Siege on Amberfall

Game Master SecSeibzehn

Calithilon wonders which underworld thugs would be verbose enough to use that lengthy moniker, but mentally shrugs. Humans have never been particularly explicable to him. He is fascinated by the talking construct with a sense of humor.

As Schahrizade moves to light the brazier, the elf intervenes. "A moment, dear lady," he says, turning his gaze on the unusual cavern decor.

Calithilon casts detect magic and regards first the brazier and then the rest of the cave.

Thanks. Didn't mean to be pushy – and there just as likely isn't anything inherently magical in the cave – but I hate to find out the hard way in a situation like this (and it seems like something any 10th level magic-user would do as second nature).

Ayup. Meant to do it earlier. Feel free to slap me upside the head with good ideas anytime.

As far as everyone can tell the cave is quite ordinary... no magic or anything.

Scouting the area reveals an enemy watchtower to the south with troops moving through its vicinity.

Enough fresh game can be caught to satisfy everyone for the moment.

I want you all to choose one person who will be designated as the "Receiver" in terms of telepathic communications.

Rose. From an ingame perspective either she or seargeant hart would be the ones they'd trust enough for it anyway.

Rose quickly perks up offering to take the noble duty as telepathic liaison. And growing quite restless in the cave, she grabs her bow and decides to sneak outside through the veil to catch some food for the group.

Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Attack (Deadly Aim): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35
Confirmation: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 8 + (3) = 13
sigh... a potential crit wasted on adding some flavor to the hunt idea... Oh well :)
Fairly confident in her ability to move undetected, the halfing moves out and spends some time searching for a suitable deer (or similar creature fitting this plane), before taking it down with one well placed shot careful not to spoil any meat.

Fairly confident in her ability to move undetected, the halfing moves out and spends some time searching for a suitable deer (or similar creature fitting this plane), before taking it down with one well placed shot careful not to spoil any meat.

So you're not a hunter, don't know what your quarry is, but you're fairly sure you can bring it down with one shot, huh? ;P

And I'm good with Rose being the Receiver for comm's. I'm assuming in the event of Receiver death, that role can be taken up seamlessly by someone else on the team?

The towering gnoll – in a surprising show of stealth – skulks back through the illusion, bow in hand. He relays his information to the group, finishing with, "… so a pair of eyes on our southern flank is good."

When he sees the dwarf stomp by, he roughly punches him on the shoulder and gives what you can only assume is a toothy gnoll grin. "Thak still breathes." He grunts out, his words difficult to understand through the gnoll's long canines and tongue. "Cave not too dangerous, huh?"

He yips out a laugh as he waits for their next orders.

Thak smiles back with a grin just as ferocious and, leaping straight up to a height surprisingly great for one of his stature, ruffles B'auw's furry head. "T'cave may be dangerous, but if so it knows we be more dangerous still!"

"If the Lady Rose is to relay our orders and wander away from the cave," says the Dreamer, "We must be able to communicate."

Before Rose leaves, Calithilon will cast telepathic bond on himself,Rose and two others. Volunteers?

@B'auw, she grew up in a forest town, is a divine hunter, worships a deity that known as "Old Deadeye," who proportedly gave the world the bow and whose favour is found in good hunting. Plus look at those rolls. I'm going to go out on a role-playing limb and say yup. She nailed it ;)

I'm just giving you a hard time. I have no problem with folks stretching their legs (or bowstrings) when we're between actions. :)
.
It was a good roll.

Seila keeps an eye on the watch tower for about half an hour before returning. MAinly she's loking at troop numbers and composition, what are the armed with? Are they human? How well equipped do they look? What's the watch tower look like exactly? A simple wood structure or a more permanent stone like establishment. MAinly I'm looking for details here.

@Seila: You count around 600 individual soldiers moving through the area, all infantry and officers. Weapons include swords, spears, bows and artillery. All are humans and they do look well equipped. The gear is new, or at least made quite well. The tower looks something like this.

@Rose: "I'm assuming by now your campsite is secured. We will be sending over a few troops by magical means if you assure us there is both room and sufficient measures in place. They are carrying your missive for the first mission. Read it, then burn it. Are we clear to send the troops?

Since Shaelathar intends to do foraging herself, she will volunteer for the telepathic bond.

Then she and beast head out to find some suitable forest foods to accompany meat.

Beast's Stealth
1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

Survival (to find food) (Take 10)
10 + 11 = 21

Schahrizade'll volunteer for telepathy. Why not? Sounds fun.

With flint and tinder, she lights the brazier, filling it with what she can find from just outside the cave-- she stokes it with her bare hand, stirring the fresh wood until a sizable fire blossoms.

Seila returns frowning. "Watchtower is bad news. They have small army packed close to camp." Spotting the lit brazier Seila's frown turns chilly. "Oh good and now we know they have barbecue here too once in a while. Maybe we invite them over for picnic? Maybe not have to invite when patrol come through here smelling smoke and wondering where there cave and furniture went." She sighs flopping herself down on the half unrolled bed roll near the wall while Xon prepares to boil a pot of water.

"Troublesome business this watchtower." Xon says as it begins to carefully carve and clean the game brought in by the hunters."We may have to remove it as a threat if we are to eliminate our targets in this region cleanly. Or at least deal with any scouts that come within our area of influence."

"More troublesome is stupid brazier!" Seila exclaims from her spot on the floor to the ceiling. "Why no one think that maybe someone put it here on purpose! At least I'm already dressed for killing today..."

Calithilon is seated on one of the many rocks, monitoring the progress of Rose and Shaelathar on patrol. Schahrizade he can see visually and watches with interest her facility with fire.

"I agree that someone put it here on purpose," says Calithilon to Xon's unnamed mistress. "But it is not magical, nor can it likely signal anyone through any other means. It is unlikely that this cave is unknown to our foes, but neither does it appear that they visit very frequently. It provides safety and shelter only for so long as they do not know we exist. Once we have made our presence known, someone will remember the cave in the hills so near to the battlefield."

"What I wonder is what our purpose is here and why our contact chooses not to communicate it to us through mental means. I find that to be quite disturbing."

Rose returns through the veil carrying a deer-like animal. With a great amount of effort, the Halfling managed to haul the giant (relative to her) carcass over to the others and the fire.

"I found us food." She proclaims with a smile. And after hearing what Seila saw adds, "I'll relay the info on the tower and camp to the guys in charge. They said they have troops ready to be sent over with details on our mission. Cali, do you think the magic you used is strong enough to hide their presence if they teleport into the cave?"

Sorry, Dreamer, long names and short folk don't mesh. Prepare to be offended regularly with her shortenings ;)

Shaelathar also shows up with some additional mushrooms and berries, and some savory herbs she knows will add a little flavor to the meat. Beast goes back to exploring the cave.

DM, is that secret door in the cave an easy DC?

The gnoll looks up at mention of incoming troops, and his mis-matched eyes scan the cave. "How many warriors? Are they sending them into this den? Too many warriors might not fit. If they bring them outside, that tower is even more of a problem... " He takes the current group in with a sweep of his furry arm. "A small pack is easy to hide.... a large pack?"

Be good to know if they're senidng enough troops that they'll need to camp outside. If they do, then destroying that tower (or finding a way of masking this entire area from it) will become important.

B'auw eyes the deer, looks at the gathered group, looks over at Arau, then shakes his head.

No problem, Rose. Cal is several orders of magnitude more reserved than his player. Still, like most elves, he has a soft spot in his fey heart for halflings.

If the foreshortening of his name disturbed the Dreamer, he gave no sign of it, only answering the armored halfling mentally. The touch of his mind to hers was not unpleasant, for it brought with it hints of starlight and old, waking forests. But it was strange also, a quicksilver touch that made the elf seem more alien than his manner and features suggested.

"The illusion is strong, Rose," affirms Calithilon through the mental link. "But it is unlikely to fool those who are specifically looking for the cave. How many soldiers are we to expect? And for how long?"

I apologize, the secret door isn't there, Im just using the map to show how the cave roughly looks like.

If you relay B'auw's questions by telepathy rose you get the following answer:

Around 20 men. Simply a small detachment to watch the area. The majority of the work is up to you, but they are your disposal."

"Twenty men to help watch the area. The tower seems like it is up to us if we decide to take it down. When they get here, hopefully we will have the next part of the plan. This cave smells funny..."

Rose relays to the higher up the all clear for troops to come. She then works on prepping the deer for throwing on the fire. Anything to distract her from the closterphobic cave.

"It smells about like what other caves smell like." Shaelathar says, after smelling the air.

The tall gnoll continues to lean casually on a resting Arau, splitting his attention between the group and watching outside the cave. It seems clear that he's ready for whatever orders are to come next.

"If push comes to shove, we could just burn them. The men at the tower, I mean." She nods. "Let's hope they hurry. It would be nice to join the fight, in my opinion."

Schahrizade basks in the heat of the brazier, ignoring Seila as best she can. The cold was getting to her, honestly, and she wishes that she wasn't sure they would come under attack or swift order soon so she could remove some of the more flammable pieces of her equipment and bathe in the fire she made.

"Well all caves smell funny... I will just be a lot happier to get outside again."
The small paladin sits down using Durin to rest against as she watches the fire slowly cook the meat and the half elf's mushrooms.

Her mind wonders off to the troops fighting outside and the mission of her and her allies:
"I hate the calm before the storm... Not very calming...".

"War is soooo boring!" Seila exclaims at the ceiling. "I wait four weeks to kill big shot order guys to do more nothing! Maybe just kill all people in tower for free so don't die of boredom!"

Xon icks up the brough back deer the sowned creature small enough to be picked up in a single meaty hand. Quickly he begins to skin the cleaned animal with a single claw. "We've never killed 600 soldiers at once before."

"I think we do it like that time we do that village of rebels. Don't remember name, only smell. Like smelly goat."

Xon nods at this statement as he finishes peeling the skin from the deer and lays it aside producing a steel spit from inside the satchel. "I am not entirely sure they have a well here. For that matter I doubt there will be as many giant centipedes we can milk."

Seila frowned. "Reminds me too much of time in drow bordello. Client not give enough information there either."

"Ah yes. I seem to recall the client leaving out the part where the vast majority of the workers there were assassins working for a death cult."

"No kidding! Money never easy! Someday you die of boredom someday you try not to get stabbed in eye by naked b@&~! with hairpin."

Xon ceremoniously skewers the deer before setting it over the brazier waving off the ifirt trying to play amid its flames.Pardon me but I must prepare this meat." Turning back to Seila he adds. [bigger][i]"Ah, but then you choked the mark to death with that woman's intestines while she was choking on her own blood. You were amused for quite some time."

Seila's deep, loud laughter fills the cave as she responds. "And he was all like AAGGH!! ACCK!" Seila sits up gripping her throat in a mock choke hold while her almond eyes grow buggy for just a second before she flops back down in laughter for just a second before it stops suddenly and an expression of tedium returns to her fine features.

"But seriously tower big problem if they only sending twenty men...fire might just piss them off cause we burn house down."

Xon meanwhile moves on to seasoning the venison with salt, sage, and pepper.

Schahrizade raises an eyebrow at the conversation. She looks to Rose and chuckles, shaking her head before turning back to the fire.

Shaelathar raises an eyebrow at the odd, gruesome display. "I hope they deserved it."

Seated cross-legged and relaxed, The Dreamer merely waits, serene, for the troops to arrive with their orders. The beautiful butterfly-winged celestial perches on a rock nearby and frowns at their evidently psychopathic teammate.

Rose is visibly concerned after the rather graphic reenactment. At first she is about to get up and say something, but Durin eases her back down with a wing to her shoulder.

Clearly she isn't particularly moral... I worry she will turn on us in a moment if she finds it amusing... Rose thinks of Seila before forcing a smile when meeting the gaze of the Ifrit.

Nawarld only rolls his eyes.

Seila shrugs not looking up from her spot on the floor. "Maybe. Maybe not. Not hired to judge. Hired cause someone already decided."

B'auw continues to keep his eyes scanning the forest beyond the cave mouth, but anyone who watches him for a second sees that he's scowling in confusion while mouthing the words of Seila's exploits over and over…as if trying to figure out what's she's saying.

Thak raises an eyebrow as he sizes up Seila. "You... hmm. I MIGHT like ya. We'll see."

Turning, he faces the group. "So... tha tower be our only obstc'le, aye? Shall we go sort tha blasted thing oot?"

Apologies if I've misunderstood

Just as Thak finishes talking, a humming noise fills the air.

A score of soldiers materializes in the cave, arms at the ready. Seeing no immediate danger they relax their grips.

One of the men steps forward and speaks aloud.

"Lieutenant Sarn at your command. I hear there's some tower to take out. What can we do to help?"

Calithilon looks up from where he sits upon the floor of the cave, his pale lavender eyes gleaming in the firelight. "We understood that you were bringing orders with you, Lieutenant," he says. "Whether the tower is our target depends in large part on those orders."

The lieutenant turns to Calithilon.

"Our current orders are to remove all Order presence in the immediate vicinity. I assume that tower is our biggest target. We need a foothold and this region has been chosen."

Thak nods thoughtfully and steps forward. "Thak Val Zsing, archer. If we be needin' ta take oot tha tower, that'll be what we do. Hmm-" Turning to the rest of the group, he asks "Do any o' ye have flying magics? Towers an' castles be built to defend from below, na above."

"Depends on who we're taking, but I can get us in the air if you don't mind walking to get there."

The lieutenant speaks up again.

"We've got ranged capabilities but nothing flying. I doubt any gryphon riders are available either, they're all scouting the areas for the leaders. We did bring along a companion whose going to be staying with you for your mission. Funny little person."

Thak rubs his hands together in glee and asks "Wond'rful. How many can you get flyin' and how long will it last?"

"Depends on how I part the cloud, but ten for ten minutes-- one for a hundred. The nimbus palanquin is a fickle creature-- not something that enjoys being trifled with. Once we're close, we can ascend, and I think that'd be the best course of action."

She stokes the fire with her hand more, picking up a burning piece of kindling and inspecting it closely before setting it back down in the brazier.

"I fly." Seila says sitting up and stretching. Xon too also raises a clawed hand and then the massive maw frowns as he looks at the now well roasted and cooked deer. "The venison is prepared. Though I am sad to say there is not enough to split with everyone. A conundrum."

Ignoring the massive demon thing Seila continues. "But you dumb if think they have magic to make big alternate universe and not think about people flying at their towers. You should test defenses, case place, then make plan. Maybe not have to bathe in blood if you do it right."

"Xon's mistress is correct," says the Dreamer. "I have the means to scout the tower from here. If we are not in a hurry, I propose to do just that."

B'auw opens his mouth, but is cut off by the elf. "Scout from the tower?" He shrugs, "That I would see. And if that fails, I can scout a more.. hyup... traditional way."

"I'll have no problem getting airborne, and it shouldn't take long to get us all up the tower. However, while it is painful to say this, I think Scary Death Flower is right..."

"I can scry any person in the tower, but not the tower itself," says Calithilon. "And I don't know anyone in the tower. I can send an arcane eye over to spy out the ways, but I would need to be within less than a thousand feet."

He sighs, standing. "Or we could just teleport over there and take them by surprise."