Lyle smirks at Morgran and takes off to find Elmar Barthen. "Big hearts require big meals. I'll go find this Barthen fellow."
Lyle heads off to find Elmar Barthen doing a little bow after finding Gundren's brother.
"Elmar, Lyle Twigstep - my companions and I appear to be in the business of solving some trouble. Gundren hired us as guards for his caravan, and then rode ahead. We guarded the caravan fine, but Gundren was kidnapped by goblins while riding ahead. The goblins are handled but Gundren was taken to Cragmaw Castle. We head out today to free him."
The gruff dwarf says Gundren always was one to git into trouble. and then softening only a bit he says But he is kin...What did ya need from me? I've got no weapons nor armor to sell ya. I might have some sundries you could have. No charge, seeing as you are helping kinfolk.
Having finished speaking to the traders, Duncan returns to the tavern to await the others.
Bec uses some of this money to buy some rations
"Ready when you are." he says, the following day, as he meets the others. "We going to that castle?"
Andrei returns to the group. So the reward for the return of the Blue Lions goods was 50 gold eh? Not bad - thats 10 gold each. We could double that if we choose to deal with the orcs - we can get more details after we fetch Gundrun back.
Andrei asks if the dwarf can provide some food and waterskins for the trip.
"RIght, but let us not forget our primary duty....saving Gundrun! Let's get our supplies and go before something else distracts us!"
Barthen will indeed part with rations and waterskins for free!
The party sets off that morning, with the Goblin Kreemuk leading the way to the "Cragmaw Castle"
The first half of the trip takes place along the Phandalin road and the Triboar Trail and is very uneventful, the party passes a few farmers in carts bringing their goods to Phandalin.
The road and trail takes them nearly 15 miles north of Phandalin. Suddenly Kreemuk directs the party to leave the Triboar and head directly into the forest due North.
After an hour or so of heading in a northerly direction through the tangle of woods
Suddenly an Orc bursts from the nearby treeline!
The Orc is about 30' away from the party.
Round 1
Bec
Andrei
Duncan
Orc
Morgran
Lyle
Sprinting forward, Duncan overtakes the orc and pummles it with a multitude of punches and kicks.
Attack-melee:
Damage:
Attack-melee:
Damage:
Attack-melee:
Damage:
Lyle starts as the orc jumps out.
"Careful! Just one orc attacking a well-armed party? There may be more!"
"More? They want more?" Bec yells as he moves to attack the orc.
"The little devil walked us into the trap!" he says blaming the goblin for leading them directly into the orc.
Round 1
Bec moves forward swiftly and smacks the Orc hard!
Andrei
Duncan
Orc
Morgran
Lyle
Agreeing with Lyle's assessment Morgran looks to their flanks for other orcs. Although, he laughs at Bec's statement. "Thought you wanted to bring the little devil along Bec, pick him up and use him as a sheild."
Andrei draws his sword and moves up ready to attack any further orcs.
Beware!, these things are tough.
Round 1
Bec moves forward swiftly and smacks the Orc hard!
Andrei moves up and readies an action to engage any newly arrived Orcs
Duncan sprints forward and with a dropkick to the head the Orc goes down!
Morgran
Lyle
Combat Over everyone gets 25XP
Lyle points out with his rapier mightily, and sees the orc collapse under a flurry of dropkicks and smacks.
"Well that was an anticlimax. Wonder why that mad blighter attacked?"
He pads over and searches the body.
"Doesn't make sense, goblin! You .. know .. this .. orc?" Morgran asks slowly so the goblin can understand.
Andrei keeps watch for new threats.
"I say cut'em some fingers. Let the bugger know what is waiting for him for betraying us!" Bec yells doing his best 'I'm-a-mad-warrior-face'.
Lyle says nothing, folding his little arms as he raises his eyebrows, obviously impressed at Bec's performance.
Duncan goes and searches the area that the orc was hiding in.
Perception:
Kreemuk squeaks and squeals and says Kreemuk not know stupid Orc! Kreemuk likes humans, help humans. No Eat!
The Orc had GP worth of coins, a rusted greataxe, two javelins and smelly hide armor.
Duncan sees that the Orc had a small campsite set up...there are four spots for sleeping.
"Sounds like we have 3 more trouble makers coming back. Shall we wait for them and rid the countryside of 4 more orcs, Andrei didn't you say something about the town master mentioning orc raiders on the Triboar Trail? Could these be part of that same group?"
"Let's get'em before they get us." Bec says looking around for any sign of where the orcs could have gone to. Of course he doesn't find anything. If tracking was easy, he wouldn't be a warrior.
Anyone can try any skill in 5th Ed.
Andrei attempts to do some simple tracking.
Andrei can tell that the orcs went West but that is all.
"Well I guess the choice is do we stay and try to ambush the 3 other orcs, or do we continue on. I vote we continue. We do not know how much time Gundren might have."
"Stop it stop it, you're mussing any tracks you big oaf," complains Lyle. "I once entered into a drinking contest with a wizened half-elven ranger by the name of Bim. Naturally I drank Bim under the table - as a reward for my incredible constitution he showed me a few ancient tricks of true hunters. Watch and learn."
After a moment he stands and dusts his hands.
"I have come to the conclusion that hunter was an idiot. What Andrei said. Let's continue. Maybe we can leave the orcs a helpful sign pointing away from the town."
"We should move on and quick like, hide that guy though, maybe his buddies will think he bailed on them for something better.If they find him dead though they may follow us."
Duncan grabs the dead orc by his feet and drags him off the path and covers the body with some brush. He then goes back over the area with a leafy branch, attempting to brush away the signs of battle.
Survival:
Lyle looks for tracks and determines the same as Andrei while Duncan hides the body as best he can.
After some time, the party decides to keep moving with a cowed Kreemuk in tow. The little goblin whimpers that We get close. Humans see, Kreemuk help humans. No Eat!
As the party arrives near the abandoned town they see some evidence of where it once stood. A dilapidated half wall stands where once a home might have been...a hedgerow grows in defiant obstinance to the encroaching forest. And soon...
The Castle consists of seven crumbling towers of different sizes and heights, but the upper stories are all in various states of collapse. A short flight of stairs leads up to a terrace in front of the main entryway. Past the wreckage of a pair of sundered doors lies a shadowed hall. Round towers loom over the entranceway , with dark arrow slits looking down on the terrace.
Duncan does a little scouting from the safety of the forest and finds a smaller entrance on the side of the building.
On the south side of the building, an overgrown path leads to a passage that climbs up into the wall. A large iron door stands here, sheltered from direct outside attack. Arrow slits ten feet above the ground overlook the path
Nothing stirs while the party watches the building from afar.
Lyle wanders along in the middle of the party, and pauses to take in the collapsing castle.
"I was about to complain that evil never sets up in a nice castle. But I suppose the point of a castle is that they're hard to get in to. So lousy castles will suffice for our purposes. So... front door or south door?"
South I think - best to not risk a frontal approach
"The last frontal assault was a washout if I remember correctly, I'll second the southern entrance approach although it will no doubt be well guarded as well." Morgran muses from his position watching the castle...
"I'm not that good into being silent." Bec states to make everyone knows of his bad points.
"Point me to where we should go."
Nodding, Lyle begins to creep towards the south entrance. As he walks, he is heard to curse as he fulfils his namesake, stepping on a twig and breaking it.
Duncan follows the halfling towards the south enterence
stealth:
Lyle and Duncan creep forward and as they get close to the wall they hear the sound of crockery being broken and voices arguing coming from the arrow slits.
Dishes need wash! You wash! and then a different voice YOU WASH! I WASH LAST TIME!
Lyle arrives at the door, and finds it locked.
Duncan motions Lyle to signal the others to move up while he tackles the locked door.
Perception? (looking for traps):
Thieves' Tools:
Duncan fiddles with the door using his thieves tools and the door unlocks! Duncan sees into the "castle" but his vision is limited by the poor light. He hears sounds coming from his left, probably the same voices that were arguing earlier.
"Since when do goblins wash dishes?" muses Lyle before he sticks his head out and motions for the rest of the group to approach.
Seeing Lyle's signal, Morgran taps the others on the shoulder before moving to join the others at the southern entrance.
Andrei forms up.
Quietly he creeps forward to the junction, keeping to the shadows and darkness.
Stealth:
Duncan moves forward and pauses at the closed door, he notices that it is unlocked. He still hears the two creatures, probably goblins, arguing about who has to do the dishes.
Lyle draws his sword, and nods over at Duncan. He slips into the door to look at the room, and ideally creep up behind the unsuspecting goblins.
Andrei impatiently waits for the action... he knows its impossible to be stealthy in mail.
Duncan keeps Lyle in sight as he moves forward into the room; ready to come to his aid if needed.
Bec whispers from behind "Shouldn't I go first? After you know, you work with your toys and tool and hearing?" to complement, he does that stuff here he pretends to be fixing his shield in his arm, you know, to illustrate he is better protected..
Lyle creeps into the room silent as death....four goblins stand arguing about who's going to do the dishes and none of them notice him at first, however one lucky goblin turns around at the most inopportune moment and stares at Lyle slackjawed, not understanding how this little human got into the castle.
Lyle has a full round worth of surprise, then
Round 1
Andrei
Bec
Morgran
Lyle
Duncan
Goblins