Back and leveled up!

Typhus keeps staring at the newcomers. His look is cold, calculating, and strange. Abruptly he laughs. "Chasing mechanical men and mechanical bugs and flesh traitors. Perhaps the stars are falling at last?"

"Uriel, what do you think? Should we try and track down this Ruing, since she seems to be behind a lot of problems, and the one giving orders. I do not find you to be evil men, and were most likely following orders. I will hold my judgment, and ask that I may accompany you to find this Ruing, if Uriel is with me that is."

"Uriel, what do you think? Should we try and track down this Ruing, since she seems to be behind a lot of problems, and the one giving orders. I do not find you to be evil men, and were most likely following orders. I will hold my judgment, and ask that I may accompany you to find this Ruing, if Uriel is with me that is."

"Aye...this Ruing sounds very interesting", says Uriel, his good eye leveled at Typhus. "As long as we're followin' them forged', then you have me."

"Trust me, "Interesting" is where Blondie starts. Don't know where the forged are going. Could be Fort Thorn, could be Khyber itself, though we've got a pretty good imitation of that right here - unless Typhus plans to tell me different. Good to see you back on form."

Malick takes a another long swig from the bottle.

"Time to be moving. One thing I'll say in her favour. Blondie's army is keeping the ghoulies and ghosties away. Let's stay close enough to benefit from that. Rennick or Ferdinand, got any tricks up your sleeves to get us closer without being obvious about it?"

The new and old comrades bound by common goals pack up and set out into the mounland.
The group heads out after the army keeping your selves far enough behind the rearguard as not to be seen.
Trailing them is not a problem as they are moving slower than your group. As night falls the army ahead stops and takes a standing rest they do not light fires or prepare camp as warforged don’t have the need to.

If you want to scout out the camp I will need stealth checks from the ones doing the scouting.
Also tell me how you are setting up your camp.

"Don't much rate myself as a scout. Rennick and Flint are a whole other story."

Strongly suggest no fire and if anyone's got any warding, let's use it.

"Don't much rate myself as a scout. Rennick and Flint are a whole other story."

Strongly suggest no fire and if anyone's got any warding, let's use it.

"Not much of a' scout me self", says Uriel to Malick, his speech clearly affected by the booze, "but I'll be handy here if a scrap breaks out...me and mah wineskin will be at tha' ready, your gov'nership."

Yea no fires a good idea, is it possible for me to keep an eye on the warforged campsite from a good vantage point? Like any kind of elevation or something?

"Just "Malick". You got any more of that rot-gut? Been a long day. How's about you tell us more about what you're doing in this gods-forsaken place?"

"I can become as the shadows, as the darkness, as the void between the stars, but only for a brief time. If we come close enough, it ought to be enough time for me to slip closer, see the shades of their souls and return to report. Unless of course the stars devour us all in the meantime. It is a gamble," Typhus looks almost fondly toward that possibility.

"Good odds though. Do a favour to those of us less entwined with the heavens and try and give us a report we can use this time."

How close do you need to be and more to the point do you want some backup? Typhus clearly won't care either way, but you might :)

If Typhus has a good method, we can go with that. My Guillaume's Veil utility power is a close blast two and makes everyone invisible within it, and has a sustain minor property so I could keep it going for me and anyone accompanying me to scout. What do you all think?

BTW, I need to stop forgetting about my items. Rennik has Reading Spectacles, which allow him to read any language. He'll do just fine with the draconic ritual book.

Just as well. I doubt Malick's that reliable with arcana. I've got a feeling his draconic is the kind of stuff that's useful in a bar or a strange city, but not that great for translating fiddly rituals. "Hey - Rennick? Guess I might have got the ingredients wrong back there. You could explode right about now."

I've got five minutes in shadow form, and can move at 7 fly speed. Should be enough to buzz the group, check them out and come right back, eh?

"Backup?" Typhus looks confused, "Why would my back be up? I am not offended."

"That's always good to know, Typhus. Go flap around them and see if you can find out anything any of us will find useful."

Typhus will move as close as he dares without being seeable, and then use shadow form. He'll fly low across the ground, keeping to shadows as much as he can, spend as much time in shadows as he can, and then fly back just as the five minutes are up.

The army is arranged in 11 columns of 25 and one command column.
The normal columns contain 20 warforged, 4 big beetles and one salad jar and a supply cart; the carts have 6 legs instead of wheels. 2 of the columns are archers the rest are frontline.
The command column consists of 10 warforged, 3 slaughterstone slicers, and 5 small beetles. It also has a supply cart a command cart and a much larger salad jar with a lot of extra gizmos attached to it.
15 yards sperate each column.

Standard column is arranged like:
W.W.W.W.B.
W.W.W.W.B.
W.W.SJ.W.W.
W.W.W.W.B.
W.W.W.W.B

And the command column like.
W.W.W.S.Sb
Supply cart.Sb.S
Slaad cart.Sb.S
W.S.W.W
Command cart.W.Sb
W.W.W.Sb

Typhus give me a perception and a arcane roll for more detail.

"Just "Malick". You got any more of that rot-gut? Been a long day. How's about you tell us more about what you're doing in this gods-forsaken place?"

Uriel passes Malick an unopened bottle of more of the impressively bad wine. Wiping redish wine stains from his mouth, he gives a rueful snort and says "Let's jus' say I've got an' interest in the whys and hows for what these forged' are doing headin' to Cyre...err what used to be Cyre at least. Official church business an' all that. If things're as bad as they're lookin', then I'm going to be solvin' much of these problems with the edge of me' blade, from what it's lookin' like."

Uriel then gives Malick a suspicious, conspiratorial look, eyeing him with considerable scrutiny. "Ye aren't a heretic are ye, my friend?"
With that he gives Malick a sly smile, creasing and accentuating his weather-beaten face.
"I'm just havin' a laugh, my friend", says Uriel with a friendly smile. Then his look turns dark and full of gravity.
"Whatever be here in these lands, causin' all of this...it's not good...and may not be human...or livin'...an' that's where me and lady Ragna ere' will come in handy. Like it or not...I serve tha' goddess Dol Arrah, an' you and yer mates can count on me...but can we count on you when the s%*!e hits the chandelier?"

Perception 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Arcana 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28

Perception 1d20+7

Arcana 1d20+12

You don't see anything else about the main army but you do notice the large slaad tank seems to be acting like a magical transmitter. The main antenna is a black rod topped with a large purple Dragon shard.

"Ye aren't a heretic are ye, my friend?"

With that he gives Malick a sly smile, creasing and accentuating his weather-beaten face.
"I'm just havin' a laugh, my friend", says Uriel with a friendly smile. Then his look turns dark and full of gravity.
"Whatever be here in these lands, causin' all of this...it's not good...and may not be human...or livin'...an' that's where me and lady Ragna ere' will come in handy. Like it or not...I serve tha' goddess Dol Arrah, an' you and yer mates can count on me...but can we count on you when the s#%~e hits the chandelier?"

"Been called some hard things in my time, but "heretic" isn't one of them. Way I see it, I don't bother the gods, they don't bother me. Usually got enough to interest me without hunting for trouble."

Malick downs more wine.

"I'm real simple, Uriel. Alive is good. You help keep us alive, we help keep you alive. Together we may all get out of this. Alone - not so sure. I guess that's the best I can offer. Thing you should know though. Never was much of one for family, but what's left of Oddjob is close enough. That's drink talking."

He takes another long swig and remembers something.

"Gentlemen. Remember when that mist hit? Blondie called down a shield. Why'd she do that, you reckon?"

All

"Perhaps she was just saving her own skin?" Rennik speculates. "Even so, that presents two hypotheses: First, that she didn't have sufficient control or mastery of the shielding magic she used to just contain herself, so she wound up saving the rest of us as well."

"Or second, that she saved us deliberately because she has some use for us. But then I wonder why she would leave us there where we could easily have been torn limb from limb by those undead. Perhaps she just had enough faith in us to think we would survive, which under other circumstances might make one feel very proud."

"All the same, the first hypothesis has a reasonableness to it."

"Been called some hard things in my time, but "heretic" isn't one of them. Way I see it, I don't bother the gods, they don't bother me. Usually got enough to interest me without hunting for trouble."

Malick downs more wine.

"I'm real simple, Uriel. Alive is good. You help keep us alive, we help keep you alive. Together we may all get out of this. Alone - not so sure. I guess that's the best I can offer. Thing you should know though. Never was much of one for family, but what's left of Oddjob is close enough. That's drink talking."

He takes another long swig and remembers something.

"Gentlemen. Remember when that mist hit? Blondie called down a shield. Why'd she do that, you reckon?"

All Col. Ruing shouts out words of power and a blue shield of magic spreads to envelope the squad and the nearby soldiers. - from the very first post.

Uriel's curiosity seems piqued upon hearing this. "Your men Rennik and Typhus have any theories about what that could mean? They seem to be familiar with the arcane."

He levels his gaze at Malick, his cheeks and nose ruddy with drink, while his eyes show a keenness about them. "This Typhus fellow...the way you speak of em', he seems ta' be...how could I put it...short ina' sanity department. I understand eccentricity, but do we need ta' be concerned wit' him?"

Good point.

DM, searching my memory to that fateful day, can I identify what manner of spell or ritual Ruing used and any relevant information about it? Is it rare (indicating she was well-prepared for what was going to happen)? Does it have a set radius that she had no control over, or did she appear to be deliberately protecting us?

Arcana 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (12) + 17 = 29

Edit: Oops. When I leveled my Arcana became +18, so add one to that roll.

Typhus reforms from a mass of shadows back into a man. "The slaad tank, we must destroy the crystal atop it. It is the transmitter that controls the mass and it must be destroyed. Now."

"I didn't realize you were hiding an army somewhere, Typhus."

Typhus reforms from a mass of shadows back into a man. "The slaad tank, we must destroy the crystal atop it. It is the transmitter that controls the mass and it must be destroyed. Now."

Looking somewhat disturbed by Typhus's sudden appearance, he rises to his feet slowly, shifting his sword as he does so. "Destroyin' it sounds good, Typhus, but it's that 'now' part that seems ta' be tha problem. Last time I checked, there was some three-hundred or so forged' out there. I'm assumin' you might have a plan or two in yer shadow?"

Ragna quitely listens to the exchange. She has resolved herself to just see how this all plays out, and if she can discover what is really going on.

Good point.

DM, searching my memory to that fateful day, can I identify what manner of spell or ritual Ruing used and any relevant information about it? Is it rare (indicating she was well-prepared for what was going to happen)? Does it have a set radius that she had no control over, or did she appear to be deliberately protecting us?

Arcana 1d20+17

Edit: Oops. When I leveled my Arcana became +18, so add one to that roll.

Staff of Defensive Transposition

Rennik silently ponders, recalling the details of that fateful event, and then has a moment of realization.

"She activated her staff. And if memory serves, when activationing a staff of that sort, one deliberately translocates selected personages in order to protect them from arcane phenomena. It would seem she saved us deliberately."

Uriel's curiosity seems piqued upon hearing this. "Your men Rennik and Typhus have any theories about what that could mean? They seem to be familiar with the arcane."

He levels his gaze at Malick, his cheeks and nose ruddy with drink, while his eyes show a keenness about them. "This Typhus fellow...the way you speak of em', he seems ta' be...how could I put it...short ina' sanity department. I understand eccentricity, but do we need ta' be concerned wit' him?"

"Don't worry, Typhus probably won't try to kill anyone here. Just don't call him a heretic. I've got no idea how he'd react. Might make a pithy comment about faith, might decide to blow your head off in Caiphon's name or some nonsense like that."

Looking somewhat disturbed by Typhus's sudden appearance, he rises to his feet slowly, shifting his sword as he does so. "Destroyin' it sounds good, Typhus, but it's that 'now' part that seems ta' be tha problem. Last time I checked, there was some three-hundred or so forged' out there. I'm assumin' you might have a plan or two in yer shadow?"

"Well, we're not called Ruing's Raiders for nothing. We just need to find a decent spot to ambush them, then break the slaad tanks as soon as we can."

"She activated her staff. And if memory serves, when activationing a staff of that sort, one deliberately translocates selected personages in order to protect them from arcane phenomena. It would seem she saved us deliberately."

"So, do the rest of you remember why you joined? If the rest of you were recruited like I was, well, our little chat's going to be mighty interesting."

"Sounds like our kind of job. Set up a little distraction someplace, concentrate on taking out the slaad tanks."

Malick nods in agreement.

"As for Typhus, he marches to his own drumbeat, but he hasn't killed me yet. Some would say that's a real sign of lunacy, but I reckon it's just good taste."

Rennick's words finally register.

"Blondie saved us? That's mighty interesting. And yes, I remember exactly why I joined."

"Sounds like our kind of job. Set up a little distraction someplace, concentrate on taking out the slaad tanks."

Malick nods in agreement.

"As for Typhus, he marches to his own drumbeat, but he hasn't killed me yet. Some would say that's a real sign of lunacy, but I reckon it's just good taste."

Rennick's words finally register.

"Blondie saved us? That's mighty interesting. And yes, I remember exactly why I joined."

"Ambushin' the forged' sounds like a good option, I'm fer that, and I'm always likin' a good scrap, especially if the odds be gainst' us", says Uriel with a smile. "Now lets get to figurin' out who does whot. I kin' team up with any of you who wants to take a crack at the tanks up close and personal-like, or cover yer' hides if they are a-coming for ye."

"Reckon we can get you out of there Typhus. Just so you all know, I'm not planning on taking on the whole army. We just take out the shard and get ourselves the hell away. You still know how to rustle up ghost steeds, Ferdinand?"

He thinks for a moment.

"Distraction sounds like your department Rennick. Can you set something up to get enough of the forged away from the shard? Typhus goes in and blasts it. Flints covers him. We get them out, followed by all of us out. Sounds like Uriel here is just the man to provide some solid blocking, but I can't say I've figured out your skills yet." He looks at Ragna for enlightenment.

"Ferdinand and I are kind of flexible. I push people around, he adds a little zap to the weaponry. The both of us keep you all alive to tell the tale."

"Hmm. I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve as far as distractions are concerned."

Throwing out a few ideas... I could make it look like they are being ambushed. Put a few illusionary warforged corpses on the ground, ghost sound a bloody combat, and then send up a signal flare from a somewhat distant hilltop might do the trick. Hmm. But I need to be there for the ghost sound, which means I couldn't do a distant flare at the same time...

How about I set off a not-so-distant flare - they'll probably send scouts, and we'll have warforged corpses on the route that they will see and will fetch reinforcements, hopefully drawing away most of their camp?

DM, pyrotechnics ritual takes 1 minute to cast, but then has a duration of 10 minutes during which I have some control over it. During that 10 minutes, will it continue even if I use ghost sound or other powers?

"I am a paladin of the flame, I will protect whoever needs protecting. I think I may need to try and stay close to Typhus, he may need himself pulled out of the fire."

"What kind of artificer would I be if I went around forgetting rituals? I'll conjure them now and leave them here so they don't get destroyed in the fight. You know, speaking of enchantments..." Ferdinand traces a quick sigil on the blade of Malick's halberd before continuing. "There. Just remember to actually use it some time today."

Using Augment Energy on Malick's weapon(He can add +2 to one attack roll after he's rolled it once today.) Arcana check for the phantom horses: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18 Shoot. We're getting regular old speed 10 horses.

"Hmm. I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve as far as distractions are concerned."

Throwing out a few ideas... I could make it look like they are being ambushed. Put a few illusionary warforged corpses on the ground, ghost sound a bloody combat, and then send up a signal flare from a somewhat distant hilltop might do the trick. Hmm. But I need to be there for the ghost sound, which means I couldn't do a distant flare at the same time...

How about I set off a not-so-distant flare - they'll probably send scouts, and we'll have warforged corpses on the route that they will see and will fetch reinforcements, hopefully drawing away most of their camp?

DM, pyrotechnics ritual takes 1 minute to cast, but then has a duration of 10 minutes during which I have some control over it. During that 10 minutes, will it continue even if I use ghost sound or other powers?

It would only take a minor action to sustain, so yes.

Now, each corpse is going to take 10 minutes. How many do we think would be needed to be believable? (Assuming we go this route.) I'm thinking three or four with a bunch of arrows stuck into them for effect.

"Only ever forgot the once." Malick grins at Ferdinand.

Thanks! Dashed handy.

Sounds possible as a plan at least. Who (or what) seemed to be in charge? If it's a slaad, can they see through illusions? I'm wondering if warforged bodies are going to be enough to make them change course. How about conjuring up Ruing's body instead and use the Ghost Sound to mimic her voice? Just typing aloud.

"Only ever forgot the once." Malick grins at Ferdinand.

Sounds possible as a plan at least. Who (or what) seemed to be in charge? If it's a slaad, can they see through illusions? I'm wondering if warforged bodies are going to be enough to make them change course. How about conjuring up Ruing's body instead and use the Ghost Sound to mimic her voice? Just typing aloud.

Ruing's probably in her tent/wagon, and any slaad are probably in jars right now. Besides, the point isn't to make the army change course, it's to get enough of them over there so we have an easier time attacking. Feint to the left, attack to the right.

You're right of course. In that case, let's go with Rennick's artistically placed arrow-strewn bodies.

Another option could be to bide our time till we come to a natural point where we can cut off the column with the crystal that we need to destroy...but that's if time is on our side...
btw, what did Typhus mean by "mass"?

Another option could be to bide our time till we come to a natural point where we can cut off the column with the crystal that we need to destroy...but that's if time is on our side...

btw, what did Typhus mean by "mass"?

THe mind control stuff works by putting a slaad in a specially-prepared tank, take eggs from the slaad, change them, then implant them in whoever you want controlled. Break the tank, no magically-transmitted mind control waves, and you're left with a bunch of people who are fine other than the mutant slaad stuff stuck to their nervous system. Easier to just take out the transmitter than take it out individually.

Uriel De'Mar wrote:

Another option could be to bide our time till we come to a natural point where we can cut off the column with the crystal that we need to destroy...but that's if time is on our side...

btw, what did Typhus mean by "mass"?

THe mind control stuff works by putting a slaad in a specially-prepared tank, take eggs from the slaad, change them, then implant them in whoever you want controlled. Break the tank, no magically-transmitted mind control waves, and you're left with a bunch of people who are fine other than the mutant slaad stuff stuck to their nervous system. Easier to just take out the transmitter than take it out individually.

ok...from what it sounds like, rush the tank, break the crystal, then the 300 or some warforged wont kill us? If thats the case then I say we do it ASAP as Typhus said, using the illusion plans.

What would be a believable race to be assailing the warforged? Humans? Elves? I can use that for the sounds, and maybe throw in one of their dismembered corpses as well, so that it looks like the warforged put up a fight.

Other warforged. Plus they might want to chase them to implant them to replace the dead.

Other warforged. Plus they might want to chase them to implant them to replace the dead.

Good call, I think other warforged would be good as well.

Ambush site map.

MAP

We planning to use the trees as cover?

So to be a proper diversion, I need to lure them a significant distance away. If I just move them 50 feet away, they'll be back to the wagons in a round. I'm thinking 300 feet at least. Setting up the bodies will take 40 minutes (that's for 4 corpses, which I think is what we need for credibility). Since they are in camp, I think we have the time. The corpses will be about 150 feet out.

I will be about 300 feet out on a hill or other topographic feature, from where I will send up a signal flare and then make some ghost sounds to make the warforged think this is where the invasion is coming from. I will be stealthed from the time of the signal flare onwards, just as an added precaution, but once I've made enough ghost sounds to draw them out, I will make myself invisible and run back towards where the rest of you are attacking.

Then once some of them are drawn away, Typhus and Flint focus on destroying the transmitter while Malick, Uriel, Ragna, and Ferdinand run defense, keeping the remaining warforged at bay until the transmitter is destroyed. Then run like hell.

Hopefully it will be destroyed before I even get back. That may necessitate a rendesvous point. Is there a place we can designate as such?

DM, I'm looking for a hill or rise approximately 300 feet from the warforged camp for my staging point. Does anything like that exist? I'd also settle for a copse of trees, abandoned farmhouse, or similar landmark.