Runt has a riding dog which she will be using. I just can't see using the river with how slow it goes. I figure she sill load up on travelling supplies such as food and a tent inasmuch as the dog can carry.
I'd only been up that way once myself - but I sort of remember the path you describe Kizzy. I'm good for riding the horse I just bought, and I sort of want to keep her around. Camil offers.
"If time is of the essence then horseback seems the most efficacious method."
Faust offers to provide light riding horses with saddles for anyone who does not have one. Since you have a riding dog among you, it will increase travel times as follows:
Wartle - 160 - 5 days
Whistledown - 267 - 3.25
Ilsurian - 311 - 1.625
Turtleback Ferry - 360 - 1.625
Total trip: 11.5 days
gnomes
cleric
animal herd
"I'm from Ilsurian. I know the way well." Forest says. Odd that this adventure would take him back home so soon. But if there's trouble in the mountains near home, home is where he would rather be. "It's an easy route."
We should buy rope... Kizzy suggests as they depart Fausts, but before they leave the city.
Runt has rope in her climber's kit, so she is good.
Faust provides horses for those who do not have them, though he makes it clear he expects his horses back or the cost will come out of the pay. You gather gear you feel will be necessary to include rope, pack up the handy haversack and head out.
On Oath Day, the 4th of Kuthona, you head out in the morning. It has warmed up over the last couple of days and feels like a perfect day for travel (61 in the morning with a light breeze). The clouds in the sky are light and puffy and well separated showing no signs of showers. You are on the road for about four hours with the temperature steadily riding so that you have removed most all of your warming layers. Ahead on the road you see a group of six wagons along the side of the road. One horse hangs limp on the lead wagon's team and you see a couple of tiny bodies lying on the road with several other tiny people hustling around.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Runt trots up, half expecting an ambush. In fact, so much so that she pre-emptively casts heightened awareness and clayskin on herself.
"Wait here." Forest says to the others, a ways away from the wagons. "And keep your eyes open." The ranger draws his longsword and turns Sato towards the 'bodies'. "Not every distressed damsel on the road is really in trouble..." Indeed, it seems unlikely that anyone could be attacked on the main road hardly out of Magnimar's shadow. He trots up to the group, suspicious. "What's going on here?" He asks of one of the tiny peoples.
Camil quickly downs his special mutagen and then a quick swig of his heightened awareness elixir. He dismounts and advances cautiously toward the wagons.
Kizzy stands up in the saddle and takes a look at the small figures… halflings, goblins, some of both?
Gnomes, you see once you focus your attention and when some close the distance. Indeed, three of their number are on the ground unmoving. A trio-of gnomes move to the downed horse on the front team just as Runt and Forest approach, Camil moving up behind them. As the lead pair get within sixty feet a gnome waves at them and hustles in your direction. "Good sirs!" he calls as he runs up. "Apologies miss," he says when he notices Runt up close, "I see that you are well armed. Might you be in a position to rescue a pair of ours? Two ogres came out of the nearby wood and hit the front wagon. We lost a horse," he gestures back to the gnomes removing the horse from the team. "I've never seen them so close to the town before, it's a bad sign I tell you. Anyway, we started hitting them with crossbows and stones. They finally grabbed Santelli and Lorelei. I hope to the gods that they are still alive but we'll reward you even if you can just recover them."
Runt sighs sympathetically and relaxes a bit, looking for body signals even though she thinks they are not setting a trap.
"Ogres?" Forest grimaces. "Disgusting beasts. How long ago did this happen? What direction did they go?"
Kizzy follows after Camil, Runt and Forest arriving just in time to hear "ogres". She shakes her head in bewilderment; Since I have met you... she says loud enough for the party, but not so loud as to ensure the gnomes hear her, I have encountered a haunted house filled with undead horrors, cultists, the faceless stalkers and the snake lady.... Kizzy shrugs. Why not ogres.
She then adds with a mischievous grin, Oh, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have it any other way! She waits for the gnomes to reply to Forest's question, knowing a quick tempo will be needed.
"To tell you the truth, I prefer to avoid ogres, but..."
She looks around at the others questioningly, since she is torn, though knowing the others she expects they will want to go after the beasts.
Camil, thinking quickly about ogres, knows he wants nothing to do with getting close to them, and draws an arrow - fitting it to his shortbow, and nodding at the rest. Too funny Kizzy, yeah I think we're all feeling the same. Ogres you say, let's see what we can find out and help your friends!
"Ogres are a lot of trouble..." he comments. "If we stop at every plight from here to our destination well, we should have taken the boat!"
"They hit us about twenty minutes ago. We had a half dozen who were wounded so we saw to them first. We had just got them settled and were coming out to deal with our dead when you came riding up. Hallut, the group's scout, followed them. He felt guilty he did not see it coming. So, you may find him along the way." the gnome's spokesman says. "They went in that direction if you feel you can help." He points to the north into the woods.
The rhythm of our song quickens, let us follow the notes on this next adventure. Kizzy turns her horse to the north in the direction indicated and moves that way, in the assumption the entire group is doing the same.
The group turns north, some grumbling, some anticipatory. The trail is easy for most anyone to pick up. The ogres are brutish and have made no effort to conceal their path.
Runt tags along. When her tracking skill
Tells here they are getting close, she will renew the heightened awareness spell if it has expired.
Camil downs his elixir of False Life, hoping not to need it, but knowing it may help...
"Do your injured need any additional help? If not, we should move as quickly as we can to follow," says Isabella.
"Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated. Our naturalpath is tending to them now." The gnome says to Isabella as Kizzy, Forest, Camil, and Runt begin moving toward the wood line.
Shakes his head and follows the group.
"I'll be right there," says Isabella to the rest of the group. "Don't get too far ahead without me."
She goes with the gnome to provide at least a little aid for their wounded—some channeling, at the minimum.
Forest dismounts and leaves his warhorse with the gnomes. "Come now, Zherx's. Never waste an opportunity to kill some ogres." He runs a gauntleted finger down the blade of an adamantine sword, then gives it a test swing before plunging off the path. "Camil, didn't you say you have some potions of enlarge person?"
Camil downs his elixir of False Life, hoping not to need it, but knowing it may help...
Good point. Runt also activates her false life
Camil pauses a moment, allowing Isabella to catch up some as he digs out the elixir for Forest. Yes, drink this down and you'll get big, I don't have a way to reverse it quickly though... He peers over to make sure Isabella is getting closer before they head off to certain violence without their cleric.
You travel into the woods perhaps a quarter mile before you come upon them. They have apparently stopped. Forest comes around the finger of a hill to spy upon them with Runt close behind. The others follow on their horses. The following conversation is overheard amidst the sound of two stones being struck against one another.
"What do you mean we can't eat 'em? says the first ogre.
"We're goin' to eat 'em only we's gonna eat 'em like gentlemen. We're gonna eat 'em roasted." says the other, "Now, Bob, how comes the fire?"
"It ain't workin'."
"Maybe we should set a trap and lure them out. Fairly certain they will chase anyone stupid enough to blunder into them. Kizzy's a good actress. She could probably give them the whole damsel in distress routine, which, for an ogre, means stew meat."
Stew meat… a role I was born to play. Kizzy says with a sideways glance at Runt.
"What can I say. These are ogres, not your normal audience. No real appreciation for art."
There are no small roles, I will be happy to be bait, if you want to set a trap for the ogres.
Camil listens a moment, scratching his head at the conversation in giantish. I think the prisoners are still alive, the ogres are trying to light a fire to cook them so they 'can eat them like gentlemen....' or something. A distraction sounds like a good idea, yes? And remember Kizzy, everyone thinks they are an art critic in this world, can't please everyone....
"Simple ambush? We hide, Kizzy leads them past us, and we spring out and take them down?"
"Fireball?", or this other spell I have "Glitterdust" could be useful... make them blind, can't image that these fell beasts have much will power.
Tires to spot the prisoners.
I can cast invisibility on you, Kizzy gestures to Camil, Forest and Runt, It will allow you to get close without them swiping at you as you approach. And Haste for you Forest; that way you can put that sword to good use. Kizzy will cast her spells immediately before she goes skipping down the path. She will wait for the others to finish planning before heading off.
Runt heads for a hiding place off the path and casts a Clayskin, heroism, and heightened awareness on herself and saves a divine favor for when she hear the ogres coming.
"Bring them along this cliff. They'll run right in to me."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Skippity skip…. Hummming a tune.
Oh no! Ogres! Whatever shall I do, ~sigh… turn and run back to the party, trying to look delicious.
Invisibly, Forest seethes at the ogres, clenching his sword so hard it trembles.
"Look, a big'un." says one ogre.
"Well, catch it whiles I work on this fire." the other says.
With that, the first ogre goes after Kizzy, passing right in front of Forest.
When Runt sees Kizzy begin her routine, she casts Divine Favor and is ready for the moment the Ogre passes by. With a shout, forgetting the whole invisibility thing, she springs on the Ogre and attacks.
"Ragh!!" Forest roars, breaking the invisibility spell and madly slashing at the ogre! Despite having every advantage possible, it may be the most incompetent attack Forest has ever attempted.