I'm here. Fast forwarded storytelling is also ok with me. :)
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GM is buried at work. Do you want to continue with that post? If so, I'll adjudicate it when I can find 10 minutes to breath. No worries, just wanted to make sure I'm still good. :)
I'm a little unclear, should I post again or can I keep the action I posted a (long) while ago?
People seem to want to hunt them down, and honestly at this point, that's probaly a more accurate reflection of what Wilhelm would do. So let's be clever and do that. :) Initiative it is.
@Triumph - What is his CMD? 26 vs trips. He's smart, and will be okish... I hope... and as pointed out is sitting on 5 HP (51 - 30 - 16). How long til dawn? That should probably weigh in. We're going to have to confront them, but they're probably going to flee then start laying ambushes/traps again. We have 3 who can see in the dark right now and Gorruum isn't the best tracker, meaning they may be difficult to follow tomorrow. The killing of our horses is a clear tactic to slow us down so that they can harass us as we travel. Agreed. I think my answer depends on how long til dawn. If its a short way off (less than an hour maybe?), then perhaps we can pursue, but otherwise I'm inclined towards waiting for morning and trying to pursue them a bit then.
Natalie:
Settled into his watch position, whittling at a stray piece of firewood with a dagger, Wilhelm doesn't hear Natalie approach. Lost in thought, he starts in surprise as she speaks from only a few feet away. He smiles, somewhat sheepishly, before saying, "I... ah... yes, I suppose it is. I hadn't really been paying attention, but the sunset over the hills here is beautiful. It's... bracing and refreshing, being out in the wilderness, but I'm sad to say I'm finding it hard to relax." Wilhelm sheathes his knife and sets aside the wood he'd been working on. "I'm also glad you had a pleasant stay. It's not so much, compared to the finery of New Stetven, but it is ours and I like it. Seeing Zatoksta grow from a sleeply little trading post into a bustling little town has made all the headaches and work well worth it." He turns back to face the sunset, casting a sidelong glance at Natalie after a moment. Thankful for helping me... and the rest of the group. Did I imagine that pause? He replies, a hint of hesitation in his voice, "And I'm thankful for the help you've given so freely. You've been... very helpful, wonderful even. Iomedae alone knows what we'd do if I had to try to handle your work myself. The complete disintegration of our kingdom, I'd guess." Wilhelm quirks a little smile at his own self-deprecating quip, still looking sidelong at the half-elven woman.
Wilhelm sits bolt upright as the horses scream from seemingly directly above them. The noise, ear-splitting, dashes sleep and lingering grogginess from his mind and left him fumbling to stand and try to calm the nearest two horses. He shouts above the screaming, "To arms, we're under attack! Calm the horses and then start a defense. Fhârn, Anastacia, we'll need more light to see them where they hide!" He hauls on the reins of the nearest two horses, fearlessly dodging flying hooves as he tries to calm them.
So how do you purpose we stand guard around the ruins? are we focusing more on the open areas and leave the area behind the walls a little on the low? If I'm understanding your question correctly, then yes. I was thinking we'd focus on the approaches to the ruins (remaining hidden in cover) and then relying on the horses/Ubagub to keep an ear out for anything that might make it past us. Basically just trying to give us reaction time. I think defensively, it might make sense to bring Ubagub in a little tighter. Basically between him and the horses, it forces someone to shoot or go through them to get to where the sleeping folks are. If you did want more space, you can move him back. That seems reasonable to me and his placement seems ok. Edit: Also, Wilhelm is sleeping in his armor (fatigued in the morning). Just thought it bore mentioning. I will cure my fatigue with 1 use of Lay on Hands when we wake.
Thanks for the work on the map, mdt. It looks great! :) Quick clarifying question, how high are the walls of the ruins, generally? I'm thinking we keep our camp in the middle of the ruins with the horses tied up near the entrances to the center of the square. I've moved them to roughly what I was thinking of. Thoughts on this layout? Edit: As I have it now, Wilhelm and Natalie are on watch and the others are in place to prove they can actually fit. Horses are set up nearby at the main approaches to the sleeping folks. Guards are placed to maximize their field of vision, while staying in decent cover to make them harder to spot. The downside is that they're not next to each other for support if they get snuck up on.
Unless someone strenuously objects, I think we'll set up in the ruins. :)
I'm inclined towards the triangular spot as long as the river is fairly wide. If it's only 15-20 feet across, I'd prefer to move a bit further into the tree cover as they could set up shots from across the river on the hill. It does protect our flanks fairly well though, but if we decided to run we're a little boxed in. I think I'm inclined towards the ruins, personally, with no fire and a distraction fire of some sort on the hill overlooking the creek. More hard cover close at hand. The only thing I don't like is the hill overlooking it, but I'm not sure what we can do about that. I've marked where I think we should camp with a cross. That leaves the count fairly balanced between the two, I think.
Wilhelm watches with interest (and trepidation) as Anastacia downs the foul looking elixir. He drinks down his own bile at the stench, but nods approvingly as Anastacia seems to regain some of her color. "I think we'd be better off making use of our magic tomorrow and having you guard tonight, Gorruum. I wouldn't put it past our ambushers to attempt a night attack. For guard duty, let's stay in pairs. Natalie and I will take first watch, Gorruum and Ikit the middle watch as you can see in the darkness, and Pruett and Fhârn the early morning watch. If needed, we can rest longer, but I worry about an ambush in the early hours if wait too long. Does that seem reasonable?"
Haven't had the time to sit and look at the watch order. Probably want multiple people on watch at any given time. I can look tonight (7 hours or so from now), but if someone else has thoughts, feel free to chime in. :)
That's my current thoughts. Multiple watches at once, preferably. Wilhelm can pray in the morning for a few castings of Lesser Restoration to help out.
"Given their stated anger and animation, I'm going to guess they intended for that fight to occur." Wilhelm opines sourly as he studies Anastacia for a moment longer. "I can pray for Iomedae's healing grace in the morning and see to some of the damage if it's merely sapping your strength. That may avert any need to return to Jelenhrad. Let's find a camp for the night." He snorts in reply to Anastacia's protestation, "I'd think its best to prevent a fall before it happens. It wouldn't do for you to survive the kobold's attack only to fall prey to a broken neck as you dive from Avalanche's back onto a rock. I won't force you to tied to the saddle, of course. Just suggest it." Wilhelm waits for Anastacia's reply before continuing, "Very good, a place to stop would be perfect, Gorruum. We'll want rotating guards and perhaps magical protection if we can have it. I wouldn't put it past the kobolds to try again while we sleep."
Wilhelm hisses through gritted teeth as another spear manages to pierce a gap in his plate and particularly sharp flare of pain shoots from the wound up his arm. He replies, "I should manage, thanks. Between Anastacia's healing, and my own-" He emphasizes the point my touching his glowing hand to chest.
"- I should be fine. Whatever they were, they hit more like a lance then a simple spear or bolt." As he turns to thank Anastacia, he pales as he sees her swaying in her saddle. Cursing, he calls a halt, "Anastacia's hurt, badly. We must stop and see to her wounds." He glances behind them to gauge the threat from the kobold's. Riding closer, he is surprised to see she is free of any great cuts. "Something's wrong... Anastacia, where are you wounded?"
Probably not on review (you beat me to it), so I'll just have to be content with 80 feet of movement per action. :)
Seeing Pruett's and Gorruum's hesitations, he shouts and waves them ahead, "Go ahead of me, I'll be right behind you. Natalie... Ikit... let's get out of here."
Sorry it slipped my mind that I can actually interact with the map, added some guides for Wilhlm. I'll stop somewhere on that path so that I'm the last person leaving the battlefield. :) Move speed for Triumph should be 110 feet or so (horseshoes of speed and haste which may or may not stack) for a single move.
Ikit appears to be on the back of Natalie's horse. Not sure about initiative for him.
Too much metagame for my tastes, I just wanted to add some idle speculation. :P They hurt enough for Wilhelm to want to protect himself some more. Edit: Unholy or more likely human bane (inquisitors?) is my next guess.
Some (4-5) rogue or slayer levels (sneak attack vs the FF folk e.g. Wilhelm) and maybe some fighter levels (probably no more the 1-2) I would think.
Wilhelm watches in agitation as the kobold's do not seem to calm down and he reacts quickly, covering his surprise, as Anastacia covers their escape. Suppressing a grunt as the two bolts slam into him, he calls to his companions, "Fall back in good order! There's no reason to stay where the ground favors them. If we can escape, we will, but stay together and be ready to fight free." Laying a hand to his chest, he chants to Iomedae and the trickling of his wounds slows even as his armor takes on an unusually stonelike appearance. He wheels Triumph around as he draws his earthbreaker.
Also: Sorry Wilhelm, bored of waiting. No worries, I had some unexpected issues with being able to post over the weekend and am just now able to get to it. I actually was a bit confused as I was waiting for the kobold's reaction to Pruett's words (probably bad), but this works too.
Cool, no problem! I just wanted to make sure I wasn't holding up the show. :)
Just to check, were you waiting for something else from me at this point, MDT? My plan of action IC was: 1.) Wait and see how the kobolds to Pruett's last attempt as diplomacy (ooc I know it's not enough), 2.) Start a fighting retreat (turning into full retreat) if they aren't going to listen to reason.
I'm thinking fighting withdrawal while trying to avoid lethal damage where possible. Wilhelm doesn't want to antagonize the kobolds more than they are already given there's obviously someone trying to stir infighting and chaos.
Oh yea, there's no good "easy win" here but it does get interesting as it reveals how characters respond to a nuanced moral situation. Specifically this was partially a good vs lawful thing for Wilhelm, where he recognizes some of the anti-human anger the kobolds are espousing (based on translation/sense motive) and has to weigh his desire to adhere to law where it is just. So he's balancing the need to protect his subjects (disarray in his barony now is bad) with desire to avoid bloodshed and so on. I think I'm fairly happy with the balance from an RP point of view (as a paladin specifically).
"It seems they are not willing to listen to reason and they are behaving more like bandits then officers of law. I think you've hit the nail on its head, Natalie, and there's little else that we can do here. Let's leave them, on guard against attacks, and warily. They ambushed us here, and given the stories I've heard, it's likely they may have other traps in place to guarantee their ambush succeeds. We'll have to search for my cousin when we're safely away." Wilhelm looks at the leading kobold mournfully. I respect your conviction, but we are no criminals.
Wilhelm's jaw sets as Pruett translates the kobold's demands and he eyes the black kobold warily. "Thank you, Pruett. I am glad to hear they no longer wish my head on a spear, for now. I share your discomfort and doubt that any trial would be fair. I'm also reluctant to shed blood if it can be avoided, but we are quickly running out of options. Hopefully they will see reason. I don't recall it as a concession, but we had discussed their kingdom having a degree of autonomy and self-rule. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding." Wilhelm thinks for a long tense moment, then asks Pruett, "Can you ask them how we could prove we haven't kidnapped Shimmerscales from within their lands? If we held her, she would be in one of our castles. Ask what would suffice as proof and perhaps we can provide that instead. Ikit's idea also has merit. Perhaps they will agree to a hostage exchange of sorts so that a group of kobolds can tour our city and see that we do not hold Shimmer. I would suggest trying the first idea before mentioning the second."
Sorry to hear things are so rough, MDT. I hope things in your home life grow less hectic. :) Thanks for keeping this game, it's much appreciated.
Wilhelm looks crestfallen as Anastacia and Pruett translation makes it clear that his cousin is missing and likely in danger. His color rises as the threat from the kobold is raised, but he restrains himself. "Offer to help them in finding the kobold. Perhaps also explain that before she became Shimmerscales, Felicia was Felix Orlovsky and my cousin. I would not kidnap family. For now lets see if they can be reasoned with." Despite his mollifying words, Wilhelm warily watches the kobold for signs that he will not agree to reason.
"No, I don't believe I've met this particular kobold, though I hope it doesn't come to blows. And if they're talking about my cousin, Felicia, then no we didn't kidnap her. She had continued to play a role in our kingdom's council, but I thought she had returned to the Sootscales a while ago. If they're looking for her, that bodes ill." Wilhelm turns to Fhârn, saying, "Can you relay the following? We did not kidnap Shimmerscales and the last we saw her she was returning to your tribe. If she is missing, then we are concerned for her. When was the last you saw her? Perhaps we can help to find her?"
Triumph snorts in alarm, halting of his own accord as the crossbow bolt slams into the ground with a whirring thud. Wilhelm begins to draw a blade, but stops as the kobold appears. He raises his hands free of his weapons, looking in askance at Anastacia, "I don't suppose you know what he's saying? He's obviously angry, though about what I can't begin to guess."
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1CutqjLQbwjrLPnjAT2YrYwuLhocKw3NQVo8RceF KE6M/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1PHg8EnPnkOQJBB9wRsQCAppu6mZm-CCXg6_b3wz ywUM/edit?usp=sharing Fancy maps for each city linked above, MDT. Let me know if the castle map is off (no waterways should be there, castle in roughly the wrong place, etc). The water represents the lake, though there aren't actually docks yet (maybe a small one for our fishery at most).
Given how hard he tried to kill us last time, I'm not enthused with sending our cohorts in alone. Edit: New course plotted! Let's do E21's east bank and then we can follow the other path I outlined.
Ok, I got a bit mixed up about where we had explored. I've marked on the map everything we've learned to the best of my ability. If there's something wrong, can you list the correct hex that it should be labelled on? As for path, if we haven't hit F17 yet, I think we should do that, then swing east to visit the kobolds and then swing further east and then southwest. I've marked the map with what I propose. If anyone has thoughts, I'm happy to hear them. :) I do eventually want to go visit the mad hermit again and recover the sword Wilhelm used when helping to slay the Stag Lord. :) Just not this very moment. Real life comes first, mdt. I think everyone here knows that, so no need to apologize. Quoted for truth. :)
I checked his posting and he mentioned he's currently, "treading water in a hurricane." So I hope things resolve well for him soon. :(
"Having heard the news, about General Stormborn I mean, I'm inclined to think we should proceed as soon as we've had a night's rest. For now the general's aid will keep things running, but the sooner we know what threats we're facing, the sooner we can return to see to things at home. I'm loathe to leave things unresolved in Zatoksta, but we're stretched thin as it is." Wilhelm heaves a tired sigh as he dismounts with a clatter. He waves away the page coming to take Triumph and leads the stallion to his stall. He continues as he goes, "A bed, a bath, and no more swimming in either rivers or lakes for me, thank you. I'm not the best swimmer at the best of times and that river was very far from it. I might have to take Gorruum up on those lessons though, just not now."
@Dante: It's a shame to see him go. He was one of the originals and I always liked how he played the character a lot. He will be missed. Duly noted, my bad. I assume F17 was where we just stopped by to see Narthropple? If so, let's do G18 and H17 next and then we can reevaluate in more detail from there. Also, did the guards have any news from the capital?
Probably good to move on to the next area assuming the guards don't have anything exciting to tell us. :)
"Picking up pace indeed. The castle, our southernmost outpost at the moment, was where our fledgling nation was born in blood and fury. It's also where the groundwork was laid for me to take up the mantle of leader, though I sorely wish it was under different circumstances." Wilhelm pauses, riding in silence a moment, a frown and a distant look making it easy to see that he was dredging up old memories, "The bandit who 'ruled' here was terrorising the locals and we were tasked with rooting out his band. After dealing with a few outriders and a few bands we found to the north, we assaulted the fortress. With bravery, ingenuity, and no small smattering of luck, we managed to take the fortress in a frontal assault. There was a cost to that, however, and our leader, Felix Sebastian Orlovsky, fell under the so-called Stag Lord's bow. Fhârn and I repaid him in blood, but not until it was too late. We... saved him... after a fashion. You might have met the golden kobold, Felicia Shimmerscales. My cousin was reborn in a new form as a result of certain magics used to raise him. And that, is how we came by the castle and by our right to rule here." He brings a hand up to brush the cloak hanging off his shoulders, it's unusual pattern and thick fur marking is as an owlbear pelt.
Riding up the path to the gates, Wilhelm admires the newly rebuilt castle. The last time he had ridden through the gates ahead, he had been facing death at the hands of the bandit madman who claimed the title 'Stag Lord'. Passing through the raised portcullis of castle Jeleňhrad, Wilhelm nods to the guards stationed there. "Hail guardsmen... I'm afraid I don't think we've met. Your names, soldiers? Is there any news from the capital?"
"The tales I've heard have never told of friendly giants, but perhaps that's just stories and we'll be pleasantly surprised."
Wilhelm smiles as the gnome accepts his offer, "Good, I'm glad we could find something mutually agreeable." He listens with interest as the man describes what he has seen in his travels. The mention of the giant elicits a slow whistle from the paladin and he nods thoughtfully, "Certainly better to be prepared with this information. A giant is something I've not seen, and I'm not so sure that I'm eager to see one either. Better to know it's there then to be surprised by it, though." He nods to his friend, saying in a faux formal tone, "Thank you Lord Uðrrúna for drawing up the letter, I'll provide a stamp if you require my personal seal." To Narthropple, "So what will be your path of travel from here? We'll be away from the capital for a time, but we'd be happy to return your hospitality if you happen to return after we are back ourselves."
Wilhelm studies the marked map provided by the gnome with interest, "Much thanks for sharing this information with us. The lands are dangerous enough that I feel nervous walking to the unknown. It leaves a hint of excitement and danger, but that loses its charm rather quickly." "After the trouble with the fey in the towers, that tree, and the gnome, I'm inclined towareds being forewarned rather than risking the unknown." He replies to Natalie in an undertone. Wilhelm's composure breaks down as Gorruum takes the gnome literally, laughing, he says, "Gorruum, to have a silver tongue is to speak well. One who parleys well would have a silver tongue." Still chortling, he does a few mental calculations and then addresses Narthropple, "Master Narthropple, I do think we'd be interested in buying information about these last three locations you mentioned. I'm not certain that we've coin enough with us, so will you accept a letter of credit? If not, we can likely work something out."
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