Logos's Sandbox aka Abadar Expeditionary Force!

[Lyan Hurzin]

Typhus Aurelius wrote:

"We shall need wood and a good supply of it. I suggest we take some axes, the mules and carts and seek some sturdy wood for building with. As well, we may be able to rig some rockfalls from atop the canyon, to be triggered if we are attacked. (Rocks fall, they all die. Pure strategic gold!) Let us rouse the workers and see supplies." Typhus begins to head toward the workmen, rousing those who will be of use with a few well placed shouts and if needed, a few well placed kicks.

I think the workers are in the mine, and I think we used most or all of the carts to build our palisade. Logos? Do we still have some carts?

"Yes, wood is our limiting factor. How far have we traveled from a good supply?"

[Logos]

Yes x4

[Armelio Fuentes]

"You know, I just had a thought. Can't Eladrin phase or sidestep or some such fancy teleport movement?" Armelio says out loud suddenly. "This makes building a barrier to prevent them from approaching very difficult" he looks at the group thoughtfully.

"Celegorm my dear, roughly how far can you "hop" through this fey stepping thing you Eladrin are able to do? Should we think about building a defence in depth, or maybe a staggered series of defenses that they need to carefully manouvre through so we know where they'll approach? Hmmm, we could make every alternate 5 feet a pit or spike so they would need to be exceedingly careful how the jump worked. yess we could ....mumble mumble mumble" the wizard begins talking to himself while buisily drawing plans in the dirt then scribbling them out again.

"I've got it! We need timber. Lots and lots of straight timber. The type you get from young saplings or low growing conifer branches that we can sharpen into spikes" He finally looks up at the faces around and blinks "What? Have I said somehting wrong? Is their something in my beard?" The wizard begins trying to look down at his beard for traces of the small preserved pudding he had snuck off with earlier.

I agree we should get some timber for getting the stakes up and running. A defense in depth (about 20ft of stakes leading up to our makeshift wall, with a staggered path to make it difficult for them to determine where safely to teleport to. However this will take time and will make navigating wagons and Mules through much harder. It'll also upset the Eladrin more as we are cutting down their forests. "Raping the land" as they would put it.

[Tira]

As we are discussing things, Tira starts tearing up enough leather to make slings for all the artisans.

[Celegorm Telrúnya]

"I don't try a lot of my teleport ability to understand the full power. I can suggest that our outpost will have the least closed space and to make some to the others about her plan.

[Lyan Hurzin]

Logos, how far (in days) is it to a decent lumber supply? Is it any closer than the Eladrin rendezvous?

[Logos]

a few days closer (like 4-5 vs 6-7)

[Logos]

By the time you get the workers out of the mines, the wagons prepared and such it is quite late in the day. The Wood expeiditon would have to leave in the morning.

As Day 11 draws to a close their are many plans for tomorrow but few bodies. The worksmen come looking to you 5 asking, what are we doing tomarrow, is the missus celegorm gonna be leaving us for a while? What of the others? Are ye really so cold blooded as to leave them to the mercy of the jungle?. The irritable miner is speaking, obviously having been choosen by the others for his bluster but the words he speaks are surprisingly soft.

The workmen excuse themselves, waiting for answers and keeping their space from you lot for know.

The night passes quitely

What do you do on the morning of the 12th day of the Abadarian Expedition!'

<This is the last day you can leave to meet with the eladrin and still be on time fyi>

Logos

[Tira]

"Well as much as I think its a bad idea, we may need to split up. A couple stay here and a couple go with Cele. Ok what do you guys think. If it comes to it I'm up for a trip."

Tira hates not being in control of the situation and seems pretty short with everyone. She stomps around ordering the artisans to get the camp ready and stop lollygagging around.

[Lyan Hurzin]

"I do not believe the eladrin will attack the envoys. Let Typhus and I see to our defenses, as much as can be without lumber. We can at least set the men to digging. Armeliio, what would you?"

[Armelio Fuentes]

Armelio yawns and stretches, having been roused from a dream of wild women doing....well lets just say a dream shall we. He moves from his tent and rubs his eyes "What would I do?"

The wizard immediately moves to the boiling billy and makes himself a strong cup of tea. As the warm beverage fills his belly, he can almost feel the caffeine running through his veins. "Aaaaaaghhhh, by Abadar that feels great. I feel almost human again"

He turns to the gathered party and immediately launches into a caffeine fueled dialog "Well since the Eladrin have left us no options, let's go to meet them. However, from the lovely Celegorm tells us, they may not appreciate the rest of us being there. So, while she goes off and meets her kin and smokes the peace pipe or whatever it is by the Eladrin do for kicks, we'll do a scout around for survivors." He takes a breath then continues.

"Our esteemed coleagues can of course stay here and work on msking this a livable settlement. Carving out homes from the cliffsides, beginning to farm perhaps, (I assume some of them at least can plant some few vegetables and keep them alive). The miners can reinfirce the well, and maybe dif a defensive trench infront of our "wall" " this last is said as he waves vaguely at the defensable barrier the group built a few days before. "If any are so incined they can come and help us find survivors, but that would further dilute the defenses here. The beautiful Tira here" he nods in her direction, blushing faintly "has a good idea making slings for them to use. I mean, even halfings can use slings effectively, so these people should be fine with that."

Another mouthful of tea is pratically inhaled by the wizard as he preapres to say more. "Depending on how well the meeting with the Eladrin goes, we may be able to harvest timber when Celegorm comes back, so we'll take two of the mules with us to cart food and drag the timber spikes back"

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need some more tea,and I have to go over my spells. I have just figured out the final nuances of a particularly fun ice spell and need to work on it. Tira, if you wish any further instruction, please feel free to join me" again he blushes as he moves off, oblivious of the fact that the back of his nightdirt is open, revealing his skinny butt in all its glory.

[Celegorm Telrúnya]

"I will be ready to meet the Eladrin of this place." Celegorm says to the others during her mental prepation of a new meeting with the Eladrin. She also try to visualize the fastest way to come to the river or any place near the river.

[Armelio Fuentes]

been a while since we had a post on this one. We still playing or am I retiring Armelio early? Anyone? Anyone at all?

[Lyan Hurzin]

I think I proposed a specific plan, and two others endorsed it. Haven't heard from the other two or the GM.

[Tira]

I agree with Lyan's plan also. Just waiting to see what's going on next

[Typhus Aurelius]

I concur with the plan. Sorry, deadlines at work are killers.

[Logos]

Lyan and Typhis watch the next day as Cele,Tira, and Armelio leave without a single cart, more for food and samples than any amount of timber.

The Week Goes by fairly peacefully. The Workers in the mine are good at what they do, and by the end of the week a half a dozen raw garnets sit in your tent. The well is also fortified and the wall reinforced.

Cele, Tira and Armelio:

Skill Challenge to Retrieve survivors:

Main Skill Nature, 6 success before 3 failures and DC = 21

Tell me how you are retrieving the survivors

(no aid another, and no repeats, and tira and armelio get an extra check over and above cele to represent her going off to speak with the eladrin)

At the end of the week, Cele barelly makes it to the spot on the river she was at before before the sun goes down. As she does she sees the old man waiting for her.

"Nice of you to come" he says at the edge of the river, " I've talked with your parents and they agree that this is far too dangerous a situation for a child such as you to be involved in" speaking to someone you can't see he says "bind her" and begins to walk away as a arcane spell of sleep slams into you and then half a dozen other younger eladrin appear beside you (20 vs Will, You are slowed <speed =2 > roll a save to end, if you fail that save you become unconcious/asleep)

(roll initiative Cele, must beat 10 to go first, either tira and/or cele may start from the "watching from afar" position and may enter combat at round 2)

Typhus and Lyan at the begining of the 8th day, (the morning after cele fights )you awake to find the mouth of your box canyon sealed with nigh penetrable granite. You can't leave the box canyon nor can others enter it without climbing the steep and trecherous walls (climb 26)

[Tira]

Logo's, my Nature skill really sucks (+2), so I would prefer to leave the finding of the survivors to my friends here. I am here to help in the protection in numbers game. Thusly, I am definelty watching Cele as she meets with the Eladrin.

"Cele, you be careful. Twitch and I will be close by and watching incase things get ugly.of course said before we split for the meeting

"Those two timing bastards. I'll show them not to harm my friends!"

I Shadow walk to get close enough for my spells (all have range of 10), and get the concealment benefit. If we are close enough anyway, I will still shadow walk to gain the benefit.

[Logos]

By Main Skill, It doesn't require you to use it, but rather what the theme of the skill challenge is. Other examples would be urban, social, or magic.

Everyone please contribute to the skill challenges, by all means use your best skills, as long as you can make them make sense in relation to the challenge (this is why i ask for that description bit )

But yes continue my minions,

[Tira]

Tira looks around, not quite knowing how to go about looking. She finally decides that many of the people on the ships were artisans and not very likely knowledgeable in the ways of the wild. So she sets her mind to try to think how they would go about surviving. Knowing people of the city the way she does, this is what she percieves as the best approach for her. But this doesn't seem to be working for her.

Streetwise.

Spoiler:

1d20+10=12

"Well damn it all. I don't know what I'm doing here. Cele your the ranger, you should be telling me how to look."

what's the possibility of taking 10 on these

[Celegorm Telrúnya]

Nature roll: 1d20+10=21
Initiative roll: 1d20+4=7

[Armelio Fuentes]

for the skill challenge. Perception for looking for survivors through the trees and such. [2,5] = (7), for knowledge nature [19,7] = (26), for insight as to how the survivors would be thinking [9,3] = (12). That's one success and two fails for me, pretty crappy rolls too. Bugger

When Armelio sees his friend ambushed from the distance, he immediatley springs into action. He begins moving to the battle, trying to stay in cover and then brings forth his arcane spells, all without yelling out and giving away his position. In his mind, his voice of reason is screaming at him "You fool, fleee for your life, there are 20 fo them!" but for the moment all reason has left the wizard.

if I'm close enough (100ft) I'll drop a sleep spell on as many of the elves as possible. Burst 2 within 20 squares. Let me know if this works and how many I can target then I'll roll my attacks. cheers

[Logos]

that's a big fat no to taking 10 on them, also armelio more description would be appreciated.

Tira and Armelio watch in horror as the eladrin attempt to grab Cele, who attempts to ward them off. Cele after fending off several of the eladrin, is caught from behind by one of them, as one of the other's shoves a sack over her head
Rolling Initiative for Armelio and Tira

16=Armelio
10= Eladrin
10 low=Tira
7=Cele

Armelio's sleep spell goes off, affecting all the eladrin centered arround cele (5,17,11,7,14 and 15, three are affected)

The Eladrin take up a defensive position, as their wizard comes bursting out of the underbrush, picking up the still struggling eladrin and disappearing in a blur of magically enhanced movement

The Eladrin all pass their saves.

Tira and Armelio look arround bewildered as their are a half a dozen remaining eladrin take a tight formation, obviously preparing to retreat.

(Cele we can do the long , story and plot a riffic kidnapping scene or we can do a short scene,. Either way the eladrin are going to take you to their magically out of sync with reality city do you want to go?)

[Tira]

Seeing her friend in dire need of help, Tira decides it's time bring out the big guns.
1d20+1=6, 1d20+4=10, 3d8+4=14, 1d20+7=24, 1d20+7=27, 1d10+4=5

Inititave = 6

Attack with Curse of the dark dream = 10

Damage for above = 14(probably didn't hit though)(target slides 1 square on a miss (save ends) and 3 sqares on a hit

I use my action point for today (action surge gives +3 to attack)

Attack with Eldritch Rain = 24

2nd attack with Eldritch Rain = 27(natural 20)

damage on first attack = 5(the book reads"Fey Pact: gain a bonus to each attack's damage roll equal to your Intelligence modifier." I read this as adding my Int mod to damage, so that makes it a 7. Am I on the right track.)

Damage on 2nd attack is maxed 14 (or 16 if w/Int mod)

I'm aiming at the Eladrin carrying Cele. Trying to nock them down till we can help her more.

[Lyan Hurzin]

Logos wrote:

Typhus and Lyan at the begining of the 8th day, (the morning after cele fights )you awake to find the mouth of your box canyon sealed with nigh penetrable granite. You can't leave the box canyon nor can others enter it without climbing the steep and trecherous walls (climb 26)

"Well, this is new," Lyan observes, inspecting the wall. He calls the miners over. "Any chance of breaking through this with the tools we have?"

[Logos]

Tira strikes out with her arcane might! Pushing the eladrin hastily getting away from her into the river! Cele and the eladrin land with a big splash.

I use my action point for today (action surge gives +3 to attack)

Tira rains Eldritch Fury upon the floundering eladrin, Striking him soundly and dispatching him. The Blood Froth of his dying gives a grim look to the rest of the eladrin. They whisper softly to each other in elvish "vengence"

Cele hauls herself to her feet. She is 12 squares away, up the river from where Tira and Armelio is. The old eladrin is not far away from her standing on the river, looking to where a young and brave wizard just died. The old eladrin says "you are dead to me" as he turns away and disappears

(cele's turn then new round)

The miner's look at the rock and shake their head sadly, "Tis Loadstone, one of the heaviest rocks in existance, no mere pick will puncture it. just looking at it will slow you down...

The artisans are quite perturbed.

Logos

[Typhus Aurelius]

"By Abadar! The very nerve of these wizardish heathens! I will enjoy bringing them to the death realms of Abadar where they shall learn to worship His name properly!" Typhus rages for a moment then calms. He turns to the miners, "Dig us a new exit. Through the walls, through the ground or through that cave, but dig us an exit. NOW!"

[Celegorm Telrúnya]

If Celegorm is on the river, she swims to be in company of Tira and Armelio.
If she is on a dry floor, she walks to rejoins her two companions.

[Logos]

Cele swims along the river soundly and finds that she can see the old eladrin standing on the river still when she is under water but not when she is above it...

The Eladrin Attack! Spring upon the startled Tira

(standard to charge, move to move minor to shift where required)
10, Natural 20, 11, 9, 19, 15 vs Ac for 4 damage each (8 on crit)

Armelio seeing the young and attractive warlock being mobbed, overcomes his cowardly nature and attempts to save her crashing into the eladrin in a burst of arcane fury.

Cele can watch from under the water as the older eladrin makes a gesture and casts a spell and all of the eladrin warriors and himself disappear, teleported out seemingly.

Armelio apparently went with them. He is not their after their flash of arcane might, You think he may have been inadvertently captured in their area of affect...

Battle = Draw and meta resolution = no xp

Back at the canyon.

The miner's spend the day sinking shafts and attempting to tunnel out. It appears that the encampment is completely encircled in a hollow cylander of loadstone. The miner's bluster abit about going under but the light is failing and all of the men are obviously tired.

[Lyan Hurzin]

"Go to sleep, men. We will consider this."

Turning to Typhus, Lyan observes, "My kind are not well built for climbing. Your ideas?"

[Typhus Aurelius]

"Let us build ourselves a rope ladder and go over this accursed rock. My blades thirst to drink the blood of these heathens! I shudder to think what the fiends may have done to the others..."

[Lyan Hurzin]

Typhus Aurelius wrote:

"Let us build ourselves a rope ladder and go over this accursed rock. My blades thirst to drink the blood of these heathens! I shudder to think what the fiends may have done to the others..."

"Are you a skilled enough climber to get the ladder to the top?" Lyan asks measuredly. "I am not."

[Typhus Aurelius]

Can I take 20 on an Athletics check to get to the top? I have a +8 to my check.

[Logos]

(nope , you couldn't even do this in 3.5 as their is a direct and fatal consequence, please make a roll)

Logos

[Typhus Aurelius]

And no: 1d20 8=11

[Celegorm Telrúnya]

"I think we should return find the others." celegorm says to Tira at she looks around to see if they are another group of eladrin.

[Tira]

"Agreed, lets go and quickly. We are definetly not safe out here."

[Logos]

The Week Passes

Tira and Cele arrive to find the entrance to the box canyon sealed by a mysterous looking dark rock. Not far from the entrance is a dwarf sized tunnel and after much jiggering and poking threw it you find yourselfs inside.

Inside you find the rest of your teammates, alive but vexed by this accursed wall. A set of stairs have been carved into the nearby rockside so that you may get to the top of the wall, which is about level with the other walls of the valley.

Being adjacent to or ontop of the wall makes you slowed (speed=2)

One of the artisan's has offered to rig up a small crane like contraption to get things over and above the wall. However it would use the rest of the rope and another 2 carts.

The miner's after carving the stairs and the exit, have returned to the back of the cave, they generally are producing a dozen rough garnets a day, however they are mostly looking for higher value gems.

Logos

[Typhus Aurelius]

"Curse this damnable land and its heathen demons! Perhaps Abadar wishes us to see it set to the blade and fire instead of redemption as we had thought?"

[Lyan Hurzin]

Logos wrote:

Tira and Cele arrive to find the entrance to the box canyon sealed by a mysterous looking dark rock. Not far from the entrance is a dwarf sized tunnel and after much jiggering and poking threw it you find yourselfs inside.

Inside you find the rest of your teammates, alive but vexed by this accursed wall. A set of stairs have been carved into the nearby rockside so that you may get to the top of the wall, which is about level with the other walls of the valley.

[ooc]I'm confused. I though we were in a cylinder of lodestone. How did we carve steps?[/ooc[

[Tira]

"We got some bad news guys. The Eladrin are our enemies. They tried to take Cele away from us. Twitch went running to help her. I knocked down the ones carrying Cele away. Twitch got there about the same time. They took Twitch with them for some reason. Those f&##ing bastards!!! We have to get Twitch back from them, if he's alive."

"This wall may hamper us in our travel, but it's a godsend of defense. Our main week area is overhead. We can't forget the lizards, they went through the ground really damn easy too. I'll help with making the crane system if possible. Or could we make the hole through the wall big enough for the carts. although that would be harder to defend."

"Those damn Eledrin. They are not like the Fey I've met before. We are in danger. Let us prepare for the worst."

Tira being a Warlock with the Fey Pact, respect Eledrin greatly. But right now she is second guessing her pact. She feels betrayed, but somewhat relieved that her powers are still working and work against the Eladrin. She feels sorrow for Cele loss of family in the Fey world.

[Logos]

Tira and the artisan assemble the crane as Day 18 slowly ends. Tira originally thought that perhaps he was going overboard with the usage of rope, but the increadible pull this dark rock has, especially when your on top of it is amazing.

Day 19 dawns with bitter light...

(please tell me what you are all doing, )

also

ooc being in a box canyon you can't see most of the cylander of loadstone theirs plenty of regular stone (the sides of your box canyon) to use to get to the top.

as for the fey, the fey are flighty, mischievous and rude. The eladrin are by no means the be all and end all of fey althought they like to think they are .

[Celegorm Telrúnya]

Celegorm works to solidify the outpost and try to stay near.

[Tira]

"Well defenses are set up pretty well. I think it's time we resupply some provisions. We should go hunting and gathering. We also need to scout around see who else is near here. We need to find some alliance if possible. We are too few."

Logos, I was learning Arcana from Twitch, so that I could take Arcane Initiate. I was going to copy his rituals to learn from. What is the possibility that I had done that before he was whisked away.

[Logos]

If you wanna say that all that was left behind of twitch was his spell book that's fine with me

[Lyan Hurzin]

"I think it is time we learned more of our surroundings. Abadar sends us for civilization, not for campsites. Let us hunt and explore simultaneously.

"As for the camp defenses, you are right, we have the wall. I would oppose enlarging the opening, as it is currently defensible. The main risk is fire from above, but the laborers can retreat to the cave, where they should also store provisions."

[Typhus Aurelius]

"Indeed, let us concentrate on build an escape tunnel from this valley that climbs out from the caves in back. We must have a way to come up to the top and bring redemption to these heathens should they return!"

Had a longer post, but the darn system ate it..

[Celegorm Telrúnya]

"I think I will go to find some food for the group and others utilities we need to survive."

[Logos]

Skill Challenge 5 successess before 4 failure's

Setting: Nature

Please tell me how you are "surviving", what skill(s) you are using and what you are trying to accomplish.

[Lyan Hurzin]

Lyan focuses on the hunt. He seeks out a good location where game are likely (Perception), sits behind foliage, and waits for large game to come near. He counts on the fact that he does not smell like a local predator, and attacks with the javelin of frost.

Perception, Javelin (1d20 4=15, 1d20 6=22)