Linah will visit the chapel to ask for the Dawnflowers blessing before heading out.
"I do not see anything. We should move closer. Do you think we can make it to the serpent's lair? I am curious to see if they have noticed that it is gone."
Arjun heartily thanks his mentor for his assistance as they depart. As the group makes its way toward town, he lingers at the rear of the group. "I do not see anything, either. Perhaps one of our stealthier party members could range ahead?"
|
As the group gets closer to Kelmarane...
"Sajan, Nuveril, come with me and we'll scout a bit further out. Grall, stay with Linah in case something should surprise you while we are out. Arjun, you have shown that you can remain hidden when you need to, I leave the descision of which group to be with to you. I must say, that I would prefer that you stay with Grall and Linah while we scout a bit closer to Kelmarane....safety in numbers, you know."
After anyone with an opinion on the matter has said what needs to be said, Khalid says to the group staying behind...
"If we encounter problems, I will launch one of my firebolts into the sky. If you see it, please come join us."
Stealth:
Nuveril nods, pleased to be among the group moving closer to danger.
"Be careful", Linah says and then adds "Remember that you are only observing what lies ahead. Do not attack anything unless you are forced to." Even though she doesn't say it out loud it is clear that the last words are aimed at Nuveril.
Stealth
?
You split up, Khalid, Sajan and Nuveril using the available vegetation along the river to reach the more solid cover of the partly ruined buildings in the south east of town.
Nuveril moves easily and agilely through the ruins while Sajan, despite his size, makes barely a whisper of noise, every footstep placed perfectly. Khalid has more difficulty, at one point crunching a few shards of pottery underfoot, but still you think any watcher would have to be close to notice your passage.
The rest of the group follow but keep a reasonable distance behind.
The lead three make their way along the line of buildings adjacent to the river, slipping through a gap in two on the way to the building where you fought the snake two days before. Through the partly ruined buildings to the north you can see more black smoke emerging from the chimney to the tannery although there is apparently no other sign of life. You can also see glimpses of the mill, a sturdy looking brick building apart from the fact that its roof appears entirely missing. The attached water wheel is still intact but its locking mechanism appears missing or non-functional and the wheel rotates wildly with the flow of the river.
You reach the snake building and duck in. The snakes body is where Grall left it, in the darkened back corner of the large main room, but it is not untouched. The snakes head is gone, removed completely from the body which has already begun to putrify. The sand and dirt below the body is stained with the snakes blood. Who ever removed the head clearly did it right here.
Nuveril's lips twist in a sardonic smile. "Someone claimed our kill," she says, indicating the missing head. "Accursed jackals. No doubt some craven gnoll has claimed the bounty or the renown associated with killing the snake. May he enjoy his stolen fame while his life yet lingers," she concludes, her fingers curling over the notches on her hammer's handle.
We should make swift attack, claim some lives and vanish...
Arjun looks around, obviously nervous and out-of-place without his beakers and books. "I wonder what they have found so far...
"We'll have to cross the bridge in broad daylight to get to the building with the smoke," Nuveril cautions. "Are we ready to bring the whole pack down on us?"
Nuveril smiles. "I would be happy to stand to one side of the bridge and strike down gnolls as they come. We could build our own bridge and choke the river with their broken bodies."
"Perhaps we will find an opportunity to ambush a few of them before dark," Nuveril says with relish. "Our time will be less drearily spent than hiding back at the monastery."
She takes up a position inside the broken building where she can see the main road behind it out a hole or crack.
You regroup in the ruined slave market (snake building) and after a hurried but quiet conference decide to wait until dark to cross the bridge.
While there is plenty of space in the building to stretch out and it is relatively cool, the experience is not a very pleasant one. While you locate yourself in the corner opposite to the snake it is impossible to entirely avoid the stink of its decomposition. As you sit, unwilling to make any uneccessary noise, the former functions of this building suggest themselves. A larged raised slab is where the slaves would have stood in chains waiting their turn at auction. The remnants of wooden pens would have been where they were once crammed into. A small side room, luxurious once, now with rotted carpets and cusions, even a number of broken hookahs, would have been where slave buyers would have been attended by house servants before the auctions.
Nuveril meanwhile locates a crack in the wall from which she has a clear, if narrow, sight of the road and settles patiently to watch. For the next few hours you hear plenty of noise: mostly distant gnolls yips and laughter carried on the wind but also the unatural bleating sound you heard two nights earlier. Its source seems to move around, you hear it in different volumes from different directions, mainly west and north, although once from the south and once from the river to the east. Several times, immediately before or after the sound, you hear a crunch, as if something heavy impacting against something solid.
Its about two and a half hours into your wait when the rest of you see Nuveril stiffen at her crack.
A small group of gnolls move past your crack along the main road. Maybe 5 or 6 patrolling the same route you noted before.
Nuveril waves her hand in the air to attract the others' attention without raising her eye from the crack. "Another patrol," she breathes. "Five or six. If we toss a stone, we might be able to draw them into the ruins and ambush them out of sight, but we mustn't let any of them get away."
Sajan loads a bolt into his heavy crossbow, signalling he is ready.
Linah grimaces and quickly covers her mouth with her robe as she enters the snakes lair. "That awful smell", she blurts out, her voice muffled by the cloth.
"It worries me that someone or something have been here and taken it's head.", Linah says as she let's her eyes glide through the room as if expecting every shadow to hide some unwholesome beast. "I would prefer if we knew what has been her and taken the head. Do the gnolls know that we pose a threat or do they carry on as before?"
Linah draws her scimitar. "We should aim to surround them and cut off any escape route. I am ready when you are." Her voice is still muffled by the cloth as she tries her best to not be sickened by the smell.
You gather near the entrance to the buildings, weapons ready. Nuveril kneels to pick up a small chunk of brick. Grall moves around and circles east around the building. At the point you gauge the patrol is returning back down the main path Nuveril throws it hard at a piece of tile from slightly down and across from where you stand.
?
Theres a pause and you can hear gnollish voices conferring on the main path although your too far away to make out any words.
Perhaps twenty seconds later you hear the sound of what seems like a single gnoll's footsteps walking down the sidepath. In a few moments it will draw level with the southern edge of your building.
Edit for Nuveril's edit:
If they only send 1 or 2 gnolls, if we can kill them fast enough in the surprise round and round 1, they shouldn't have time to cry out. Then we sit back and wait for them to send the next guy to see what happened to the first guy. :)[/ooc]
Stealth
To clarify anyone with Khalid will be out of sight, the selected co-ord is the ne corner while the gnoll will be wandering around the sw corner.
Mechanically the single gnoll will get a perception check to notice you. Those in the ambush will be effectively stealthed. If it doesn't spot you the ambushers all get a surprise round. If it does those who beat its initiative will get a chance to kill it before it can open its mouth.
If your unhappy with this you can re-arrange. You had plenty of time but those who are actively moving rather than hiding need to make me a stealth check.
Grall and Sajan leave the main group.
You circle around to the designated spot and get a glimpse of the patrol moving west on the main path as it passes your location moments before you hear the loud clink of Nuveril's lure from the south. You think there are five gnolls.
You are closer to the gnoll group than the ambushers and they make no particular effort to be quiet with their conversation. Grall's keen ears hear a snipet.
Aktesh! Go and see what that noise is.
Bah it is nothing. And that giant snake lives in the market. You wish me to end in its belly, yes?
Ugruk said to be wary or want you to end like Sdrar and the others? If you see prey cry out and we will call the demon.
Bah if the snake takes me my spirit will haunt you I swear to the Mother.
Perception fail
Grall perception
Gnoll perception
nuv st
khalid st
arjun st
linah st
distance -3/-4
You take what cover you can in and around the doorway, ready to rush/shoot the gnoll at the first opportunity but trying to avoid clear angles where it could spot you in turn. Linah is back a little conscious of possible noise from her metal armour.
The gnoll comes around the corner and into view but you realise with a start that it is wary and has given itself the maximum distance from the doorway (it is hard up against the northern wall of the next building to the south). Axe and shield in hand it stares intently at the doorway as if it expects something to emerge.
Your not sure what gives you away, the light shining off a metal weapon perhaps, but the gnoll starts and you realise you have seconds to act.
Initiative
Nuveril
Linah
Khalid
Arjun
Unlucky Gnoll also known as Aktesh
Ordered Initiative
-Linah
-Arjun
-Khalid
-Nuveril
It is thirty feet from you, thirty five from Linah.