Alistair doesn't need to be told twice.
Can't get paid if you don't live to see another day.
He flees as fast as he can.
With the orc dispatched and the prisoners secured Mogwag turn tail and run toward the rally point
Just taking a few seconds to cast a on himself before the mad dash
The party beats a hasty retreat from the battle site running with the scared prisoners through the forest. The gaggle passes by the location where the horses were kept for the battle and the party sees prisoners rummaging through the addle bags, most likely looking for food and water. An old man armed with a cudgel and being carried by two other prisoners beats at the ransakcers with the cudgel and barks orders for everyone to follow him. With little else to go on the party grabs hold of the horses reins and follow the gaggle of prisoners through the forest. Eventually the old man stops the party at a mass of trees. Undetectable to the naked eye the old man reveals a hidden pass through the mass of foliage to a grove. He has the men carrying him set him down on a nearby log and it is then that you see the old man has no legs. He barks out instructions to many people to cover the outside tracks and to set wounded people here and there. Soon the party can hear the advancing orcs beating brush outside the grove and the old man orders everyone to quiet down. After a time has passed he tells Cerian to go check the path out of the grove for signs of any orcs and the elf bowman does so and then comes back to announce the orcs have left.
Pardon my words if they come across as rude... but who are you?
He asked the man when they finally had a chance to take breath. He took to command and leading far too easily to be a simple farmer. Though only a fool would ignore sense speaking even if it came from a farmer.
He gladly showed the people where the extra rations he had bought were located on the pack mule.
He greets Cerian in Elvish and then says in the common tongue "My name young elf is Gilby Leaftender. I follow the Sham and this is my grove. These people you see before you were captured by the orcs for sacrifice no doubt. I tried to save some of them but was overpowered by a group of orogs and they did this to me as punishment." he gestures to his missing legs and the wounds looks recent. "These are simple folk, unused to war but hardy. Woodsmen, traders, trappers and herders. I am often at odds with them but they come to see me for healing arts that I can provide out here in the woods."
After barking out a few orders to some older men he sends the others away until it is just your group and him.
"I can hide them here but I fear there are more pressing needs for your group. The nearby town defending or falling bears little to the events of the war, the real battle is underneath us right now. You all need to go under ground and stop whatever foul magiks is occurring down there. I was going to get a group of trusted local folk to do so but I cannot go now... but you all can. You can handle yourselves and will do well down there. I know not what is going on but I do know my prime tree here is being subverted and is decaying. that is never good and the caverns underground need cleansing. Cleanse the undercaverns and one catastrophe can be averted. You need to make haste though."
Alistair, in almost precdisely the exact same accent that Cerian normally uses responds to their elven host.
We are agents of change for the highest bidder, we're not here to do charity work. Saving these men is something we were very well compensated for, sorry if that gave you the wrong impression. These men had value to us. So not to be the true Machiavellian here...what's in it for us if we do? I mean we don't have to stop here necessarily if you're going to make that a precondition for taking care of these folk. I also really don't like the vague nature of this 'underground threat' that's how people get killed. And we just stared down an orcish horde, my mortality has taken all the tests it is liable to for the moment.
My friend there is partially correct, we have been hired by our employer to slow down and do what we can to slow this invasion down, we have another party actually trying to help the nearby town. Do you really believe that stopping what goes on beneath the ground can effect the outcome of the battles ahead?
He asked with an equal amount of compasion and well temperence.
Mogwag will look around the prisonners and will cast a on himself and then a on the one that looks the most hurt well that should be able to help a little he says
what can you tell us about that battle underground, about the magic employed or even how to get to that underground cavern he ask gently
"You fools.... it is not the castle that they want, it is not the town that they want...it is what is underneath the castle and what is underneath this grove. The old man built the castle to protect that end and I kept this grove hidden to protect this end. Somehow those black cultists found another way in. There is a ley line underneath and that is what is fought over. The orcs are just a ruse to distract people ... like yourselves... from the real battle...Mark my words, if you allow the ley line to be corrupted it won't be the humanoid armies that destroy this part of Oerth." The old druid says with some anger...
The lack of knowledge does not make one a fool, the lack of acting upon that knowledge does ware your words my old friend.
He began not raising his voice but keeping it deadly calm. He was however checking the arrows in his quiver, testing the string on his bow. He looked to his companions judging without words their interest in this fight.
Where is the entrance to this underground danger?
He asked content everything was in its right place.
Mogwag's mission is to do as much damage as possible to the orc's force before they assault the town. So Mogwag is interested in doing a little run underground
"It sounds like the right thing to do! Let us make haste!"
"It sounds like the right thing to do! Let us make haste! And we dwarfes like it belowground"
The dwarf looks around and smiles.[b]"Going belowground sounds excellent!!"[/]
The old druid nods in agreement to the dwarfs comments. "Let me know when you are ready and I will show you the way. Markus- bring me that old wooden chest there." he says to one of the men next to him. The man runs off and brings back an old and worn wooden chest and the druid pulls out some gourd containers. He hands two yellow ones and two green ones to the group.
"Take these with you. these will make your weapons magical for a bit of time (Yellow- Oils of Magic Weapons +1) and these other ones will work against evil and nasty things (Oils of Bless weapons). I have no time to make others potions and oils but will see what I can find around here to brew something up."
A rather sullen Victrix stands up and takes one vial of yellow oil. "Thanks, sir."
Alistair nods begrudgingly How convenient that his grove happens to be the center of the universe.... the opera singer will grumble.
He takes allows the other fighters to take the oils.
Let's all try to not die, shall we?"
Mogwag grabs a potion of each
Let's get to it then, the day isn't getting younger
"You there." the old crippled man says to Mogwag, "Move that tree... just push it out of the way..." he says pointing to a large stout tree surrounded by some bushes near where the party is standing.
Mogwag and the others look rather confused at the request but the old man is insistent and the half orc moves to the tree and as he tries to push it, expecting to fail, the tree vanishes as if an illusion, revealing a hole in the ground surrounded by the scrub bushes. The hole is wide enough to enter and climb down with gear on and angled slightly so that one will not fall.
"That is the entrance... I never explored all of it. I do know some of the caverns make their way under the town and castle yonder. Make haste and good luck" then he motions for you all to enter through the hole as if shooing you away.
He moved quickly peering into the hole before moving into it, bow out and arrow knocked.
Someone follow behind me say about ten to fifteen feet with a light source.
He asked before slipping inside.
Cerian enters the hole and finds it sloping downwards for 15 ft and then stops in a large cavern room with a tunnel that goes northward. Cerian hears voices and movement echoing within the tunnel system and knows they are not alone down here.
Victrix follows Cerian's instructions, except she doesn't bring a light source with her.
Grabbing on each the dwarf thanks the spender and joins the others.
Not one needing a light source Mogwag follows in the dark
The rest of the group follows the elf into the tunnel and once alerted by Cerian to the sounds, can also hear evidence of others down in this cavern.
What was the light source you all were using for those that need light?
Alistair always uses a real torch with actual fire.
moving down the path the group discovers it slopes downward for about 15 ft and the comes to a "T" intersection.
Looking carefully left and right
Mogwag for now just follow
From their vantage point Bonificious and Mogwag see that the tunnel to the right ends up in a dead end cavern. The tunnel to the left turns to the right. Noticing a smell of blood coming from the right the two move forward to check out the dead end cavern and discover it seems to be used as a dropping point for bloody body parts. Hacked pieces of flesh seem to be piled up and the marks look like a combination of claw marks and ritual cutting.
Mogwag will pass along the information
Trusting in the half - orcs vision the wood elf nodded creeping forward carefully to the left tunnel.
Cerian, Mogwag and Bonificious lead the group through the tunnel. With each step further in noise begins to fill their ears and the air as if a raging river is flowing violently somewhere in the cavern system. The noise makes it hard to hear which adds in stealth but detracts from detecting foes.
After 20 ft of slow movement Cerian stops the group as he believes he saw a figure, possibly an orc, walking through the tunnel to his front...
Pointing out the possible foe he took careful aim with his bow using a normal arrow. He wasnt going to fire until he was sure the orc was close enough (say within 15 to 20 feet) that after he loosed the arrow if it didnt take the sentry down one of his allies might be able to rush forward and end it before it could make too much of a fuss. He knew the moment he let loose the arrow the shot couldnt have been any more perfect . . .
right after the arrow is loosened Mogwag rush forward in case of an other sentry near by
Cerian moves up about 5 ft until he sees the orc with his back to him... and lets loose an arrow...Solonar saw favor in Cerians skill and the arrow went straight through the orcs skull coming out one of his eyes and embedding itself in the rock wall of the cavern...
Mogwag rushes forward with weapon drawn and sees another orc up ahead in the cavern stuffing a bag and another tunnel leading to the west (or left).
Mogwag will swiftly attack that orc asap
Partial charge during surprise round
Current AC 17
Mogwag rushes up and strikes down the orc who was stuffing a bag but sees another orc to the left in a dead end hallway of the cavern... that orc notices Mogwag screams something Mogwag cant hear due to the noise and draws its axe...Cerian observes Mogwags actions and informs the others that Mogwag may need assistance...
Alistair:
Bonifacious:
Cerian:
Mogwag:
Victrix:
Orc:
1st RND
Cerian, Victrix
Orc
Bonificious, Alistair, Mogwag
Victrix launches herself forward and runs at the other orc, swinging her axe!
Victrix moves from the back of the groups formation to get next to the orc which takes her whole turn to get close to him...
Alistair waits further behind, waiting for the sounds of combat to draw him forward.
Quietly and swiftly he draws another arrow, once more looking to hopefully stop the enemy bfore their positions were entirely given away.