Although it was recently built, you see nothing to indicate the encampment is currently occupied.
Although it was recently built, you see nothing to indicate the encampment is currently occupied.
Bandle attempts to sneak around the outer edge then up to the tent.
Bandle sneaks up to the tent without anyone reacting from inside.
Lord approaches the camp warily, but in plain view. He does however make sure, that his Kama are within easy grabbing range should trouble occur.
I follow behind the gnome, wondering why he is making so much noise.
Bandle will listen or otherwise percieve at the tent.
The tent looks like a hastily constructed hiding place suitable for four gnolls. It has a view of the grassy knoll you just came from. A trail ascends into the hills behind it.
Is there any sign of gnolls still in the tent?
Is there any sign of gnolls still in the tent?
Is there any sign of gnolls still in the tent?
Bandle moves to watch the knoll for returning gnolls (the 3 companions of the dead gnoll) next to Jakie, the scene looking all the world like a child sneaking a peek at some forbidden burlesque while his friend waits his turn and keeps watch.
"Psst, they may have more whistles in there if this those beastmen's camp. Maybe we should all hide and then blow the whistle and spring a surprise party on them. I like surprise parties...especially with whistles. Of course the kind of party where you light many candles then some of them aren't candles but some kind of magical gnome mining implement that sets the whole village on fire, I don't like those kind of surprise parties. Well if I'd ever BEEN to a party like that I wouldn't like it...they're liable to kick a lad out of town for throwing a party like that." Bandle says starting in hushed tones. By the end he is speaking emphatically with broad gestures that invoked pictures of burning villages, chaos and fleeing gomes.
The tent has some signs of having been used but is not currently occupied. A few discarded, well-gnawed bones litter the insides amongst tufts of fur and scraps of leather.
I'll duck into the tent and see if I see anything interesting.
I'll duck into the tent and see if I see anything interesting.
LJ finds nothing interesting. Bandle finds everything interesting but the others restrain him.
Seeing as how the tent appears deserted.
"Maybe we should head up the path carefully. And find a good place to set up a base of operations. Someplace we can rest safely if need be.""
Seeing as how the tent appears deserted.
"Maybe we should head up the path carefully. And find a good place to set up a base of operations. Someplace we can rest safely if need be.""
Somewhat dejected at the prospect of not having a surprise party, Bandle reluctantly agrees.
"I guess it wouldn't be that much fun without the fireworks and whistles anyway." He mutters glumly
"Rest is always a good way to restore one's energy!" He than says brightly, motioning to the "big folk" to follow.
Continuing up the path, taking the same care you have shown so far, you soon approach another, similar tent. It is also empty. Shortly beyond that ...
"Well, we got company." Tallis then goes to hide himself behind any convenient shrubbery.
There isn't much in the way of convenient shrubbery--nothing large enough to hide behind anyways--on these barren hills, but there are a lot of large rocks and crevices. Tallis will hide behind those.
Lord will attempt to hide behind some rocks as well, slightly away from Tallis so if they need to they can ambush from different directions.
Stealth Check. (1d20+3=14)
"Shh," I hiss at Flash and then I duck into the rocks myself.
"Shh," I hiss at Flash.
Four gnolls bound into view. They are coming from a different direction than the gnolls you observed earlier came so this would be a different patrol. They move past Tallis, LJ, and Bandle but pull up short when Lord Flash's accessories sparkle in the light.
"Surprise!" squeaks Bandle as he whips stars at the lead gnoll with blazing speed. You notice the whistle clenched in the side of his teeth like a bizarre cigar.
I rush towards the same gnoll that Bandle attacks.
"NOISY CRICKET!" I shout as I begin a leaping kick.
Charging Kick: (1d20+9=23)
Damage: (1d4-1=0)
Tallis mutters to himself before hopping out from behind the rock and charging at the nearest gnoll
I rush towards the same gnoll that Bandle attacks.
"NOISY CRICKET!" I shout as I begin a leaping kick.
Charging Kick: (1d20+9=23)
Damage: (1d4-1=0)
The gnoll Bandle and LJ attacked must have been the runt of his litter. The two shurikens bring him to his knees and LJ's kick finishes him off.
Tallis' gnoll takes the hit and turns with a slobbering grin. Not the runt this one.
Initiative: (1d20+4=8)
Kick attack: (1d20+7=22)
"NOISY CRICKET!"
I move and putting all the strength my poisoned body can muster into a single kick, I aim my hairy foot straight at the gnoll Tallis had already hit once.
Tallis launches a flurry of blows at the gnoll.
Bandle resists the urge to blow the whistle, for once thinking that a course of action that seems fun might not be wise.
"This is some party!'
Kick attack: (1d20+7=22)"NOISY CRICKET!"
I move and putting all the strength my poisoned body can muster into a single kick, I aim my hairy foot straight at the gnoll Tallis had already hit once.
Tallis launches a flurry of blows at the gnoll.
Realizing that once again he has alerted the Gnolls to their presence, he launches himself at them with a great desire to right his wrong...
Attack Gnoll with Masterwork Kama. (1d20+6=10)
Unfortunately in his haste to attack, he overcompensates and missses the Gnoll entirely.
The panicking gnolls flail about at the monks attacking them from all sides. They miss.
"Herrauuuuuh!"* howls one.
*
Moving to flank, I do a combo punch-kick.
"NOISY PUNCHING CRICKET!"
Flanking Flurry of Blows: (1d20+7=10, 1d20+7=16)
Damage: (1d4-1=1)
Tallis also attempts to beat the gnolls into submission with a flurry of blows.
Bandle whizzes more of the razor-sharp stars at the beastman on the left (the gnoll, NOT Tallis)
"Wheee!!" Bandle cries almost prancing with delight as he unleashes steel pain.
"When you least expect it! Surprise!"
"TWEEEEEEEET" he blows a blast on the whistle in his exuberance.
"oops" he mutters quietly as all eyes turn momentarily to him.
A third gnoll falls with a whimpering growl. Only one gnoll remains standing. He attacks but in such a panic that he comes nowhere close to hitting Lord Flash.
Tumbling around to flank the last gnoll, I cry out "Ah-HAH, Double NOISY CRICKET punch!"
Flurry of Blows (flanking): (1d20+8=26, 1d20+8=26)
Flurry of Blows with Masterwork Kama. (1d20+7=16, 1d20+7=25)
Damage. (1d6=6, 1d6=4)
Finally Lord connects with the Gnoll, opening up vicious wounds with his Kama.
Flurry of Blows with Masterwork Kama. (1d20+7=16, 1d20+7=25)
Damage. (1d6=6, 1d6=4)Finally Lord connects with the Gnoll, opening up vicious wounds with his Kama.
The fourth and final gnoll-on-patrol falls bleeding to the ground. The monks have barely worked up a sweat and remain unwounded.
Unfortunately, this may change. Whether it was Bandle's tooting on the donkey whistle or for some other reason, a horn blows from somewhere nearby and yelps from both hyenas and their masters let you know that more gnolls are on their way ... from both up and down the trail.
Lord pauses over the body of his fallen opponent for a second before hearing the horn and raising his head to look up the trail.
"This could turn bad very quickly. I suggest we eiter hide and try another ambush or attempt to flee as fast as we can. It sounds like this time they will have superior numbers on their side."
The trail is fairly wide. On the west side of the trail, the rocky hills rapidly descend towards the river. On the east side of the trail, the hills continue to climb towards a low ridge. Noise comes at you from the North and South.
Lord looks towards the river. "I would think that following the river would be a better plan as it would leave less room to get lost, something that with my limited outdoor skills I would be prone to do. However the ridge would probably afford us better cover. I don't know what to do, what do the rest of you think?"
"River. We're probably going to get noticed at some point no matter which way we go."