"I'm liking the sound of Bertrand's plan, but we need some way of navigating through the Vale, and I don't think any of us have a compass. Any ideas?"
"What do we need a compass for? North is that way.
Bertrand points north.
"Finding the tree or the hut will be tricky, since we don't have much to go on, but I can easily get us to the right area and back out."
"It appears we have a plan then," Demlan says, "Thank you for the help, Milon, but we must be off. In this particular case, every little second really does count."
"Some seconds count moreso than others. These since tha taint count more than tha second before it."
[you depart the camp, when you reach the edge of the vale you see 3 goblins fooling in ratty clothes around and one has a lit touch]
You see that all three are actually wearing studded leather armour that happen to look like ratty clothes.
[the goblins notice your approach, and start to mock you at a distance, one flips you all the bird, one goes so far as to moon the party, and the third is sticking out his tongue.]
Perception:
Quietly: "These must be the ones who've been harassing the town. We should deal with them."
V
V
V
V______G
V
V
V
V
V
V________________P
V
V
V
V=Vale
G=Goblins
P= Party
Barnabus responds in kind to the crude behaviors......
He calls to them in ORCish
"What tribes youses?"
Perception Check:
Wow. They're uglier than I imagined.
"These three might be the ones that I heard mentioned back in Falcon's Hollow. Ser Hemlyth, if we want to get into a fight with these things can you engage them on horeseback before they reach the cover of the woods?"
[the goblin who was flipping the bird turns his head to the other two and is speaking to them and the one who stuck out his tongue replies to him, then suddenly the bird flipping goblin takes two fingers and pokes the tongue goblin in the eyes, you hear the mooning goblin laughing. and the bird flipper says something]
Bird flip (Moe): "Hey Larry, what did rat man say?"
Tongue (Larry): "I don't know Moe, ask Curly."
Moon (Curly): "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
Bird flip (Moe): "You know his is the bigger idiot out of us."
I assume we're still moving closer as Barnabus tries to talk to them and they continue to clown. As we do so, I'll start moving a little closer to the woods so we're a bit more spread out.
I'll make no threatening moves yet, but I'm ready to Quickdraw and fire if they run or start to charge.
"Be careful all, they may look like idiots, but if it's the same group, they're supposed to be a little tougher than you'd expect. And they're wearing armor not rags..."
Demlan recalls what was said about the Goblins back in town, and draws his lance, beginning to circle around the goblins so that he can charge from a slightly different direction in case they have laid traps in front of them.
Initiative:
"Can you understand them, Barnabus? They don't seem very keen on fighting, just insulting us."
Tamnir rests a hand loosely on his sheathed scimitar, he's waiting for anything that would justify it being drawn.
Nay I spoke Orc to the seemed tha most likely tah work, I have heard the languages share a common root, though if they understood they did not let on. I am not certain what they have stated in either words or actions, though universally tha sign given suggests either mischief or hostility. I shudder tah think o another possibility."
I need a will save from you and your horse
@ all
You spot a 4th goblin in the Edge of the Vale
The 4th goblin has rags and no armour, but does have a stick in hand
Perception Check:
What are they doing here, anyway?
Perception
"Ho and not three but four goblins, mayhap a spellcaster to boot!"
Want to cast daze on the goblin with the stick.....
Perception:
"What! Where's the other one?"
Bertrand keeps moving closer and towards the edge of the woods, keeping an eye on them for signs of a possible ambush there.
You and your horse are put to sleep during your charge and tumble on the ground.
And the fall wakes up back up, your 55ft from the Goblins
@Barnabus II, Bertrand Wilhelm, and Tamnir Allefort
You see Ser Demlan Hemlyth charge from the other side, but at about 60ft from the goblins he and his horse fell to the ground for some reason. The Goblin, who flipped the bird, sees it and points laughing.
The goblins start moving slowly to the Vale (10ft), all the while keeping up their taunts, and yes the moonner is still mooning.
Crossbow
Damage
The second you fire, the goblin with the torch puts it infront of the moon, and you miss the moon by an inch.
I'll move 30', still angling towards the edge of the woods.
Then fire at the mooning one as well.
Longbow:
Damage:
Demlan grunts as he is jerked awake by the fall. His lance slips from his hand as he falls asleep and when he wakes, he draws his loaded crossbow and takes aim at the spellcasting goblin.
Demlan reloads his crossbow, and fires it at any goblin who remains within sight.
After your few shots miss, the goblins run full tilt for the Vale, with the mooner stopping his moon and they are in the Vale.
(20ft*4 = 80ft > 65ft to Vale).
Tamnir loosens his grip on the sheathed sword and pelts towards the goblins at a run.
Perception to see the torch light as they disappear into the Vale
Bertrand will race to the edge of the woods, trying to get enough of a glimpse of the fleeing goblins to get one more shot off.
Failing that, he'll wait for the others to regroup. "Shall we try to chase them down or continue on our way? Ser Demlan, are you and your horse alright? "
"We'll survive," Demlan replied, glaring in the direction of the retreating goblins, "Let them go. We can't afford to get snarled up with chasing goblins through the woods while trying to locate the ingredients. We'll keep an eye out for them though, and cut them down if we can."
You enter the Vale and travel with the remaining hours of daylight and set camp and start a fire in a spot that was cleared by some lumber jacks.
What do you do? and who's taking watch when?
"Then let's get moving. I want to put some distance between us while we can."
Bertrand will take a look for their tracks where they entered the wood, hoping to find something distinctive to identify them by if he sees them later.
"Keep the fire burning. Even if those goblins followed us, I'm more worried about animals than about them. If they did follow, they know where we are anyway."
"I'll take a mid watch, let our casters get uninterrupted sleep."
Barnabus sets out some sharpened stakes along the perimeter.....
First watch...
Perception
Tamnir will take early morning watch, occupying himelf by using his whetstone on his scimitar, then starting daily prayers at sunrise.
*Guidance as Tamnir wakes*
Perception check:
Demlan stands the last watch, busying himself with the preparation of his mount. As he works, he speaks to the horse, patting him gently on the neck. After the goblin's sleep spell last night, the horse had been skittish but a night's rest appeared to have calmed his nerves.
Barnabus greets the morning with his vigor and magic renewed for the new day.
"How slept you in this wood?"
"I find tha wood stirs me an calls to mah nature."
You all had a good night without interruption.
you walk for about an hour than,
The dense trees and thick brush of the forest
give way, parting seemingly in respect for
the titanic darkwood tree that dominates this
clearing. Several times taller than a temple
minaret, in one direction the obviously ancient
tree reaches into the sky with branches like a
giant’s arms, while in the other it plumbs the
earth with roots thicker than a man’s waist.
Its limbs broad and strong, its bark thick and
so richly colored as to almost be black, and
its leaves the size of bucklers, the giant thing
is less a tree and more a cathedral of boughs
and branches.
The clearing is roughly ovular, 180 feet
from north to south and 110 feet from west
to east. The elder darkwood has a trunk 30
feet in diameter, with low, easy to climb
branches that extend 35 feet from the trunk
in every direction.
"Thas a f%&&in big tree, tha must be tha one!"
Perception
"It's older than anything I've seen around here. I suppose it's too much to hope the moss grows around the roots?"
You find the moss on the north side of the tree and it can easily be collected. And you don't find any tracks. but you see Dried blood next to the tree along with a pile of blood stained gear.
"Ware Bertrand, three bodies hang in tha tree, mostly eaten it looks like. Somethin must have gotten them!"
"Perhaps tha tree itself has a hunger."
"That sounds big. And nasty "
Bertrand draws his bow, nocks an arrow and puts his back to the tree, looking around for the source, including up in the tree.
Barnabus' Perception aid another (by proxy):
Perception for the bodies:
Other Perception:
Tamnir's initial revulsion at the exposed skulls lasts long enough for him to wonder aloud:
"What are they hanging by?"
Before being interrupted by Bertrand's comment.
"What? there's something here?"
Tamnir reaches for his shield, which until now had been strapped to Demlan's saddlebags. He doesn't intend to be caught off-guard.
Demlan remained slightly away from the tree, aware that he wouldn't be able to charge whatever had slaughtered the three bodies if he were too close. After Tamnir retrieved his shield, Demlan hoists up his lance and remains alert, ready to charge at a moment's notice.
Steps back a bit further and readies his crossbow.....