Seeing that the arrow managed to do some damage, Otho fires another at the nest.
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Otho pulls back the bow string and lets an arrow fly towards the nest, hoping to do some damage to it.
Otho lights the torch as instructed and stands nervously a few feet away from Carthas. This will either go well, or we are in for some real trouble.
Otho smiles at Olaf. "I would be glad to have you with me. Though, I must admit, I don't share your excitement for a fight."
"There were some apple trees. I didn't think of harvesting any for some reason. Nothing that would support all of us for long term though." Otho turns to Olaf. "The caves are a long ways away. It would take us a long time to get there. I don't know that we have the resources to get there."
"There isn't much left standing as far as buildings are concerned. Mostly just a chimney that has fallen over. It still might be a good idea though."
"No, nothing. Though, it does seem strange to me to find so much of value in an old, broken down house." Otho looks over at the pile of stuff that he found. I wonder if I just stole someone's life savings. A bit of guilt begins to bubble within Otho. Well, if I ever figure out who it belongs to, I will return it, but until then, it is of better use with us than it is back at those ruins.
When Otho gets back to the camp, he drops the bag of coins loudly in the clearing near the fire. "Well, I don't know what use all of this will be, but I did manage to find a few weapons at an old abandoned farm not far from here. I also didn't see any sign of the hobgoblins near here." Otho sits down on a log near the fire. "How did the rest of your fare?"
Cautiously, Otho approaches the building to see if anything useful remains. Otho spends a few minutes searching around the chimney and where he thinks the house may have stood, but comes up empty handed. Not finding anything useful, and noticing that the sun is about to set, Otho decides it is best if he hurries back to camp before it gets too dark.
Hello? Anybody there?
Hearing that Katyeva is also untrusting of the new man, Otho thinks about the events that night as he tries to go back to sleep.
At least Olaf is taking first watch. If the newcomer tries anything funny, he will be sorry. Otho slowly fades off to sleep, hoping that there will be no more action that night. .
The next morning, Otho rises sore and tired. The lack of sleep obviously didn't help him get a good night's rest. "It seems that you all have the food under control. I am going to try to scout out the area. I'll be back before nightfall with what I find."
Having had time to think on his way back to camp, Otho leans over to Katyeva as they stand on the outside of the circle listening to the man tell his tale. Otho whispers to Katyeva: "Is it just me that finds this man's story strange and awfully coincidental? I think we should keep a close eye on him."
"It looks like no one followed him." Otho says to Kat. "We better get back to the camp though before the others start to worry." Otho loos around in the cold night air. This is going to take some getting used to. On the way back to the camp, Otho does his best to cover the tracks.
Hesitantly, Otho nods to Katyeva and fakes a smile. "I just hope we don't run into any other terrors" Otho says as he dons his armor. With Kat by his side, he slinks off in the direction the man came from, looking and listening for signs of trouble.
Otho rubs his eyes as the group talks to the new comer. At the mention of his name, his ears perk up and Otho tries to look like he was paying attention the whole time. "Umm... Sure. Ya, I could do that." Otho looks over at Kat, hoping that she will accompany him. It sure is dark out there. I don't want to wander too far alone.
"I guess staying close will let us keep an eye on their actions. But I am worried about them ambushing us if they come across the river."
"They were salvaging the wood from the buildings in the village when I was there last. They hadn't started on the construction of the actual bridge yet, but the palisade that they are putting up around the town makes me think that they will defend themselves fairly well." Otho looks at Carthas. "Are you suggesting we stay close and just sabotage them as much as we can? That might work, but they might send soldiers across the river looking for us if we start to sabotage their progress." Suddenly, Otho has a realization. Otho furls his brow in an inquisitive look. "Do you think the reason they took the village was for the bridge? Are they planning some kind of offensive where they would need to get their forces from one side to the other? If that is the case, we might have a lot of company soon..."
"You are probably right Carthas. They haven't made any progress yet. We probably have a few days. But we should post a watch, just in case."
I'm glad it's not just me! Work is crazy right now for me too. I totally understand Thrawn!
Alone, Otho sneaks off into the woods, tracing the survivors steps back to Phaendar. Before he knows it, he reaches the river, and spots the town on the other side.
What? They are fortifying the town. They aren’t leaving! This is not good! We are too close. If they make it over the river, it won’t take them long at all to find our camp. We need to move further into the forest. I have to tell the others. Without staying long, Otho turns around and heads back to the camp.
”Everyone, I just saw Phaendar. Rickus was right. The hobgoblins aren’t leaving. They are building up a palisade. And I think they are trying to find a way to cross the river. We need to move deeper into the forest, or else they will be able to track us down easily.”
"That is a good idea Rickus. I will start with that, then if I have time before sunset I will scout out some of the rest of the area." Otho finishes packing up a small pack of supplies that should be enough for a day's hike, then stands up. "I had best head out as soon as possible. The more time I have to look around the better."
"Alright. If you think that is best. I am going to go take a quick look around and see what I can find. I'll let you know if there is anything interesting." Otho gets up from the spot on the ground where he was sitting crosslegged, and walks towards his pile of belongings to start preparing.
Otho's expression sinks after hearing how far away the cave is. "It has been a while since I had been there. I thought it was closer than that. Forty miles means we will be exposed for a long time. I still feel it might be our best chance if we are to survive the winter."
"Maybe just Katyeva and I should go. We are the ones least likely to be seen and we could report back on the defenses that we find. Then we can plan our attack more appropriately. Rickus, Olaf, it might be best if you two go looking for food; our stores are getting pretty low." Otho looks over at the small pile of supplies.
Hesitantly, Otho speaks up about a possible long term location nearby. ”I do have one idea, but I’m not sure if you are going to like it. There is a cave system to the north of here that we could use to live in. The problem is that it is occupied by a group of cannibals. Maybe a few of us could scout it out to see if we could have a chance of taking it over. The caves would provide us with shelter from the elements as well as make it much easier to defend in case we are attacked.” Otho looks around at the group for approval. ”Kat, would you be willing to come with me to check it out?”
Moving camps is a good idea! I hadn't thought of that. I wonder if we could create a shelter like a Tipi so that it is a "permanent" shelter that can easily be moved from location to location. GM, what do you think?
The disappointment in Otho's face is noticeable as his shoulders slump and he looks towards the ground. I guess this is kind of what I wanted. Although, I was hoping I would be with the rangers instead of… Otho looks around at the ragtag band of survivors. At least I have my friends. "Is there anywhere nearby we can use?” Otho thinks for a minute about any location nearby that he knows.
As the resident ranger, I think we should find a good spot before we start building permanent shelters though. having good access to water and other food sources is important.
Otho wakes up sore and stiff. Ugh. I guess I didn’t layer the branches quite thick enough. I never thought I would be missing my lumpy bed that I had in… Phaendar. The memory of the town comes rushing back to Otho in an unwanted wave of sorrow, and confusion. Otho shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the pain and the guilt that he feels. To clear his mind, Otho gets up and walks towards where some of the survivors, including his new friends, have started to gather. "Good, you're awake," she begins. "We need to get started.” ”Do you think we’re safe here, or should we keep moving?” ”I don’t know. How can we tell if we are safe? That… tower, thing, came out of nowhere. I think we should look for a better spot to make a more permanent camp; something by a river, or perhaps a cliff for some shelter.” ”… especially since we are likely to be in these woods through winter…" ”Wait, what? No, this should only be a temporary situation. The hobgoblins will move on, won’t they? They come, they plunder, then they leave. Right?” The fear is apparent in Otho’s voice as he asks his question, and his eyes are wide as he looks around the group for reassurance.
By the way, here is my level up:
BAB: +1
I have handle animal, and I will eventually get a companion, so handle animal is going to be high on my list. I think we should leave Carthas with some survivors to build the shelter and then the rest of us go hunting for the first day. That way we can get as many provision points as possible, and also Carthas can protect the survivors in case anything find them. Due to how it scales, you are actually better off rolling than taking 10 over time. Taking 10 gives you security knowing the result, for the price of a less than average result in this case. That is true, and I agree that in the long run we should do that, but if we get a bad roll on the first few days, that could spell disaster for our group, so we might want to start off with some "take 10"s.
WOW! Work gets crazy for a few days, and boy did I miss stuff! As far as leadership, I never really considered it, but if it happened naturally (such as Otho taking a mentor or something) then I would take it. Unfortunately, it sounds like Otho might be good at doing a lot of these jobs, but I think he is only allowed to do one a day. I think we will have to make a decision about splitting the party. Dun, dun, dun. What do you guys think? Should we all go our separate ways in order to maximize effectiveness, or should we stay together?
Boom. In a moment of fire and fury, the world before Otho changes is a way that can never be undone. Otho stares at the burning village for a moment, then turns his attention towards the group. ”Quickly, we need to get further into the forest, the more distance we put between ourselves and this place the better. Let’s move!” Otho ushers everyone further into the forest. We don’t have time for melancholy right now. As people start to move, Otho takes the envelope filled with dust of tracelessness out of a pouch on his belt. Just pretend like you know how to use it. I am pretty sure that is how these magic things work. Otho looks over hesitantly at Rickus, then proceeds to sprinkle the dust over their tracks as they venture deeper into the forest.
After spreading the dust on their trail, Otho catches up to the group. ”I sure hope that dust did what it was supposed to, but even if it did, it will only keep them off our trail for so long. We need to keep going until we can find a good place to rest and regroup. I used to run through these woods ... when I was younger. I think there is a good place not far from here. Follow me.” Otho leads the group through the woods towards a good place to rest.
When I was younger? That has barely been a few months since I have been in here. A few months ago, everything was so… different. And now? Otho shakes his head as he walks and thinks. No, no. There is no time to dwell on that. I need to find that place…
Otho nods at Carthas, "Alright. C'mon Olaf." Otho makes his way to the other side of the bridge and takes cover behind anything he can find.
Otho impatiently stands by, waiting for Carthas to plant the bomb and tell them to run. Quickly... We haven't got all day...
After making sure the survivors get across the bridge safely, Otho turns around and takes up a position against the side of the bridge. "I will cover you from up here Carthas. Be quick. It is only a matter of time until more hobgoblins arrive." Otho readies his bow in case any threat approaches.
Readied Attack:
Forget my mounts question, I've got my plan now. You have me intrigued.
Seeing the hobgoblin taking attack after attack, Otho realizes that now is the time to get all the survivors across the bridge. He turns back to the survivors and yells "Quick! Its now or never! Get to the other side! Remember the meeting place! Go! Go! Go!" Otho readies an arrow in order to cover the survivor's movement.
Readied attack:
As the hobgoblin moves closer, Otho instinctively moves backwards . Seeing an opening as Katyeva slashes at the hobgoblin, Otho takes a shot towards it.
Otho flinches as Carthas' bomb explodes within the mix. "Carthas! What are you doing!? Kat! Are you OK?"
Otho rushes forward in order to get a closer shot at the hobgoblin. As he moves, he pulls another arrow from his quiver and shoots it towards the hobgoblin.
This hobgoblin uses a crossbow. That will make it much more difficult to get the survivors across the bridge safely. We need to take her out quickly, before more hobgoblins arrive.
Slightly overwhelmed with the adrenalin and the responsibility that Rickus has just put on his shoulders, Otho stammers "O... O.k.... I'll try." Oh Gods I hope it works. I don't have any clue how to use this stuff...
Otho looks to the survivors that are following. ”Wait here. As soon as you get a chance, get across the bridge and into the woods. Remember where we are meeting.” Otho moves up after Olaf with his bow drawn, making sure to have an open firing lane at the hobgoblin. We better get rid of this guard as quickly as possible, or else we might have more problems. Otho pulls back his bow string and lets an arrow fly towards the hobgoblin.
Otho looks at Carthas with a worried look on his face. I don't think Carthas should be the one to do this. He is the only one of us that is capable of healing others once we make it across the bridge. We need him alive more than we need him blowing the bridge. Plus, I don't think he is in the best state of mind for something so delicate right now. "And you!" She looks at Otho, exasperated. "Weren't you listening to what I just said?! You don't volunteer. Not EVER. And certainly not before finding out what you're being paid." "I was listening, but I know that the only way we are getting out of here is together. I volunteered, and I know exactly what I am being paid: my life." Otho looks over as Olaf changes the subject. "He's right. Let's get going." Otho exits the shop and moves to where the survivors are waiting. "Alright everyone. We are going to try to get out of here. We are going to go over the bridge. Now, we will try to hold off the hobgoblins so as many of you as possible can get across. Whatever happens just keep running. We will regroup at the big rock in the forest. You know the one. Kining, Carthas wants to talk to you as we make our way to the bridge, we don't have any time to dally. Everyone ready? Let's go." Otho leads the group towards the bridge, sticking to the sides of the buildings and helping the survivors keep out of sight.
"You are right that some people will die. I think we have already seen a lot of that already. But I think the only victory that is possible at this point, is making sure as many people as possible live to tell the tale." Otho looks towards Carthas. "Before we go, we need a plan. Carthas, how do you use this stuff? I think it would be best if Ketyeva or I were the ones blowing the bridge, since we are the ones that are most likely to get around without being noticed. The rest of you should focus on getting the survivors across the bridge."
"Small man, this is war. Any enemy we kill is one less to pursue us. And persue they will. The best way to save lives is to make it too costly for them to follow us, at least right away. This isn't a story, there are no wizards or knightly orders here to save us. This is survival of the meanest, and we need to be mean." "But to win a war, you need to live through it. I think these could help us save more lives than they could help us take. The problem is that I don't know how to use them." Otho looks around at the group. "Does anyone else?"
"I don't know much about this dust, but I suspect it will be of more use in another manner. I think we need to focus on saving lives, instead of taking them." Otho looks around at the group. I am more concerned with us all making it out alive than I am with us fighting the hobgoblins. The rangers will be back eventually, they would be our only hope of fighting off an army of this size. We just need to live until then.
Otho stuffs his backpack full of food from the south end of the cellar, trying to make sure he grabs the food that will take the longest to spoil.
After grabbing the food, Otho heads back up the ladder and follows the group through the opened door. "I found some more food. It should last us a while in the forest." Otho looks around at what looks like the back of Oreld's shop.
Out of the corner of his eye, Otho notices two envelopes on the top of the dresser. Otho walks up to the dresser and reaches his hand as high as he can. Unfortunately, the dresser is too tall, and Otho can't quite reach the envelopes. "Hey, Carthas. Mind giving me a hand here?"
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