that wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be.
Elena observes the conflict, and feels vindicated in her decision to not send her squad barreling down into whatever fresh hell this was.
Belac93 |
The march passes uneventfully (aside from the battle). The Changers seem to be following at a distance, and Elena has to move on before she can see the end of the battle.
The army camps for the night in a sheltered hollow in the trees.
Anything you want to do this evening, do it now, and we'll move on to the next scene.
Rook the Hooded |
"I am known as Rook to the people here. That will suffice, for now. Come and join us...you will be less threatening if you are not skulking on the edge of our force."
As much as he can, Rook will keep an eye on these two, and will inform Elena of their existence.
Elena D'augustino |
Elena returns to the group, wishing she'd paid more attention to the politics of the situation, and spent less time drunk. Who were they up against that would sling demons about willy-nilly? She rejoined formation, awaiting their next order.
Chase Strumhold |
- Skills:Acro+4,Arcana+3,Ath-1,Decp+3,His+1,Intim+3,Inves+1,Nat+1,Perf+5,Pres +5,Rel+1,slofh+2,stlth+2
- Attk:Dagger +4 1d4+2p, QuarStaff +1 1d6-1
Chase returns from his silent fugue state of art with a newly composed song and begins to play.
Perform: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Belac93 |
Rook
The 'shifters' watch all night long, just staring at the drow as their faces slowly change colour. They never seem to blink or breath, matching him in monk like discipline.
In the morning, they walk up, and press an dagger that appears to be made of a black stone into his hands, and then they walk off, into the army.
Elena
The night passes uneventfully, aside from a lump under your bedroll leaving you sore in the morning.
Chase
Chase's song is an enormous hit in the platoon, and several of the gnomes and halflings ask him to teach them.
Draco
During the first watch, you see nothing out of the ordinary around camp, but do notice that the light seems to be a bit brighter than usual. You aren't sure why.
Borak
The night passes uneventfully.
Morning
Krak marches into the camp with a worried look on his face. He marches back and forth along the line, staring everyone in the eyes, watching for their reactions.
"Soldiers. The time has come to do your duty. To fight the big one. This battle will go down in history, as a world altering event!" He looks you up and down. "I'm not gonna lie to you. You are probably gonna go back to the mud today. This is your first battle on the ground, and most likely your last."
He thumps his fist against his shield. "But! Are you going to let that happen!? NO!" He roars, "You are all gonna be heroes by the time this day is done! You will find your glory in the battlefield!"
He stands up straight. "You will be marching with the first battalion to meet the enemy. Your squad," he indicates the party, "Will be on the seventh layer, near the middle."
"Every man and woman will do their part! We march soon! Be ready. Oh, and take these." He dumps a sack on the ground. "You'll probably need them."
When you open the sack, it has the following items:
-4 sacks of caltrops
-2 vials of alchemists fire
-3 healer's kits
-1 healing potion
-3 flasks of oil
Everyone ready for the first battle? Please decide who is taking what items, and then we will move on to the first big battle!
Lord Borak the Despoiler |
Borak raises his hand. "Um, who are we fighting? And why are we fighting them? Is this a tactical battle of attrition, or do we have some greater strategic objective here? Are there any landmarks or nearby towns that we should be aware of?"
I get more out of battles when I know what my character's motivation is. =)
Belac93 |
Krak's gaze hardens on Borak. "All your need to know is that you are fighting. I assure you, all will be made clear to the survivors of the battle."
He appears to think for a moment. "I can tell you this though. This is the most important battle that has ever been fought in the history of our world. Those of you who survive will be...gifted. So, to answer your question, we have an enormous strategic objective."
"There are no towns nearby. No landmarks, nothing to separate this place from the nowhere it is. But trust me. Before the month is out, the world will know it's name!" He appears very excited, throwing his hands around in a fit of fervor.
Anyone who takes the following check may roll with advantage if they say they were looking at Krak's eyes while he was talking. I trust you to decide on how your character was acting.
It is quickly becoming apparent to you that something is off about this army. You don't even know why the kingdom's formed it in the first place.
Chase Strumhold |
- Skills:Acro+4,Arcana+3,Ath-1,Decp+3,His+1,Intim+3,Inves+1,Nat+1,Perf+5,Pres +5,Rel+1,slofh+2,stlth+2
- Attk:Dagger +4 1d4+2p, QuarStaff +1 1d6-1
Chase muses aloud to himself.
Oh battle you come in my need of inspiration.
Chase picks up a flask of oil.
Draco the Cleric |
insight: 4 + 1d20 ⇒ 4 + (12) = 16
insight: 4 + 1d20 ⇒ 4 + (1) = 5
Draco will bluff the party and any NPC that can be fooled when Krak is not around. Did you see that mans face and eyes, he seems joyed, he was fairly confident and thinks this will be a piece of cake. I have never seen such confidence in my life. We must be fighting some weak foes, or at least ones we can definitely handle
deception: -1 + 1d20 ⇒ -1 + (7) = 6
Elena D'augustino |
1d20 - 1 ⇒ (12) - 1 = 11
1d20 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Elena picks up the caltrops. She isn't happy, and has no idea what's going on. She turns to the rest of the squad, and gives them a brave smile.
"Well. That. Um... is really impressive and helpful?"
She honestly can't muster the energy to be snarky. This was all starting to look a lot bigger and more stupid than she had imagined.
"That-is-interesting-and-helpful-right-soldiers?!" She shouts, with forced enthusiasm.
Rook the Hooded |
Insight: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Watching the facial ques on their so-called leader, Rook only shakes his head at the attempted heartening speech by the priest.
Insight vs. Draco's Deception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
The look he gives the priest leaves no doubt that he knows thew truth, but he does not give the priest's ploy away.
"Perhaps we should scout the area before the great battle begins. It would not do to be taken from behind unaware...who knows what DECEPTION could await us!"
Belac93 |
Also, I forgot about this, don't forget to roll with disadvantage on your attack rolls because of sunlight sensitivity.
The other soldiers in the platoon cheer at Draco's blatant lie, appearing mostly relieved and heartened. "We'll kill them with no problem!" They mutter to themselves.
How do you guys want to go about with scouting?
Lord Borak the Despoiler |
Borak gathers up the rest of the supplies. He says something about how if anyone else wants anything, they can but ask.
Looks like Chase took 1 flask of oil and Elana took 4 sacks of caltrops.
He walks close to Rook and Elena. "If you two want to run ahead and scout the battlefield, please do so now. I like not the feel of this, but I'd not shirk my place in the line on a feeling.
Try and be back before the trumpet's call."
Rook the Hooded |
Rook first takes a quick look over the other units that are taking part in this battle for signs of anything out of place. He then joins Elena in scouting the battlefield.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Belac93 |
Nothing.
The battlefield seems empty of enemies, devoid of any life at all. It seems like nothing is there, like you have come all this way for nothing. But Elena spies a spot in the distance. A spot that should not be there.
It isn't so much that it looks different, or alien, or anything like that. It just feels wrong. And there is movement in it. Pale forms shifting, just beyond what you can see with the naked eye.
Chase Strumhold |
- Skills:Acro+4,Arcana+3,Ath-1,Decp+3,His+1,Intim+3,Inves+1,Nat+1,Perf+5,Pres +5,Rel+1,slofh+2,stlth+2
- Attk:Dagger +4 1d4+2p, QuarStaff +1 1d6-1
Chase will stay with the troops he's not a very stealthy spy and enjoys he community of the group.
Rook the Hooded |
Sorry...posted a few days ago, but it must have disappeared!
Rook returned with Elena and goes to speak to Borak.
"Well chief there is nothing there..no army at least. Far in the distance there is some sort of weird distortion...hard to describe, but it is a spot..with something moving within. Like I said, it's hard to describe, but it gave me a bad feeling. I don't know what these guys have in mind, but I am beginning to get the impression we are, at best a stalking horse, and at worse a sacrifice. I say we get the hells out of here...and fast!"
Chase Strumhold |
- Skills:Acro+4,Arcana+3,Ath-1,Decp+3,His+1,Intim+3,Inves+1,Nat+1,Perf+5,Pres +5,Rel+1,slofh+2,stlth+2
- Attk:Dagger +4 1d4+2p, QuarStaff +1 1d6-1
So what you are saying is we are risking our lives potentially facing some unknown situation. That sounds like any day I've ever had in the army, I don't think it means we turn tail and run. Have some soldier's pride.
I suggest we investigate it further.
Lord Borak the Despoiler |
Lord Borak scowls at this harsh and unexpected news. "Never have I ran from a fight, but this does not appear to be a fight. Or at least none that I have seen.
Still, methinks we could not scuttle out without consequences.
I propose we muster to the line as normal...but pack light, and take all the rations we can get our hands on.
If this is a trap and we are fodder, then we'll need to disappear for awhile.
They'll probably think we're dead anyway."
Borak heads out and finds the quartermaster's tent. He grabs the attention of whatever lackey he can find. "Excuse me. Our squad is to be on the seventh layer, and so we will not be able to retreat to the mess for our midday meal. Please give me some dried and preserved rations so we can take nutrition without leaving our posts."
Belac93 |
Borak finds the tent, and walks inside. The only resident seems to be a small female goblin, and she appears to be packing a compressed mix of meat, berries, and vegetables into small packets. As you speak, she turns and stares; "You want food? Fleesha make you food!" She grabs a large sack, and begins stuffing it with the packets. "Is verra good!" She gives a toothless grin, "Keep deman man strong an healthy! Eat good! Now leave!" She bustles Lord Borak out of the tent, with his new sack.
The sack contains 50 packets of Pemmican (a compressed mix of powdered meat, berries, and fat). This stuff appears to be horse meat, black currants, Saskatoon berries, and horse fat. Each packet counts as 1 day's worth of rations.
Any final preparations anyone wants to make before the battle, or are you going to get into position now?
Lord Borak the Despoiler |
Borak hefts the bulging sack with a grunt. 'Pemmican, eh? Well, at least it's not biltong, so I guess we lucked out.'
He trudges his way back to the squad. "Okay, everyone take at least seven packets. Pemmican might not taste as good as your normal trail rations, but it can keep for a long time and it's highly nutritious.
Literally I have no idea what the future holds for us, but at least we can count on having our bellies filled."
He hands out packets to each member of the squad, then sees that the squad form up and gets ready to take its place in the line.
Belac93 |
The Battle
This is it. You take your place, in the 7th layer. You are positioned about 40 feet away from the other platoons. All is silent.
You can smell an odd shift in the air, and see it too. An odd shift, and it is almost as if the world... shifts somehow. The world is not the same as it was. In the distance, you see a mass running forward, a horde of... something. They draw closer, closer, and closer, covering the land in a mass of... something. You still cannot make out basic shapes or individuals.
Reactions to this, before the attack comes?
Chase Strumhold |
- Skills:Acro+4,Arcana+3,Ath-1,Decp+3,His+1,Intim+3,Inves+1,Nat+1,Perf+5,Pres +5,Rel+1,slofh+2,stlth+2
- Attk:Dagger +4 1d4+2p, QuarStaff +1 1d6-1
This is what I'm paid for and what haunts my dreams. My homeland better write some damn good songs about me when I'm gone.
Does the mass move as one or does it look like individuals moving as a horde? Basically does it seem hive-mind like or just a big scary army?
Belac93 |
Does the mass move as one or does it look like individuals moving as a horde? Basically does it seem hive-mind like or just a big scary army?
The mass appears to be a large amount rampaging beings that, from what you can see, appear to be crawling over each other. However, in places, you can see organized groups, that glint with the telltale trace of armour. These groups appear to be moving steadily forward.
Chase Strumhold |
- Skills:Acro+4,Arcana+3,Ath-1,Decp+3,His+1,Intim+3,Inves+1,Nat+1,Perf+5,Pres +5,Rel+1,slofh+2,stlth+2
- Attk:Dagger +4 1d4+2p, QuarStaff +1 1d6-1
Glory and Epics
...and very likely death