"We've got to go searching through the bog and we were hoping to get some advice from someone who knows the area before we get so deep in we would never get out!"
"That, and maybe a hot meal. We've even brought a gift for the host!"
There is a moment's silence then I got no business with bandits or slavers, mind. Why you headin into the bog?
"I know it'll sound crazy, but we are trying to stop a demonic cult in the area. They've taken our property and given it to some big nasty giants called thrawn. We are going to go take our property back. Don't suppose you have any advice other than don't go in there, do you?"
Another pause, then the door creaks open. A grizzled bear of a man in his late forties steps forward, crossbow still in hand, but lowered. Giant huntin' is it? Sound like fools work t'me, but alright, c'mon in and catch a rest afore ye go on any further. Folk round here call me Possum. He steps back inside the shack, leaving the door open for you to follow.
Once inside, Possum ladles out bowls of pork and turnip stew and settles himself on a stool. He pokes his ladle in Morgtii's direction Saw you with the little hiver there and figured ye fer slavers. Don't know what property's worth headin inta the bog fer, but ah s'pose ah could give ye a few pointers. What'ca wanna know?
Raidh smiles and dusts herself off, then follows Possum into the cabin. After resting her longspear in the doorway she sits to accept some stew.
"We're a little....not usual... fer slavers, dontcha think? Less'n they's now frogs and hivers..."
Raidh looks at her stew, and pauses before bringing spoon to lip.
"Thanks a bunch fer yer hospitality Possum. Too ken call me Raidh!"
"Lessee now. Well, what are we looking to avoid? Any slaver camps...or... trapped areas that are even more no go than the entire bog? How about them giants? Where do they hole up"
After a further pause...
"Yoo seen any ruins around? Yanno, interesting broken buildings or structures? They say elvins yoosta live round' here. Tho' I expect they be roosting in the trees!" Raidh ends with an emphatic grin, looking to her friends for confirmation of her yokel attitude.
Morgtii's antennae quiver at the grizzled old man's words.
"You know this one's kind? Have you seen these slavers recently? When was the last time you saw this one's people?"
Possum warms to Raidh and responds. You'll find ruins and what all over the bog - ain't no right pattern to em that I's ever seen, and yeah they's trapped. Swamp folk know to stay aways what if they's wanna keep all their bits attached. As to giants - well them rag men is right crafty. I ain't ne'er laid eyes on one me'self, and no one knows where they hide up. And yeah, the elvins stick to dese here woods - less'n they be a war party hunting the rag men. Right bad blood between those two there is.
Possum grows quiet as he answers Morgtii. Hm...maybe a year or so's now. Used ta be they'd come by a few times a year- tradin' fer hog hides and leathers, then's they just stopped showin up. Word was the goblins got em. Or the giants. Some say say the wicked witch of the swamp et the whole lot of them, but I don't put no stock in that. Talked to some loggers a while back that said they bumped into some slavers that were tak'in some hivers to sell at Muktarm. I hear they's still some hives left in the mushroom forests to the east, but the ones I knew from the west - they's gone.
Kee-rik has been sitting in a corner, listening quietly. Perhaps no one has noticed him. :-)
"Any other inhabitants of the big we need to know about, for better or for worse?"
Lessee, There's the frog folk - the bigguns, mind, not littluns like yer quiet friend in tha corner there. And crocs. Lots a crocs.
After the stew has been eaten and the warnings heeded, the party leaves Possum's pig farm and heads down into the bog proper. If'n you come across a fellow farmer named Ghopor, tell 'I'm ta stop by ol Possum's fer a brew.
As you reach the bottom of the escartment the short aspens and cottonwoods give way to mangroves, and just after the sun crosses the height of the day, Morgtii and Kee-rik find themselves slogging through knee deep brackish water.
The trees are thick with crows, that seem to flit from tree to tree, flowing you as you move deeper into the swamp.
As the group finds a dryer patch of land to rest upon, most make out the geometric lines of a tower or parapet in the distance, just poking above the trees, maybe a half hours march away. Of more immediate concern however are the shadowy canine shapes moving stealthily amongst the foliage about fifty or sixty feet from you current position...
Unfortunately Dolph was too distracted by the brackish muck to pay attention to his surroundings.
Aedron readies his shield, and draws a spear in the other hand. "Something there," he points with the spear "Some kind of wolf."
The party's defensive posturing seems to deliver a message to the stalking canines. After some low growls and a couple of yips, the shapes just - vanish. The trees are still and the only sound to be heard is the constant low hum of the bog's insect life.
Dolph was relieved that the hounds appeared to withdraw from any possible conflict. He falls back and lets the more adept survival types take command.
The group decides to head for the tower.
A wooden palisade rings the upper slope of a steep hill overlooking the surrounding bog. Narrow stairs are built into the steeper, lower slope of this hill, leading up to the fortifications above. A squat, fieldstone tower built at the pinnacle of the hill stands within. Crows are thick in this area.
At the base of the hill, where the stone stairwell begins its steep climb, is a small, gated guard post. It consists of little more than a gate and a gong. A pair of burly goblinoid guards lounge at their posts outside.
"Anyone feel like being sneaky and taking out those goblins," Dolph whispers to the group.
"Perhaps take out gong?" Kee-rik whispers back. He is poised to go.
"I don't think I can throw that far," Aedron whispers, squinting at the guards.
Okay, here's some more recon...
The tower is 20 feet tall with a crenelated roof.
*A scorpion has been positioned on the top of the tower.
Stone stairs cut into the side of the hill provide a point of entry.
* A palisade surrounds the tower and is interrupted by a gate for the stairs.
* A narrow ledge runs along a steep cliff just inside the palisade wall to a cave opening.
*Several camp sites are easily visible atop the hill in front of the tower.
*Small figures can be seen moving around the campsites.
Check out the Hilltop tower map in my avatar header.
Let's see what Kee-rik notices...
Kee-rik reconsiders his decision to sneak up on the much-larger-than-he-thought encampment.
Morgtii sees...
"Friends... Does anyone else notice how still the sentries are?"
"Even if we are able to sneak up on them, how do we get close enough to have an effect on them?"
At the thought of stealth, Raidh inwardly curses her heavier metal armor, but follows Aedron's eye to see the trees that lead to the palisade.
"Funny that Possum didn't mention this place.. [scans the guards locations] They might not be...terribly bad...folk. Then again, they look to be. Do you think this is an elven ruin repurposed? " she asks no-one in particular.
The tower is squat, inelegant and ill-built - not what you would envision when you think of elven architecture. And while it is old and in poor repair, it is neither ancient nor ruined. As your group ponders the hill top fort, more crows gather noisily in the branches above you.
"We need to get away from those crows - they'll alert the sentries!!!" Raidh cautions quickly in hushed tones to the assembled party.
"Well, we can't just wait here all day. If we are to make a move on the tower, I say we go now or the crows will draw their eyes here anyway!"
"Right." Aedron leads the sneaking up to the pallisade, staying in cover of the trees.
Dolph wasn't sneaky in the slightest, but since no one other than Aerron volunteered, the Mage followed.
Stealth
Raidh did her best to move quietly.
Kee-rik, with a little shrug and sigh, follows the rest, but at a short distance (30 feet or so).
The group moves up to within 80 ft from the guard post without alerting the sentries, who still loll about their posts without much regard for their duty.... You are close enough now that you can hear the two talking, and that any movement closer comes at a greater risk of discovery.
Aedron sneaks a little closer(20ft.), then breaks from cover, running towards the watchpost with his axe lifted.