"Should we follow them at a distance and see where they end up? Maybe they have a specific plan in mind we can thwart."
Goggh agrees. - the Ogre says, immediately continuing - Goggh is happy ratfriend didn't get hurt. If Goggh and friends are to follow this group, we will have to keep quite the distance as to not be detected. Goggh fears Goggh's size and clumsiness might not give us much of a stealthy advantage...
He tries to tread lightly to show he isn't really great at it, as supposed.
Your group follows them and watches them from a distance. The foliage near the river is thicker, so while it makes it hard to watch them exactly, they also in turn, will not be able to spot you very easily. The night rolls in eventually and you will be forced to get much closer to see what they plan to do. It appears that while they plan to move downstream on the barge, that they are not doing so tonight just yet and are perhaps camping for the evening or dealing with something on the barge, perhaps a repair.
What will your group do? You are concerned about the vigilance of the hell hounds and the small dragon thing.
We follow them but at a great distance and when they put down for camp, we will camp maybe a mile or more away. We don't need a fire.
Does it make sense to try and sabotage them? Maybe steal their barge while they sleep. Maybe we could even capture one of them.
Goggh thinks Goggh has idea. - the ogre says, unsure of himself - Maybe we don't need to steal it, but we can somehow damage its bottom and hide with rotten wood? Just to do it in such way it won't float for long but they wouldn't notice until they're past shore?
He scratches his head. This, he thinks, wouldn't kill the enemies cowardly, just delay and disorganize them... Maybe time enough for an ambush, or to capture one of them and flee...
"I have a flask of acid. But I don't know if it will eat through enough of the barge to be effective. It is quiet though. Or, I could create a distraction, and get some of them to chase me. Then, when I lead them away, the rest of you could go destroy or steal the barge. That does seem more dangerous though."
The group ponders various ideas.
"Or...if it's just a distraction we need, I have my trusty silent image. I could try to lure them away with that while everyone else ransacks the place."
Goggh likes image idea more! - he says - It's safer for ratfriend. Issue is just how much time it will buy us to take care of their group; delay them, or maybe split them. Divide and conquer.
As your group ponders what to do about the giant and its allies, you head back to your own camp briefly to plan. As you near it Vamik smells from the northwest the scent of fire and smoke. Shortly thereafter both Goggh and Quercus smell the same.
Going to investigate cautiously, you get closer and see a campfire not far off. In a short time after Vamik sneaks closer he sees another group of Goodwin's people, fellow adopted siblings, sitting around a camp. He hails them and calls Goggh and Quercus to join in.
The three join the other six around their fire and they share stories. The other group is also out looking for giant raiders and other intruders.
Since your group has dwindled to a smaller number they will separate two of their members do join you, and the remaining four will report back to Cliffort tomorrow.
Qahnaarin, a hobgoblin, and Blaire, a changeling, offer to join in on your quest to take out the barge and stop, delay or defeat the giant and its fellows.
Goggh welcomes friends! - the paladin says, opening his massive arms - What are your specialties, new friends?
"Well met, Goggh!" Qahnaarin raises a hand in greeting. You see a well-groomed hobgoblin male with blood-red hair loosely gathered into a ponytail. His head is shaved on either side. His eyes are a deep orange, with small flecks of silver near the iris. His skin is gray and ashen. He has high cheek bones, and a strong jaw with slightly protruding lower canines. His skin is taut against a lithe build. He is dressed in simple black robes with silver geometric symbols. He is tall, with a solid frame and straight posture.
"I am Qahnaarin. I think I remember seeing you at some of the lectures. You are hard to miss." He smiles a toothy grin. "I am a skirmisher and typically stay at the periphery. I bring the lightning of justice and the thunder of order against our foes! Or at least I like to think so. It's just regular lightning and thunder. But with JUSTICE!"
Day 10 - late evening
It is late in the night, and the group discusses their plans to assault the giants and their barge. While you could strike yet tonight, you may wish to camp and tailor your spells to a specific plan. You must decide if you will call it a night and start fresh in the morning, or use the darkness to launch an assault now.
"Hmm... Does anyone know if giants can see in the dark?"
Blaire speaks up after Qahnaarin. "I will continue on with you too."
She is shorter than average with white hair and grey eyes. She carries no weapons about herself and is unarmoured. She is quite alert, like she is listening for something or expecting something to be happening at any moment. A small bird sits in her palm eating its helping of seed grain for the day.
"I may look small and weak but I can still help win battles. Though I won't swing a sword or shoot a bow, magic runs through my veins. I will weaken and hinder our enemies as much as possible."
"A night assault might be the best surprise. Can we sink the barge with them all on it?"
"If there is a sufficient treeline, then we can attack from cover. I cannot do it stealthily, but gathering power allows me a maximum range of 240 feet. I can pelt their barge from a nearby hilltop while others keep them too busy to sail away. Just a thought."
Goggh grunts - maybe thinking too much wasn't his thing.
So, Qahnaarin and Blaire can shoot them from afar? - he says, slowly, as if measuring distance - We should try to split their group. They might be too many for us to deal at the same time. If we start a distraction from good distance, though, Goggh and friends can attack the ones who stay at the camp.
"Sounds good to me. Do you know where they are camped?"
The enemies are camped along the river about a mile away. Vamik describes how the camp is a fire giant, a pack of hellhounds, two heavily armored ogres, and a serpentine draconic type creature. The have a large barge beached that they were preparing to launch downriver it appeared, perhaps in the morning.
"A mite too much to charge head on perhaps. Even for us. Stealth is best. What about stealing the barge? Surely they will sleep on land tonight."
Goggh and friends need to approach with ranged friends up to the point you can reach. That's where plan starts. - he points to the path, as if suggesting something.
Goggh isn't really stealthy, though, but from this distance we might be able to do without much worry. Goggh says we should start moving already - we gave them too much time.
"I suggest we prepare cautiously to tackle them. I propose we sabotage the barge to buy time to ready the appropriate spells and magic to fight. This gives us until morning to prepare. They have hellhounds which we have fought before, so we need fire protection. I believe I can keep the giant busy while the group works on the ogres and dragon creature and dispatches the hounds. Does anyone know anything about the dragon if Vamik can describe it or get a better look? It might help us a lot to know what kind of creature it is. "
"How wide and deep is the river? Are we currently on the same side as them?"
"Perhaps we position our ranged forces on the far side of the river. They can concentrate fire on the barge while our melee forces harass and distract. Once the barge has been incapacitated, our melee forces can go into the water to cross the river. The ranged forces will provide cover to keep them from pursuing. Thoughts?"
"We can fight from the barge to minimize their abilities to surround us. I also like the ranged idea. Qahnaarin can your kinetic blasts punch a hole in the barge? If you start on the boat, while Blaire summons fog and mist and slumbers the hounds, Vamik, Goggh and I can beat down the melee during the confusion, then you come in and join if the fight breaks free of the fog. The mist and fog will seem natural at first, and will keep their dragon from flying around on us. If it does go to the sky then Qahnaarin and Blaire are best equipped to handle it. We may be able to flat out steal the barge under the cover of the fog and Vamik can sneak and vanish too. I think we are getting a plan going here. Do we want to vanquish them or merely ruin their boat. If they are going downstream, and are forced to walk, its not much of an inconvenience, unless they have precious cargo in the hold." Scratching the bark on his chin, he ponders.
"Yes, I can punch a hole in the barge. Without enemies bothering me, I have a maximum range of 240 feet."
"With our forces combined, I'm sure we can take them. Whatever we do, we must be quiet until the distraction kicks off. They have hell hounds with them. Even with masking my scent magically, I still had a feeling they could sense me as I scouted. As I am not a good swimmer, I'll stay on land and provide the distraction. Besides, Goggh might get scared without me. *smirk*"
"I will sow disruption and chaos among them while the rest of you deal with them. The more we can remove from the fight the better it will fare for the city's chance of victory. Finding out what's inside the barge might prove fruitful also."
"It seems we are agreed. Who will join me on the far side of the river?"
Probably someone with ranged capabilities as well. - said Goggh, tapping his arms to remove the dust - Goggh feels scared without ratfriend. Heh! Heh!
He laughs for some moments, then smiles and starts moving to take position.
Qahnaarin nods. "Everyone can go where they are best suited. Let's move."
The group conceptualizes their plan briefly and then begins to move in the direction of the enemy camp. They discuss possible tactics and refine points as they get closer, but for the most part it seems like a framework rather than specific tactics.
The group approaches downshore and hopefully downwind of the enemy camp, watching and listening and waiting for a while, perhaps 70' away. Determining that they have not been detected yet at this range, they begin to move upstream, but have to decide at some point who will cross to the other side of the river ( which is both deep and wide ).
"I'm going to start on the other side. When you initiate combat, I will direct fire on the barge."
Qahnaarin walks to the shoreline, crouches down, and leaps!
Qahnaarin leaps 136 feet to the other shore. He finds a nice tree to hide behind and watches for the signal.
Pre-battle Round 1
Qahnaarin you make your amazing leap through the air as the wind rustles around you (clothing making kung fu flapping noises) and land on the other side.
Quercus prepares the following spells for battle:
Shield, Mage Armor, Shield of Faith, Resistance, Shadow Veil
Once combat is entered I will do Line in the Sand and Compel Hostility.
Community Blessing on Mr Gibbons, Luck blessing on Quercus
Community and/or Luck and any two other people who want it.
I will have cast the longest running ones ahead of time and finish with shorter ones.
I will move in on the dragon thing first by circling along the shore for round 1 of the pre battle.
Vamik will down his mutagen. Claws spring from both his newly grown arms, and his teeth grow long and sharp. After Mage armoring up, he drinks his extract of negate aroma.
He will and move into position next to Goggh.
Quercus, Vamik and Sly move ahead towards the camp, while Qahnaarin leaps across the river and readies himself to take on the boat.
The group has a shadow of a plan and they move closer.
Qahnaarin performs a brief series of katas and deep breaths, focusing his energy. He emotions quickly, and unleashes a stroke of lightning at the barge on the shore.
shock damage
Initiative