The day ends, and you make camp along the river... You are upstream of where you were several days ago, and the river is more of a creek, narrow and full of cobble and boulders. It runs rapidly, swirling with little waterfalls here and there, and makes for a beautiful sight.
The next day you continue on. Ike picks up the human footprints again, and it leads you to an abandoned camp. There is a fire pit, but the coals are cold. Yet there is still equipment here... a tent, a bedroll, a few skins drying on a line (probably worth 50 gold total, if you wanted them), and some assorted clothes. Nothing really of value. It looks like an active camp, but clearly no one slept here last night.
Diceros finds tracks and starts following them out of the camp area.
+1 for determining surprise
This time, it is Brokk'r who stubs his toe on a stake, which is connected to a rope, which is connected to a huge pile of logs. The logs tilt toward him, and the sharp-eyed Rai calls out a warning and attempts a lunge to knock Brokk'r out of danger!
reflex vs. DC 15
Rai dives several feet and tackles Brokk'r out of the way from the tipping pile of logs! They crash with a boom!
As the dust settles, Arlen brushes off his explorers outfit and tries to beat some of it away with his big floppy hat. He coughs "My my but it seems our quarry is a paranoid hazard to all inhabitants of these woods! Excellent work again, Rai! You are proving yourself quite capable at protecting us from these horrific would-be setbacks! Let us find this fellow and put an end to his hazardous trapping, through diplomacy or force!"
"Wha—!?"
Brokk'r grunts as Rai tackles him. He quickly pushes the alchemist off and stands up.
"Thanks, elf," he grumbles looking at the triggered trap.
You continue on, eyes peeled, expecting more to come. And certainly, there is.
Another 100 meters pass the last trap, you come across another. Although this one has already been sprung, and lying underneath the logs, bashed and beaten, is the body of a large human man. He is past middle aged, with the rugged appearance of someone who has lived their life outside. He has a big, wildman's bushy beard. There is a very nice battleaxe out of his grasp by several feet. (MW Battleaxe).
An inspection of the rope that held the logs up indicates something gnawed on it... reducing the rope to just a thread, and it must have snapped and dropped on the hunter with terrible timing (for him, anyway).
With the hunter dead Rai will gather up his camp site and pack it tight and does not mention his heroics with the dwarf not wanting to embarrass him but smiling none the less knowing his wilderness skills have paid off for this group along with his reflexes.
A familiar little dragon flitters out of a nearby tree and lands on Pygmy's horn. While typically overshadowed by the gregarious grig, Perlivash does indeed have the ability to speak, which he does... to Pygmy.
"You see! You see! Nasty humans gets what which comes to him. Nature is for nature! Trees is for homes, not killing. Right, big guy? Right?" Perlivash smiles a wide dragon smile, showing teeth that would have every ability to bite through a rope.
Arlen nods sagely at the death of the irresponsible hunter. "That seems a reasonable outcome to me. I say we investigate these other menaces." Arlen picks up the axe and adds it to the party stores. "And we may as well grab those nice skins on our way back. If there's one thing we've learned, it's Oleg pays well for good furs! Shame to waste them, given the waste this man has already caused."
The party spends the next day completing the exploration of the area, but have a quiet 2 nights and day, before completing a map worth 285 gold. With that task done, you head out east, then south-east. You reach the eastern edges of the Narlmarches on the morning of Pharast 22.
EXPLORATION PHASE
According to your information (Tyg-Titter-Tut), these woods are the home territory of some nasty biggenses. You approach with caution and stealth, and start carefully mapping and exploring the region.
Terrain: Forest ; max PC speed: 20 ; days to explore: 3
A cool spring day. No effects
Rai nods knowing that nature is a fine balance and says: "Let us go find some way these others might be better friends with us and our new friends in nature."
Rai will follow the trail of these other "men" looking for any sign of them or ant dangers in the woods and as he travels he will start looking for alchemical agents.
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As the group continues to move south, working on the tip from Tyg, Sigurd realizes that there's a lot that he can learn from his new companions as to other ways of adventuring.
He sees the way that the elves move silently, as if their feet aren't touching the forest floor at all. He gives it a try.
After a little while of almost making more noise than before, Sigurd gives up and returns to walking with is normal gait.
As he walks, he keeps his eyes open, scanning the area around the group. He's not necessarily expecting an attack, but he wants to be aware of his surroundings nonetheless.
He feels much more competent at this than at his stealth attempts. This gives him a bit of confidence and so he tries his hand at identifying some of the plants and trees that he's seeing.
But clearly he's going to need more practice.
Maybe Diceros can teach me a few things. I'll have to ask him when we make camp tonight.
Sigurd is the first to see it... With his eyes really concentrating on the job, it becomes clear as day. Human tracks... everywhere, on the banks of a muddy creek. They proceed to the south. Looking up, you see a short rustic watchtower made of logs and a wooden ladder, sticking above the tree line... The party hasn't exactly been quiet, but at least no one was talking or singing or yelling, and the guard on the watchtower is looking the other direction.
It seems you have found a bandit camp, and no one is yet aware of your presence. You duck back 100 yards to discuss how to proceed.
Ike can feel the ground start to show signs of sooooo many footprints! A lot of travel has occurred here! A tendril lifts up to see the watch tower peeking over the trees, before he slinks back into the bushes. After a moment, he shudders and collapses into a puddle, before reforming into the shape of a grizzled, weather worn bandit fellow, complete with the cloak and a pair of axes at his waist, before the amulet he'd taken from the others emerged into place on his chest, hanging around his neck.
"Alrighty! Lemme at 'em! I can cause a ruckus in there and give you guys a signal when it's time to attack! I bet, if I earn there trust, I can even get into that tower, and take the watch, and give you the signal from there!"
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"Hold on, hold on friend! Ike, I think we'll want a bit more information before we just attack. That's a lot of footprints. I'm not completely sure of your plan, but even if you did go in, it would be for information not for an assault!"
Diceros tries to determine how many different prints he can make out to get a general sense of numbers.
(Retroactive rolls, just for exploring purposes: perception and stealth, copying Sigurd's attempts to walk quietly.)
It is a jumble of prints, but Diceros' skills stand strong. He can estimate certainly over 10 different unique sets of prints, but less than 20.
Thinking about the woods, Arlen wonders if any particularly useful components could be found in such a place.
Rasputin starts getting problematic and ornery in his riding place, making Arlen's exploration difficult. Arlen threatens the rabbit "If you don't settle down! I will not shave the carrots for your dinner tonight! You'll have to consume them whole!"
He attempts to move quietly through the woods, smiling amiably at Sigurd's display.
Arlen nods at Diceros' words. "Indeed, my friend. It seems there are quite a few in there. Unless they seem a rather weak 10 fellows, you should probably not signal us to attack."
"you can however go in and wait til the majority sleep and we can sneak in and take them down."Rai says with a simple practicality.
Ike tightens his unnecessary belt, girds his loins, ties his fake shoes, and walks out into the bandit camp.
Ike inhaled a bit, approaching the bandit camp casually. No need to worry... he fit into places all the time! It was just like settling into a new village... it's just this time, the villagers would be ready and willing to pick any sort of a fight! Because they weren't so friendly.
Strolling up to the front entrance (or what passed for it) of the camp, Ike paused to take a look around and assess things. How many bandits were currently here? Who looked to be in charge? Where did they keep the gear? The spoils?
Ike strolls up to the camp casually, as if he belongs there. No alarms are immediately shouted, and he has a chance to look about.
He walks in by a creek, where a smaller tributary joins a larger one, but even combined the two are only about 7 feet wide and easy to hop over, and only shin deep at the most.
To the east, Ike sees 4 bandits shooting bows at targets set into tree stumps. A little past that, 5 more bandits are sitting by the campfire and either lounging or preparing food. Most all of these bandits are men, gruff looking, poor, unwashed, and angry types. There is one female, and she is clearly in charge. She sits back comfortably, letting other do the work, and barks out orders here and there. Resting comfortably close to her hands are two hand-axes. Ike tries to remember back....Seems like he had heard something about a female bandit with hand-axes.
Straight down the creek, there is a wagon on a path pointed south. It looks like it is positioned to be moved quickly, if the need arises. There is a chest on the wagon.
There are two lookout towers in the camp, one to the west, which everyone saw upon getting closer, and another one to the east, watching over the camping area. Both are manned.
Just then, a shout is raised from the western lookout tower. "Ho! We have a visitor, lads!"
The four bandits who are in the middle of target practice pause their activity and confront Ike. "Are you the envoy from the Stag Lord? Took long enough. Happs and his men have been missing for like two weeks now! Is the Stag Lord sending reinforcements so we can take down that blasted trading post once and for all?"
Ike takes a good bit of mental notes. 4 here, 1 there, 5 at the fire, 2 in the towers... 12 total. That was quite a few people. He needed to think of a way to thin them out. The only woman in the camp looked to be the head honcho, though... those axes sounded familiar...
Ike nearly jumped as one of the bandits piped up, the others joining him in meeting him at the camp front. Okay... show time. So, they thought he was an envoy of the Stag Lord? "...yes! *cough* Yes I am." he replied, folding his arms and taking on a slightly deeper tone. "Ah... about Happs... he and his group are dead. Wiped out. Seems Rostland sent them some extra hands, and Happs showed up at the wrong time."
"But! The Stag Lord has a plan to deal with the trouble. He's..." And then Ike got an idea! An awesome idea! Ike had a wonderful, awesome idea! "...he's hired some new hands to help bring the place down once and for all."
At this point, the woman walks over, her axes now hanging from loops on her belt. She looks Ike over, and takes in the Stag Lord medallion hanging from his neck. Ike notices that she is wearing one too, but none of the other ruffians are. "You are one of the Stag Lords lieutenants? I've never seen you before. Granted, he has me stuck in this backwater camp rather than in the fort... Where did you come from? And, you say he has a plan and more men for us? What is the plan then?
She look suspicious, and so do the other guards. The Stag Lord usually leaves them alone to handle the business in the north. Their hands slowly move towards their weapons.
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Oh great... they weren't buying his bluff! What did he do wrong!? He looked like a bandit... right? Wait... he looked like one... but he wasn't acting like one! He needed to exude that sense of being a total jerk! His mind quickly flashed back, recalling the night his master was killed. Those thugs, their demeanor, their words...
Ike scowled, eyeing the hands moving for their weapons before barking at them. HE was in charge... HE was! And probably loud enough to be heard by the others at this point. "You wanna draw weapons on me, it'll be the last thing you do with those hands, you $#!*-wracked pus suckers! You slack-jawed slop buckets might not have, but half a brain, but use what little intellect you DO have and think! I AM one of the Stag Lord's lieutenants! If I wasn't, how did I get my hands on this!? Ain't no half-wit yokel this side of Rostland is gonna wear one of these and live! The Stag Lord can see every move the owner makes. You do know they can do that, right?!" Ike yelled, grabbing the pendant and holding it up to their faces, before dropping it back to his chest and scowling further. "No wonder you and Happs got assigned to this gods forsaken stretch of land! Those fey have been playing so many pranks on you, you're starting to jump at shadows!"
Ike folded his arms, looking around a bit before huffing. "Stag Lord's managed to convince some batch of freakazoids to help us retake the fort. Don't know how he managed to get an elf and a dwarf to cooperate, but then again, I don't question his abilities! ...unlike some limpwad bear snots I know! And we're gonna need them! Apparently, the soldiers now in the fort have some gods forsaken blob of some hellspawn's mucus at their beck and call!"
Thoroughly chastised, the bandits immediately drop their hands off their weapons and look at the ground. The woman carefully holds her own amulet away from her own face and peers at it. "I had no idea but it explains so much..." you hear her mutter.
"Sir, yes sir!" she says, more loudly. "What is the plan, then? Specifically?"
Ike tried not to let his relief show through as the others seemed to actually be convinced! Truth be told, he was completely making up the bit about the amulet, but he was glad they bought it! "Much better... now! The plan..."
...shoot! He didn't expect to actually get this far! Uhhhhh... right! He needed to try and thin out the numbers! "...the elf - well, one of them - thinks he has a way to melt the snotty mess they've got to a puddle. Gonna need a few materials for that. Crap, what was it? Uh... nightshade... fen reeds... wolfsbane... sounds about right. Need to start looking for those stupid things... supposed to be able to mix 'em up into some kind of acid or something, coat it on the weapons and it dissolves the nightmare." A shame he scared off Tyk and Perlivash... he might could convince them to play some tricks on the bandits, keep them occupied for a bit.
His eyes darted to the wagon, before getting another idea. "Also need to get anything and everything of value to the Stag Lord's place. Want's it done yesterday. As for the new batch of hands... should be along pretty soon. I headed out ahead of them, should be moving along the river." He paused, before adding. "And mind the rhino they're bringing. Jumpy little git. But supposed to be able to ram down those doors. Once they get here, we'll be moving out soon as that mixture the elf is brewing up."
"But that's our loot. The Stag Lord said we could keep what we got."
She frowns at this part of the directions, but shakes her head sadly. "Okay, have one of your new men move the cart. I guess we will get more when we raid the trading post and burn it to the ground."
She then barks "John! Ringo! Paul! Go into the woods and find those things that he wants. Nightshade! Fen Reeds! Wolfsbane!"
The goons pause, knowing that they have no idea what those things are, but a glance at her hand-axes reminds them of dearly departed friends who dared to balk at her orders. They head into the woods toward the east.
'Phew! 3 down... and we can get the cart!'
Ike nodded, folding his arms and shaking his head. "You think too small. Think about it... a lightly manned outpost. Well stocked. Well armed." He paused, remembering his own rules before taking his amulet and clamping his hands around it. "The start of a fortress to rival that of the Stag Lord himself. Defenses, stockades, and well removed from the direct influence of the Stag Lord... you do the math..."
Ike let go of his amulet and let it hang again, before looking back to the forest edge where the others were. "Bah! How bloody hard is it to follow a blasted spit of water?!" He looked back at the woman, shaking his head. "I need a few minutes. Either they're taking a leak long enough to drown the Stolen Lands, or the bumbling cads are lost... I will return. Have someone get that cart hitched up. Every minute the Stag Lord waits is a minute for him to get even pissier." Ike ordered, before making for the tree line he'd exited from to try and quietly reunite with the group.
The bandit leader barks out orders and the bandits in camp scurry about, gathering their weapons. Ike has his back turned and does not see, but 2 more bandits emerge from behind large logs. The bandits up on the guard posts come down.
The bandit leader whispers something to another guard, and he hitches up the lone horse in the camp to the wagon, turns it, and points it north.
Everyone gathers up near the bandit leader. They are ready to depart once their three missing members come back.
Ike continues to stride towards the woods like he owns them... But the moment he is out of sight, he starts to hiss for the others and regroups, filling them in on the situation.
"...so now, they think I'm a lieutenant of the Stag Lord, and think we're new hires come to help them storm the fort. Three of them are off getting the bogus ingredients... not even sure they grow around here, so that could be a while. There are still 11 guys left... and I'll admit, I didn't know what else to do. So... uhm... Help?"
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Diceros clears his mind for a minute, preparing for the battle ahead. He crawls up to the treeline, peering into the clearing. Then, nodding at Sigurd, he takes a deep breath and whispers the Druidic words necessary to cause the weeds and vines in the area to grow.
He targets the epicenter of the spell to be just behind the group.
As Sigurd casts lullaby, causing the bandit's eyes to glaze over, everyone gets into position, and Diceros causes the weeds and vines to grab the bandit's feet! (DC 13). Five of them are held fast!
As some get grabbed and others do not, the extent to which they had been fooled dawns on them. Kressle is first to realize, and she raises her voice to scream at her troops to attack, but your surprise is complete, and they have all been gathered in a big bunch instead of in their normal defensive positions!
Everyone take a surprise round! (Including Diceros and Sigurd). Those entangled are marked on Roll20.
Rai will throw a bomb into non entangled troops not using precise to get splash and hit as many as possible with a frozen bomb to stun the enemy.
DC 15 reflex or 5 cold damage.
DC 15 fort save or be staggered.
Arlen moves behind Pygmy and Sigurd and grants some of his mysterious luck to Rai.
"Keep the initiative and attack quickly, my fine elven friend!"
"Can ye make me big again, elf?" Brokk'r says to Arlen before moving to the edge of the enchanted foliage.
SURPRISE ROUND SUMMARY
Ike also moves up next to Brokk'r on the edge of the snarling vines.
Rai aims for the biggest group and let's fly with his frost bomb. It smashes directly on the boss, and she shrieks from the cold. Others around her are splashed with ice as well.
ugh, i have the issue where I rolled these first, and then put other rolls above it. It messed up all the initiatives, so you know. I'm not going to redo everything.
ROUND 1
Kressle yells out, "Charge them, fools!". Confused by the orders, as many of them simply can't move, they are slow to respond. Those entangled end up drawing their bows and taking aim, but they do not get shots off this round.
Some are able to move right away, ignoring the vines, and they close on Brokk'r, Pygmy, Ike, and Rai.
Brokk'r is attacked three times, Rai once, Pygmy once, and Kressle directly targets Ike. "You traitor!", she screams. With embarrassing lack of accuracy, no one is damaged.
bandits 17
Diceros/Pyg 13
Sigurd 12
Arlen 11
Rai 10
Ike 4
Brokk'r 3
Go if you are bold!
Rai takes a step back five feet and draws his
shield elixir and drinks it (AC 20). As part of the move action he draws his curved blade (free) and accepts Sigurds song (ac 19 str 16 tada)