Qalifa approaches the tavern door. Before going in he looks up the sky Whistling shrilly Pointing to the roof of the building. After a moment tochrais lands and perches herself on the peak. Qalifa then opens the door for his companions.
Ladies first
Several hours passed doing the research and gathering back at the tavern where you all are grouping up and deciding what course of action you wish to pursue. Not much is happening at the Lodge, the time is just before mid-day.
"I am going to wait here while you gather the others." Vernonia states while the others head off to the tavern.
Vernonia waits in the field by the tracks taking cover in whatever foliage is nearby.
From her vantage point she watches the tree-line and listens to the sounds of the area.
After some time an owl lands on her shoulder. Disturbed by her companions arrival she thinks, "What have we gotten ourselves in to Seymoure?"
The ogre gets nearly right on top of you but doesn’t seem to notice you, he starts to push aside some of the crushed baskets and blankets looking for something then reaches up and scratches his head. He appears to have a nice size Club in one hand and hairy back as he turns away from your direction, though his size is medium class he towers over you at a whopping 7’11. The Ogre starts to take a step away…
Meanwhile back at the tavern the remaining of the group is gathering their thoughts on how they should proceed, pushing the morning into the peak of the day, high noon. Yuri is doing everything she can to accommodate everyone as they need something.
Well we saw the scene of the attack and found some tracks. Looks like a small oger. Vernonia is back in the field watching for anything untoward. I suggest we gather any provisions and meet up with her and begin our search.
"You will have to tell me about Irori some other time," says Zorza to Hung. She downs the rest of her lager in one go. "I am ready now. Let's go find ogre."
"Irori is the God of perfection, through his teachings all things are possible. Did you out all the gods he is one of the few who achieved his Godhood without the use of a star stone?...... He did it through shear determination, self-discipline and will power."
"Make sure you grab everything, we may have quite a while before we return." Thasitalia says to no one in particular as she heads back out the door and to return to the tracks.
Zorza nods to Thasitalia and quickly gathers her backpack and all of her gear. "I did not know that," she says to Hung as they hike to where the search party left Vernonia. "Madam Zorza does not know much about gods. but she does know about spirits. Speaking of which, I am sensing that you knew someone who passed into great beyond. Someone whose name contains letter 'a' or 'o' or 'u'. Someone who left this world before sharing important secret with you."
Sticks his head outside Whistling up to tochrais. Who flies off to retrieve Qalifa's Pack.
I am ready when you are to leave. Tochraise will meet us on our way to the field.
"Alright lets go then, now or never."
Fortunately, the Ogre didn't spot Vernonia and she remains completely elusive to his perception among the bushes. Once he is gone, Vernonia await the return of your group.
The Owl understands your request and attempts to follow the none evasive Ogre through the woods, it is nearly an hours later that your owl returns. Sadly, Vernonia was unable to receive much information but has an idea of which direction the Ogre traveled
The Owl looks at you puzzled in your request and doesn't seem to move, untrained in this skill.
Nearly an hour passes before the group arrives back at Vernonia who waited behind. When everyone arrives, Vernonia has time to explain what happened or choose not to; her choice.
--Following Prints--
It doesn't take long to follow the prints on the ground and with the aid of so many skilled trackers; the group is well on the way through the woods. The further you get into the woods the closer you get to something but you can't quite tell what it is.
When the group arrives Vernonia rapidly tells the group about the ogre that arrived while they where gone.
"He was almost 8 feet tall and had a huge club. It looked like he was looking for something among the rubbish in clearing where the picnic was but he did not find anything. He was only here for a few minutes and then headed back into the woods. I thought it would be better to wait for you rather than follow him."
Upon his arrival Hung Dong assesses the situation.
"Then we must make haste lest this girl become lunch or worse."
"Is good you waited," says Zorza. "Ogre is too powerful for one person to fight alone. One time I saw ogre tear bull in half. Was gruesome."
If the water rises higher than her knees, Zorza will start thinking about going up and moving from tree to tree.
(fast moving stealth)
"Yes, press on we shall. Remember, returning the girl safely home is the priority. It may be wise to avoid direct conflict with the ogre or ogres if possible"
"Ugh... swamps. Let's hurry before twilight sets in and the insects come to eat us, and watch for snakes."
Qalifa Casts deadeye's lore on himself(+4 survival move full speed when tracking duration 1 hour) Before following the tracks into the swamp. Noisily slugging through the muck and mire.
Noticing the general direction of the tracks. Qalifa commands Tochrais to fly ahead and seek the oger and his captives.
Glides smooth and silent among the trees Seeking the Oger.
You press on further through the muddy swamp water; thankfully the water level didn’t rise much further then about an inch or two in some places. Several of you spotted some snakes; although none of them bothered the large party of five splashing around in the water. Shortly before entering the water filled area, Zorza climbed into the trees, while the trees were a bit spaced out her skill in climbing was efficient enough to get from tree to tree.
It was very clear to many of the group members that stealth was not the party strong suit at the current moment; much of the sound was a paladin tromping through the water and a druid footing squashing the water beneath his feet. Even some of you noticed the cracking of the branches as Zorza swings from branch to branch.
While your arrival was less then stealthy it appeared that you were not noticed, and then a dark old house emerged from the swampy woods, lifted just slightly out of the water on a mini island. Skulls hung from the many trees that surrounded the house as smoke flowed into the sky from a chimney at the roofs top. To everyone’s surprise you were 100 percent sure that it wasn’t there a moment ago, like closing the distance to the house made it appear out of thin air. The old paint worn black walls of the house were covered in dark crude versions of evil symbols of all sorts painted in blood, while the view gave insight that it was big enough to house not one ogre but large enough to be the home of many. With quick judgment there could be as many as 10 ogres inside, though nothing was roaming around outside.
There was an overhand that draped down just slightly over a massive single black tattered door with a Minotaur skull hanging on the door. There was a handle that would take two men to turn to open such a door, though an Ogre would have little problem.
The group currently stood within 150 feet of the entrance looking onwards deciding their actions to move forward, while Tochrais Roc returned to Qalifa, giving a sense of feeling the she nearly couldn’t find where the party had gone and that the view from the sky was blanked, unseen.
Zorza says in a low voice, "I will scout perimeter." She tries to circle the house climbing from the tree to tree looking for all the doors and windows while giving the house a wide berth. She also looks for heavy rocks that might be just light enough for them to move.
observe house all around
-2 if no overgrowth is available
Thasitalia whispers to the others while taking cover behind some bushes that promise the least likeliness to be home to any swamp denizens, "Be careful, there could be a powerful illusionist or abjurer at play here. At the center of some ogre gangs or families there is a central elder or leader that is either brutally stronger or perhaps in this case, capable of spell casting. Oh, and Ogre's tend to be unimaginative, except when it comes to torture."
Zorza returns to the search party. She reports her findings, offers a few suggestions, and awaits their insight. "Smoking chimney can be blocked to fill house with smoke. Would force everyone out of house. Could be part of plan. ... We could build wicker men as diversion. Ogres would attack wicker men while we sneak inside to save girl. ... Or we could wait for one or two ogres to leave house and ambush them."
"How many ogre's are in there?" Thasitalia asks worried. "That poor couple, what if the ogres are torturing them right now? Do we have the time to construct such diversion or wait them out?"
"Do we have strength to charge in with no guile?" asks Zorza. "I did not peek through windows. I wanted to tell you what I saw first before risking being captured. There is window in back of house that looks like jail cell window. I will go there next and look while you discuss plan."
Zorza circles around to the back of the house. Then she sneaks toward the house and peeks through the jail cell window.
(-2 if overgrowth is not present)
peek through jail cell window (+1 if magical traps are involved)
Madam Zorza approaches the barred window and attempts to cut and remove the glass as noiselessly as possible.
(+1 if magic is involved, again, taking 10 or 20 where possible)
(remove glass, stealthily)
(post glass removal)
Vernonia whispers to the others, "I am going to try and see if I can hear anything at the door. They may not be home."
She moves though the woods to the end of the house then approaches it from there. As she leaves the woods the takes on the Aspect of the Owl. She then sneaks up to the front door and listens for any sound from within. She also checks to see if the bottom of the door has a big enough gap to see inside.
readies his shield and spear.
In a low whisper If there is just one. Then getting him outside where we can surround him would be best. If there are multiple, then we should led them away. Then rescue the kids.
Looking for any herbs or plants that when put down the chimney will cause the oger to become sick, nausea or any other debilitating condition. (i.e. toss herbs down then plug up chimney.)
"Oh, that last one is quiet good as a tactic, er... uhm, what was your name again?" Thasitalia whispers to Qalifa. "I'm so sorry, I must have forgotten you name."
"We need to gather Zorza and the other and develop a plan to draw the ogres out and away from the house so that someone or someones ideally can infiltrate the abode and withdraw the prisoners while the ogres are distracted."
"Hm, now how to best safely do this given the unknown variables and the obvious risks?
Smoke in the room could kill the child.
Hey, I get to eat her first! No, I do.
This happens over and over relaxing only for a moment or two before they start up again.
Qalifa manages to gather a few herbs that could potentially cause smoke within the place, though how effective they would be is still up in the air. While the rest of the group waits for the two to get back with word on the house. It a wonder the group has not been spotted as many of the members would have a hard time hiding in the swamp water.
With general knowledge you do here off in the distance a crack or two from possible branches breaking, the area alone is making all sorts of creepy noise that starts to give Everyone a sense of fear as to what is really going on here.
Whatever is being cooked in that caldron is really starting to get under everyone’s nose now that it has been several minutes since the groups arrival.
Pass: nothing happens.
Fail: “Sickened” The character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. This last until the smell is gone.
I am Qalifa of the Five Kings Mountains. How well do you know your plants? Help me to find those that will sicken the oger. Once we have enough we can send Zorza or Vernonia up to the roof to stuff them into the chimney
Zorza coughs up a hairball. Then she returns to the search party to report her findings by first sneaking directly away from the house, then going around the perimeter.
(resist savory smells of doom)
(does not include -2 for being sickened)
**GAG**
I really don't want to know where that smell is coming from.
Vernonia moves away from the door and heads around the back to find Madam Zorza.
Hmm, ogre's are known to eat raw flesh so their pallet can't be too easily influence, let me see here." Thas looks around from her hiding spot for plants of the toxic nature.
Upon realizing how quiet everyone else is trying to be Hung Dong unsheaths his sword and tries to stealth forward.
Once everyone returns we will come up with a plan of attack. Perhaps have someone act as bait, lore them out of the house.
Looks to Thasi. What are your capabilities?
"Blech," says Zorza upon rejoining the group to compare notes. "Smell from cottage is sickening! I saw feet of what could be missing elf girl. We should not attack with smoke or fire - could kill girl. We could fight ogres one at time by fighting them in doorway. Whatever we do, we should act soon before situation changes."
"I can shoot bow. Maybe I pull curtain aside just as one of you knocks on door and shoot through jail cell window."
"I think we should do it all. Aerek and I knock on the door, while Zorza and Thasitalia go around back and use the smoke distraction to rescue the girl. Qalifa and Vernonia will cover us, while we fight the Orge in the doorway and Thasitalia, Zorza, and the girl escape."
Zorza says, "Is good plan. I will wait to hear knock before beginning my attack. I go!" She returns to the window where she had removed the glass previously. She checks that her bow and quiver are ready for action. Then she prepares to yank the curtain and pull it toward her through the window as soon as she hears the knock.