Hunger in the Darkness - Expedition to the Mines of Zolurket (Inactive)

Game Master Mark Sweetman

The sight of the desecration puts a look of disgust upon Khepri's face, "Yes this needs to be cleaned up and re-consecrated as soon as possible."

Slipping into the temple love moves to the less traveled door and gives it a once over for traps/locks. Perception for traps +12/+14 if the trap involves stone. If there is a trap Love will try to render it safe but he will not bother with any locks right now.

At the speech by Cynara and Khepri, Love turns to them anger showing on his face and places a single finger across his lips. Silence is golden.

Love finds no traps present in the room, and sees that the two adjoining rooms are also empty of gnolls.

One room is a sleeping chambers, though the filth ridden bedroll is larger and from the looks was probably where the chieftain himself slept. A few trophies are scattered around the room - a jackalwere skull, backbone of a giant lizard and the severed head of a rat-like creature.

The other room is a storeroom of sorts and has the sum total of the tribes valuables. Apart from scattered coin ~150gp, there are also some small gemstones ~200gp, and some rocks flecked with metal. Lastly there are mundane supplies such as javelins, arms and armor for the gnolls.

Dolgrym waits til he gets the all clear sign from Love, then helps with the clearing of the rooms by casting Detect Magic and checking for any auras in the rooms.

The only item that radiates some magic is the hammer from the shrine room.

"That hammer has some magical qualities, no doubt. One of the group should put it to good use by smashing a couple more gnolls with it."

"Do we have scouts out? I'd like to know when that second group returns."

Padrym gazes about the room before heading to one of the windows.

Love ignores the hammer, the loot, and the gore. His eyes probe the walls and ceilings looking for ways up and out

Feigr turns the skull over in his hands while Love continues searching. He murmurs "Wererat. Dead might now be the only danger we face in the ruins."
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Once Love has finished searching, he turns to Dolgrym, "Let's figure out what it does too. Maybe if we can clean it up, we can get a better look, but let's see if the spirits have anything to say." He concentrates on the hammer, calling to the spirits, "Brothers of old. Tell us of your hammer's magic and enchantments."
Casts Detect Magic
Knowledge (Arcana) 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Spellcraft 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Time escaped tonight - so results tomorrow. Weekends are now a little tighter than usual with the wee one around.

Feigr is able to ken that the hammer holds both a general enchantment as well as something more... though the additional powers escape him. +1 warhammer with an extra effect that you haven't found out yet

Love looks around some more and finds a makeshift scaffold outside one of the windows that seems to lead upwards and across to the intact lookout tower. The scaffold is rickety but holds his weight as he makes it up to the top. In the tower you find some moldy food, a light crossbow and bolts and a signal horn seemingly made of bone. Looking towards the horizon you cannot see the gnolls making their way back from the hollow yet... so you wager you have some small measure of time.

You'd gauge 2-3 hours before the gnolls will arrive back - assuming that they don't dally along the way.

When we scouted this place, did the gnolls in the fort blow the horn, and in any pattern or number, when scouting parties returned?

Something different about you, Khepri, though I can't seem to put my finger on it.

Noticing what Feigr is up to, Cynara approaches. "May I? It's been some time since I had occasion to use it, but I have some training in identifying magical items." She casts detect magic and examines the hammer.

Spellcraft check (incl. +2 racial bonus) 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 = 13

Good enough for Aid Another, but not much more. The dice module has been really cold for me these past few days.

Spellcraft 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Seeing the rest of the group struggle with the hammer, Dolgrym tries to help figure out its magic.

As far as you know the horn does not play any role in patrols or visitors coming in. It's likely only for the purposes of warning.

Neither Cynara nor Dolgrym are able to elicit more than Feigr was able... at least not this day. Perhaps if cleaned and the dwarven runes inspected it might garner some clue?

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

With a quick glance Padrym is unable to identify the hammer, but pays it no mind in order to avoid angering Magatha.

That's pretty much all that there is to the remainder of the ruined fort. So thoughts turn to how to prepare for the return of the gnolls expedition.
You have the party, Gaelthrin plus 12 dwarves to deploy as you see fit.

"I can tell the hammer is magical and will aid whoever bears it in combat, but there is something else here that escapes me. Let's prepare for the return of the gnolls and maybe we can clean it up and inspect it further later." He takes a drink while waiting for Love to return from the tower.

"So, think we should put someone up there to watch for them and the rest of us can set up a plan to attack them when they return?"

"I'm afraid I'd be at something of a disadvantage in the lookout position, so will defer to others more suited for that responsibility."

DM VotV, can we get a rough layout of the camp/fort/mine entrance area, with some indication of where the returning gnolls are likely to approach from?

Love swings back into the room. "There's a ladder out there goes to a watch-post on the roof. Signal horn, a crossbow they must have taken on a raid, some spare bolts. Good sightlines. If noone minds I'll take the highroad here and lend you ground pounders some iron tipped help from above. No sign of the returning band, might be as much as an hour or two"

assuming no argument.

Love thinks for a moment. "Do not follow me up. I am planning a little suprise for anyone coming that way. If you need up give a shout and I'll lower a rope. Oh, are any of you carpenters or engineers when you are not reclaiming ancestral honor? I could use a hand."
"From what I saw as they left the rescue band lacked much in the way of ranged weapons. I suggest fortifing as much as you can to slow them down as we will have an advantage until they get close enough to bite."

Once planning is done Love climbs up the scaffold and secures a rope to something solid. He ties the other end around his waist and setting his pack and crossbow in the lookout removes a saw from the main compartment of the magical pack.

"Now then where to start..."
Not sure how to do this. I want to rig the scaffold to collapse if anyone tries to use it. If I can I want it to appear undamaged and in a perfect world only collapse if someone nears the top but this collapse brings the entire scaffold down. Love has some relevent skills and the others could help and advise. Love's skills Craft Trap +6. Disable Device +12. Knowledge Engineering would be handy but that is untrained right now, sigh. On the other hand I expect one of the NPC dwarves has it even if a PC does not.

"Right then, with Love on the high ground we'll have some support. Any of the rest of you with crossbows? Love is there room for a few more up there? We'll set up a smaller fortification around the tower here and defend that, we don't have the numbers to avoid being surrounded so we'll pull our circle in as tight as we can."

Standard dwarven fighting brick. Should work against gnolls.

"I've studied a bit of engineering in my day, Love. I might be able to help with any structural alterations you might want."

The previous map for the assault is reasonably indicative of the layout - you've got the ruined fort screening one side of the approach to the camp, while the other side is open. The watchtower is recessed to the East along the fort by about 30-40ft, so once they get real close you'll lose direct sight of them in the camp.
The Southern and Western approaches don't have any significant barriers in the way. There is littered scrub and the staggered haphazard layout of tents similar to what was in the map for the assault.
Based on the way the patrol took off - you'd expect them to re-enter the camp near to the fort and watchtower. Basically along the same lines as when you guys attacked.

On the mine side, there is not much open ground between the camp and the entrance - before the grand arch and tunnel signal the true entrance. The barricade is sunken well into that tunnel and won't be visible from the grand arch at night.

Gaelthrin's dozen are armed with light crossbows as well as hand weapons.

Any other info needed?

Love gets some help from Dolgrym and one of the Dwarven warriors called Gorthed to rig the scaffold to collapse just before a climber reaches the top. A knotted rope is left secured above so that it can be retracted into the tower once the lookout is in place.

"Well, I doubt we're going to trick them for long, if at all. We either try to deceive them by luring them in with a smaller force and then falling onto them, perhaps from the tents. Or, we could be more blatant about it and rearrange the tents to try to funnel them into our defense. If any of you have other ideas, let's hear them."

Gaelthrin suggests leaving the camp as is and hiding the bodies from view. Dwarves in the tents and come upon them when they get close enough to strike at with axe and blade. She wagers there should still be enough gnoll stink on the place to keep the hyena from being spooked until it was too late.

She also suggests keeping some eyes on the tunnel... just in case.

"That sounds like the best course of action. Is there a way that we can easily circle around and attack them from many directions at once? A sally port in the fort, or something similar?"

Love and Gaelthrin work out the sightlines. Where are the blind spots and how close do the dogs have to be before they are safe. Love even picks out the worst, from his point of view, approach and drops 2 doses of caltrops onto random squares along it.

[b]"Right then, with Love on the high ground we'll have some support. Any of the rest of you with crossbows?

Plenty of room for one or two more folks. There is even a spare crossbow and bolts waiting. I'd welcome the company. One thing, if the dog-boys get too close to the tower we won't have clear shots so you will need to keep them forward if you can. (At least I think that is what you mean by "...so once they get real close you'll lose direct sight of them in the camp.")

While Khepri could shoot a bow, he would feel better in the mix with the dwarves below.

Yep - you got the gist of it Love. The watchtower has a line on the approach, up to essentially the tent line - but once they are past that they will be out of sight behind the ruined fort.

"I'm just about out of spells for the day. I could help fire off the crossbows."

"Welcome to the crows nest Sparky. How are you at climbing?"

Huh? I thought we were in the ruined fort? So there is a watchtower and a ruined fort? Just how ruined? Does it have better sight lines than the watchtower?

To all: "Looks like you will need to keep them at the tent line. If they get past that we will not be able to provide support."

To make things easier what range are we looking at, as the bolt flies, from the tower top to the tent line?

The tower is part of the fort.

Range from the tower to the tent line is roughly 60-70ft, within one range increment.

So Love and Dolgrym in the tower, the rest amidst the tents with the dwarves and Gaelthrin.
How close do you want them before you act - and who will be signalling the strike?
Once I've got that info I should be able to frame the opening stanza and get this party started.

The bodies of the dead gnolls are dragged out of eyeshot of the approach and you will all be happy when they are turned to bonfire after the ambush. The tents have a heady stench to them as you wait, though rather than lamenting it, you hope it is strong enough to o'erpower the hyena's senses.

Those dwarves that were unable to join you in the front line of tents, instead lurk just back. Crossbows loaded with deadly bolts and a grim desire to spill gnoll blood after missing most of the first battle.

Three dwarves with the best eyes are split off to keep an eye upon the entrance to the mines that is at your back. The darkness within is quiet, though sometimes you get a sense of foreboding from it that gnaws at your gut.

"I vote for Dolgrym and Love to call out and shoot them when ready. The rest of us can charge from the tents."

"Feigr, I have a spell that I can use to whisper a message to you from range. When they get close, I can cast it, and you can call out to the others."

"Yes, let that be the signal. Love, can you toss a pebble down from the tower when you see them approach, so we know when to prepare?"

"Excellent Dolgrym. That sounds like a good plan...and the stone as well Cynara."

I'll get the map set-up and have it re-posted tonight along with the opening description of the gnolls returning.

For some reason Google docs isn't letting me update - so here is an old Map

The four of you on the ground are in the tent in O,21 - while Dolgrym and Love are off map in the tower.
Supporting dwarves are in the tents in J,18; R,16 and I,14.
Gaelthrin is wide in the tent in C,18.
Remember all tents open to the North - so the gnoll won't see you on approach.

Hyena Perception: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 8 - 2 = 13

After some more preparation and about an hour of waiting, the gnolls that sallied forth in the morning return to camp. The hyena range ahead and to the side, but even as they draw near Love does not notice any variance to their behavior. The re-captured female is kept towards the rear of the group and is being dragged forward roughly by one of the normally armed gnolls. The polearm bearing leader is at the fore of the group.

As they come near the leader pauses...
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
...a scowl crossing his face before he keeps moving and yips and yelps. Those of you who know the gnoll language can ken that he is calling out to see where everyone is - but his steps do not slow and he is still coming.

Your play now Dolgrym and Love

How far are the approaching gnolls from Love and I, and fromt he camp, DM?

They're walking in - as close as you want them to be before you act really.

Sorry - posted that from my iPad just before sleep. To be more detailed:
They are approaching in a rough column and you'd guess they'll come in through the channel either side of the tent closest to the fort.
In the tower you're roughly 60-70ft from the tent line - plus a bit more depending on how close you let them get to the tent before acting.

From a meta perspective - they have made their rolls and will likely not notice anything untoward until physically in the camp.

At the point the returning gnolls get within 50', Dolgrym casts his message spell, informing Feigr that it was time. After that, he prepares to fire his crossbow.

I assume that will take two rounds, so I'll hold off on rolling the attack roll just yet.

Feigr signals to the others in the tent and, quietly casts shield of faith, and readies himself to rush out as soon as he hears the thrum of a crossbow bolt or it's effects.

When Feigr gives the signal, Cynara casts bless on the ground-level party members, and incidentally including any of Gaelthrin's dwarves within 50'.

Apologies it took a while - net went down at home last night and have had a busy work day thus far. Map hopefully tonight if my net is back online.

Love waits for the gnolls to get close before he lets fly with a crossbow bolt. Love to insert attack roll and target

Yips of surprise and shock are issued by the gnolls, clearly not expecting being attacked from within their own compound.

Surprise Round (1 standard action only): Cynara, Feigr, Dolgrym, Padrym, Dwarves, Khepri, Lowfield
Dolgrym's crossbow is loaded - so a shot can be taken.

Cynara calls upon Sarenrae's grace to guide the blows of her companions. Bless in effect

Once the surprise round is dealt with then the gnolls go first in Round 1.

Dolgrym fires off a shot with his crossbow at the closest gnoll

Attack 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Khepri will burst from the tent towards the closest group of gnolls when it is his turn.

Feigr slips from the tent around the west side, heading for the gnolls.

If my Shocking Grasp has expired I will cast anew, otherwise I move to support Khepri and Feigr.