
GM_DBH |

Sorry, My mistake. I've updated the map to show you where the Barbarians are standing guard. I've also placed markers on the fires to show you where there are light sources. The cage does have a lot of shadow thanks to the fires being behind tents
Mouse & Vibenia easily make it undetected to the cage where the girls are currently sleeping uncomfortably on ragged furs.
Niadroub, where are you placing your mist?
Niadroub starts placing his mists. What is everyone doing now?

Mouse Sootscale |

Mouse starts to work on the lock of the cage, after a nice quick look for traps or alarms.
previous rolls, copied here
perception: 1d20 + 24 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 24 + 2 = 41
disable device: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (5) + 27 = 32
hmm, try again if nothing explodes?
disable device: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (14) + 27 = 41

Mouse Sootscale |

Mouse quietly slips in the cage, doing her very best to wake the nearest girl without scaring her enough to have her make noise. "we are here to get you to safety" she says with the softest kindness but urgent voice possible.
diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18

Marten Lebeda |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

I love that this scene is right in Mouse's wheelhouse of freeing prisoners.

GM_DBH |

The girls eyes open and she almost screams, but seeing the person beside her isn't a hulking male Barbarian tells her this is something new to her situation.
Her eyes dart to another girl and she reaches over, putting her hand over her mouth before she wakes her. Tamary. Someone's here for us!" She whispers.
You recall that Terrion Numesti's other daughter was named Tamary. She seems to be the leader of these girls.
They continue the process, waking the other girls silently, hands over mouths. Tamary looks at Mouse intently once all the girls are awake. "What now?" She whispers, keeping any other questions for a better time. :)
What are you all doing now?

Mouse Sootscale |

"We have allies in the trees" the halfling points in to the direction, making sure each of them looks and acknowledges. "we go, slow and quiet, that way. If one of them sees us, you RUN that way, and we fight" she points to the children for RUN and her and Vibenia for fight. She also slips off her greater talisman of freedom and slips it over Tamary. "You can do this." she tells them simply, then starts to lead them out.
stealth: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (17) + 26 = 43
I should have bought her a wand of invisibility or something for times like this!!!

Vibenia Scaeva |

"Just move as quickly and quietly as you can and we should have you all to safety soon. Your father and sister will be happy to see you." Vibenia says directly to Tamary, reinforcing that they are friendly faces.
Stealth: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (19) + 20 = 39

Gunoke |

Knowing she wasn't that well suited for stealth Valeria stayed in the tree line to help provide cover for the girls with a prayer to cast a barrier of blades on her lips and ready to cast if it was needed to slow any pursuers down when they were slipping away. Gunoke, on the other hand, was more than capable of being sneaky and went with Mouse and Vibenia.
Gunoke became invisible as well, using aether to bend light and sound around himself. It wasn't quite as good as true invisibility but it was pretty close and combined with his diminutive stature made him very difficult to detect.
Stealth: 1d20 + 21 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 21 + 10 = 51
Rather than get down close to where the captives were being freed Gunoke flitted over to be half-way between the center most barbarians and kept an eye on them in case they started to react or look in the direction the breakout.
Gunoke will be ready to mage hand a nearby rock and try to make it clatter in the opposite direction of the breakout as a distraction..
Alos, fairly sue that obscuring mist centers on the caster and moves along with them.

Niadroub Kliip |

Niadroub, where are you placing your mist?
I'm sorry for this half-assed post. I sat down thinking I'd have more time to post than it turns out I do. Two obscuring mist spells are on the map. I'll figure out the exact details later, but their duration is 12 minutes.
Using a combination of his vanish spell and his dimensional slide ability, Niadroub Kliip positions himself to cast two obscuring mist spells over and between the two closest guards to the cage.

Niadroub Kliip |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

"we go, slow and quiet, that way. If one of them sees us, you RUN that way, and we fight" she points to the children for RUN and her and Vibenia for fight.
Waffles pipes up:
"I'll stay with you to show you where to go if these two need to fight! What an adventure! (For us; I bet you're terrified!)"

GM_DBH |

perception Red: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
perception Orange: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
perception Yellow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
perception Green: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Ruling Red is too far away to spot anything. Green was close enough to notice something was happening.
The Barbarian guards look concerned as mist rises around them, they look around suspiciously.
The girls begin to try and sneak away. Green looks in their direction hearing something out of the ordinary, but turns hurriedly when Gunoke clatters a rock behind him.
He and Orange stare where the rock made the noise and stalk closer, looking around but unable to find anything.
The girls make it to the stream with Waffles 'encouragement', you get them across while the guards are looking around, still unsure as to what is happening, but not checking the cage.
They seem more concerned at someone attacking them from outside the camp.
Nicely done. You have all the prisoners freed and safely out of the camp. While they are overjoyed to be free they are intelligent enough to stay quiet. What now?

Niadroub Kliip |

Tamary Numestri is like her sister, brave and honorable. She quickly agrees to make the trip in the Portable hole. Especially hearing that her sister is alive and made it to your kingdom, and that father is free and in charge of Fort Drelev now!
Niadroub Kliip unfolds and spreads the portable hole on the ground. After briefly talking to Tamary about what to expect, he helps her into the hole before he folds it up and stows it safely away. Joining hands in a circle with the four remaining children, the High Magister teleports himself and the children to the bedroom where the party had slain Baron Drelev.
Upon arriving, he immediately extracts Tamary from the interdimensional space. He instructs the children to find papa Numesti, explain what's happened, and let him know that they'll check in after they've dealt with Armag the Twice-Born. He then teleports back to the party.
Removing spell slots to account for the castings of vanish, obscuring mist x 2, teleport x 2, and one arcane reservoir point for a use of his dimensional slide ability. Niadroub Kliip deserves a raise.
Rejoining the party, the arcanist suggests crossing the river west of the camp and approaching under the cover of the trees. This puts them close to the lookout not surrounded by magical mist and to the tunnel leading into Armag's tomb.

Mouse Sootscale |

As Niadroub Kliip prepares, Mouse tells each of the children, that they did a very good job being brave and quiet, giving quick tight hugs. And gives the arcanist a very appreciative smile when he returns announcing it went well.
Why get paid??? Mouse would exclaim in surprised wonder. :) Good with the plan.

Vibenia Scaeva |

With a nod at Kliip's suggestion, Vibenia flashes Mouse a grin. "Now, we hunt

Mouse Sootscale |

Does anyone want to cast anything before we attack?

Niadroub Kliip |

Waffles looks at Niadroub Kliip meaningfully, but the arcanist only returns a look of confusion. Waffles repeats the look even more earnestly, and then after a moment once again with even more meaningful earnestness, before Niadroub Kliip's eyes widen in recognition and he remembers to casts haste on the party before they exit the trees.

Marten Lebeda |

With actual time to prep, Marten casts bless weapon, divine favor and weapon of awe.
Guess we'll find out if the barbarians are evil or just chaotic neutral!

Niadroub Kliip |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Having cast many spells recently, Niadroub Kliip decides to dig out the old crossbow. He loads it with a +1 flaming bolt. Instead of firing at one of the first targets he sees, he's going to trust the three melee murder machines for now.
Waffles uses his greater invisibility ability to turn invisible, greatly.

GM_DBH |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Having cast many spells recently, Niadroub Kliip decides to dig out the old crossbow. He loads it with a +1 flaming bolt. Instead of firing at one of the first targets he sees, he's going to trust the three melee murder machines for now.
Waffles uses his greater invisibility ability to turn invisible, greatly.
:)

Mouse Sootscale |

Mouse quietly works out with her fellow murder machines, who to attack, since attacking outside a swarm is a concept that she would look at in slack jawed wonder if anyone suggested it.
meaning she is only a murder machine if she stays with one of you big'uns. Near us, only Red and Yellow are awake. So heading toward yellow.
Mouse quietly gets to the tree line and takes a moment to study her opponent, how he moves, shifts from foot to foot, how he holds his weapon.
Then she is ready, nods to her companions, and swiftly rushes him
initiative: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
+2 holy keen cold iron rapier, charge, studied, haste: 1d20 + 19 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 19 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 38
damage, sneak, studied: 1d4 + 10 + 4d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 10 + (5, 3, 6, 4) + 1 = 32
With keen that is a crit, so confirmation.
+2 holy keen cold iron rapier, charge, studied, haste: 1d20 + 19 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 19 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 39
damage, studied: 1d4 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 10 + 1 = 14
Current AC is 32-2+1=31

Marten Lebeda |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

I've embiggened Marten's icon to represent that he's on a Large mount.
With haste, Tracer easily hops over the foliage and slides through the trees to come upon the nearest barbarian. Marten feels a tiny twinge of remorse about striking down a man who's just part of a tribe doing its tribal things, but those tribal things include kidnapping young women and that's just not polite.
He lashes out with Falling Leaf as he brings Tracer into combat.
Falling Leaf attack, divine favor, haste, higher combatant: 1d20 + 19 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 19 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 27
Falling Leaf damage, divine favor, weapon of awe: 1d8 + 7 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 3 + 2 = 18
Tracer: Hoof attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15 (Presumably a miss)
Gorman moves up using Marten for cover and takes a shot with his pistol.
Gorman: Pistol ranged touch attack, haste, point-blank shot: 1d20 + 12 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 12 + 1 + 1 = 23
Gorman: Pistol damage, point-blank shot: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Remember as well that Gorman's "freebooter's bond" ability means everyone in the team gets an extra +2 untyped bonus to flanking attacks. Should be useful to Mouse in particular.

Zelera |

Gunoke had returned to the treeline just behind the hostages in case further distractions were needed but it seemed he had done his job well and all without being detected. He became visible then as they prepared to fight and was glad of the extra speed from the haste spell. With the attack ready to begin Zelera, with dagger in hand, and Gunoke, now invisible once more, moved through the trees quickly and got into position to support Marten, though neither chose to attack just yet.
Both are going defensive for now.

GM_DBH |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Mouse makes Yellow squawk in shock as the point of her rapier suddenly emerges from his chest, he is still alive though, until Marten thunders in on horseback and puts him out of his misery.
One down.
Gorman clips Red, the sound of the shot ringing loudly across the camp.
Niadroub & Vibenia can act!

Mouse Sootscale |

Mouse might have had to jump to get to stab the barbarian's chest! :)

Niadroub Kliip |

The unwitting barbarian didn't seem to give Mouse and Marten any trouble, and Niadroub Kliip is trying to conserve his resources; he holds his crossbow at the ready, but doesn't fire. If he sees that the front line starts to get outnumbered, that may change.
Readied action: If three or more barbarians enter combat with the party, NK will fire a bolt at the easiest target.

Vibenia Scaeva |

Vibenia silently stalks into the mist, speaking a command word as the beautifully detailed canine relief etched into her breastplate vanishes, Dusk materializing silently beside her, guarding against any approach.
Move 30ft, activate Hosteling armor to release Dusk. Dusk holds action, ready to attack any enemy that approaches Vibenia

GM_DBH |

The Barbarians fill the air with shouts of shock, surprise and rage. The sleepers stumble out of their tents. Those on their feet drink potions and you can see their skin growing rougher.
Drinking potions of barkskin.
That is their actions this round. The party can now act!

Niadroub Kliip |

Having already loaded a bolt onto his crossbow, Niadroub Kliip fires at his clearest shot. Dark blue directly south of Zelera. Range increment is 120 feet, so no penalties.
Ranged Attack + Haste: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 + 1 = 9
Damage + Flaming: 1d10 + 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (8) + 1 + (3) = 12
Ammunition breaks on 1: 1d2 ⇒ 2
Niadroub Kliip is out of practice with his crossbow. He sighs in disgust, but when he hears his invisible familiar laughing at his terrible shot, he drops his crossbow and digs out his wand of lightning bolt.
Waffles perches on a branch nearby, ready to defend his eagle-eyed arcanist. If any barbarians get within melee range, the faerie dragon will use his cone of euphoria breath weapon. Fort DC 12 negates

Mouse Sootscale |

okay, given our discussion thread, going to hide instead of charge this round.
stealth: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (1) + 28 = 29
Mouse trades a look toward the mounted knight, then slips into the confusion behind hooves and is lost from sight.

Vibenia Scaeva |

Uttering the words to another spell as she reaches down to touch Dusk's shoulder, Vibenia seems to fade into her surroundings, disappearing in the chaos.
Cast Acid Maw on Dusk, move and hide (Camouflage (Ex) hide even if environment does not provide concealment.)
Stealth (Forest): 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (6) + 24 = 30