the Xen'drik Expedition

Game Master Viluki

"ah yes, what seems to be the issue?"

Ormak follows the others, but stays quiet. He's still not used to being around this many people just yet.

The kobold scampers off back to the wagon which is transporting the kobolds at the behest of Drask and then he speaks.

The lot of you have proven competent, getting the kobold shaman and miners for the caravan was vital as we will need their skills as we get deeper into the interior. As for why I summoned you here the reason is two fold. First we will be staying for two days at a Drow village known as Quil'Nost which is three miles ahead of us, I would normally go alone to greet them and placate them with gifts so they would allow the caravan to stay at the village... However something is amiss, I had arranged a month ahead of this caravan for chief Soth'ne'Idri to send two scouts to meet with the caravan and guide me to the village as escorts. They have not appeared and I am concerned it is not like the Drow to forget and I am a friend of the Chieftain of well over five years... This is not like him as such I am bringing you along with me incase something has occurred at the village... The second reason I brought you here is to ask you questions, I need to know you more thoroughly before I make an important decision concerning your place in the province which will eventually be setup in the interior...

"Fair enough. My repairs are complete, and I am ready to join you."

"Accursed shifty elves, you can never truly trust a drow my friend. It is always wise to deal with them from a position of strength."

"Perhaps...perhaps this chieftain no longer controls the village you seek. Perhaps they now have a more hostile leader?"

If these Drow were Sulatar I would agree with you Artor however they are Vulkooriam and I doubt a change in leadership has occurred... Soth'ne'Indri is a hardy priest of Vulkoor and has an exceptionally loyal team of scorpion wraiths (while in Stormreach you all likely heard rumor about the wraiths while the accounts differed they boiled down to "do not make them angry"...) at his command. As a priest of Vulkoor few if any poisons could lay him low and to boot I doubt any Drow in the village want to be chieftain considering the daily scarification rituals which come with the title...

"Interesting. What do you believe has transpired?" the warforged asks, walking along with the group towards the village.

I do not know and I will find out, it should take us about thirty or so minutes to reach the village... Now is the time to ask some questions of my own, would any of you mind giving me details of your lives before you joined the caravan?

"I know little of my own life. I know only that I can assert my will on others, using their fear as a weapon against them. I have known no other home than Xen'drik"

Strange, you three I assume have some interesting stories to tell?

The shifter shrugs "I hunt. Follow Call of the Wild"

I understand Kron although Kalin is still going to try to get info out of you, lets see how it goes...

Personal history or bad deeds in the past need not be discussed, in truth I am more interested in your "military" or combat history... The Host knows that every nation was guilty in the Last War, as one soldier told me "there is no innocence, only degrees of guilt". As the Last War progressed I saw the truth in that statement, what I need to know is your combat ability and service if any during the Last War...

The shifter looks confused at Kalin's words, and shakes his head sadly. "Maybe he's suffering from brain worms, or took a really bad blow to the head" He thinks silently.

"I told. I hunted." He repeats.

Let me put it this way, if you were to fight say two bugbears at the same time how confident are you that you would win?

"On my own not likely, with a dwarven battleline behind me all but assured. With my current companions somewhere in between, but likely closer to the latter."

do you guys want to jump a little forward?

Sure, might be better that way

i am happy as long as the game keeps moving.

just as Kalin finished speaking the dinosaur mount crests the large sand dune and you see a rather large (by drow standards) village and you see smoke as well rising from the settlement's walls... You also see the banners of Thrane flapping in the wind, what looks like at least a hundred thranians are besieging the village. You cannot see more then that this distance...

Looking momentarily stunned Kalin speaks then. All of you should get on this dinosaur, we have Thranians to kill by the cart load...just let me see what exactly we are dealing with before we begin planning our offensive.

Kalin then pulls out a small spyglass and is busily muttering about thranians, plans, tactics and other things that a Karnathi warlord tends to worry about...

"They have a hundred, we have double that, however how many of ours are combat-capable?" the warforged asks to no one in particular.

Upon seeing the flag of Thrane, a low, guttural growl emanates from the shifter. "Kill them"

"Surely the Drow will rally and sally out when our assault happens. Do we have any way to signal them?"

Artor grabs his long bow off his back and begins to ready himself for combat.

"Well then? What's the plan?"

Kalin takes his spyglass from his eye and speaks. Reinforcements won't be required and they wouldn't arrive in time, some of you might ask the question how just five adventurers and a dinosaur can take out a hundred Thranians... The answer is this if you look through this spyglass you will see that the Thranians have grouped eighty archers into a "archers block". In effect they are setup for volley fire, very useful for attacking a walled settlement or attacking an approaching charge of knights etc... However an "archers block" is a notoriously unwieldy formation, its setup to bombard a long range target and it will trip over itself trying to kill just five targets moving in from behind it. There is a patch of trees right behind the Thranians as well, we will move to there and charge the Thranians from behind. The Thranians leaders like the cowardly dogs they are will be hiding at the back and right within our reach. Cut the snake's head off and the body will writhe with indecision, as the Thranians archers are peasant infantry which means if the main officers and clerics are killed they will panic easily... The Drow know that I am coming and will sally forth once they realize what is occurring.

Look through this spyglass for yourselves and you will see what I mean.

Kalins hand the spyglass to each of you in turn and you see the following...

"We should take the Drow alive if possible, I am sure his kin will have many questions for him, as will I."

Kalin takes the spyglass and after a minute starts swearing even more profanely... The Drow you saw Artor is a priest of the Sulatar Drow and that explains the smoke coming from the settlement, the Sulatar worship fire and anything related with it...including the mostly extinct fire giants which is why the Vulkooriam Drow despise them. Capturing him alive may or may not be possible, it depends on how of his own magic he has exhausted...

"So, what's the plan?"

"Sounds like we need to go through the trees to the side to get around behind their line."

Eh that be the plan, I will be guiding the dinosaur as a battering ram into the archers block you four will leap off to attack the commanders. I should be able to give you at least five minutes of chaos to exploit. Are you ready?

"So we going to get in place first or..."

First we get to the copse of trees and then we charge from there, you will be on the dinosaur and leap off once you are near the commanders... Any spell preparations etc... would be best done just before the charge...

"Mine don't last terribly long, I will have to wait until we get closer."

"I'm ready."
Kyrso dismissed his Eidelon, and prepared to summon a trio of celestial eagles.

As you stay upon the dinosaur and make it to the copse of trees Kalin speaks...

Should any of you die what burial arrangement do you wish and do any letters need to be sent in the case of your demise?

"Have my parts boxed up and given to your artificer. Well, preferably his assistant."

The warforged manifests Demoralize (DC 16 will or enemies are Shaken, lasts two mins, and is a 30ft aura) so enemies will get a sense of dread as he rolls through their ranks.

"a traditional dwarven funeral for me. No shall we get moving, I see some humans who need to be parted from this plane of existence. "

"Nothing unusual for me..."

"Bury me, no boxes, and plant seeds" The shifter says somberly.

"Let me stay on dinosaur. Better shot that way" He then casts Magic Stone

Drask nods at you somberly and then drives the dinosaur to charge towards the enemy line...

guys you enjoy a surprise round against the three targets, Drask will be fighting the peasants.

Artor will charge the lady in silver flame garb wielding his halberd.

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 dealing 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11 dmg

Initiative

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Enemies must make saves vs my aura (DC 16) or be demoralized.

melee touch atk: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12 (vs Touch AC)
dmg: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Attack and damage are 1 higher if the enemy has been demoralized.

your target Unmarked?

the plate mail one. in the inevitable event he attacks me afterwards, i will manifest Untouchable Aura as an immediate action, requiring a will save DC 16 from him to attack me (keeping in mind any penalties he has incurred from a failure against the save for my aura)

Targeting the Silver Flame wench, Ormak looses a sling stone 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15 for 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Kyrso gestures for his celestial eagles to attack, one per target:
attack rolls: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

talons damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Knight's will save1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 for Demoralize
Knight's will save1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9 for Untouchable Aura
Priest's will save1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26for Demoralize
Priest's will save1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19 for Untouchable Aura
Drow's will save1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20 for Demoralize
Drow's will save for1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10 Untouchable aura

The knight looks upon you Unmarked with bewilderment as he is unable to assail you, then he shrieks as a hawk attacks his eyes with it's talons. The Priestess shrugs off you mental assaults with shocking ease even as Artor's halberd bites deeply into her leg, the shot sent against her by the druid is deflected off of her heavy steel shield. She in unable to beat back the eagle that tears at her exposed backside with it's talons. The Sulatar Drow shakes off part of the alien mental assault but only part of it, he is unable to focus upon attacking you at least for the moment.

Drow's Initiative1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Knight's Initiative1d20 - 2 ⇒ (14) - 2 = 12
Priestess Initiative1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

everyone who hasn't rolled Initiative please roll.

Artor will press his assault sweeping with his halberd in an effort to both wound and trip the priestess.

Assuming the hawk provides flanking for me.

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24 for 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11 dmg and trying to trip the priestess 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

The eagles continue attacking:
attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10