/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

DAY 9: Evening.
Now, let's continue where we left off, shall we?

Nigger.

"That chimera was a massive pussy."

>>139428
Double nigger.
Henry said this last thread, but your take might be different and more reasonable. >>139331 →
This was the response he got >>139425 →
Aral would probably just go along with it to be honest, so what you say matters here.

>>139429
"It's pelt looked nice. Must be worth something."

>>139430
I meant he said this >>139148 →

I would also like to say that most of Drellin's Ferry is already pretty far ahead, having been evacuating for the past couple days. The part of the caravan that the goblins attacked was mostly composed of the stubborn merchants that Norro Wiston only barely convinced to abandon their property.
There were actually a couple other groups of hobgoblins that the town guard fought off, hence why Captain Soranna didn't participate in your fight.

You could probably catch up with the rest of the caravan if you rode through the night though.
>>139429
Yeah... I did not expect it to go down that quickly... It was a practice dragon though, so maybe next time you guys won't get skullfucked by the next glorified lizard (spoiler alert: there's gonna be more dragons)
>>139430
Yeah, the dwarf you sold the owlbear pelts to helped you treat it before he skipped town. It makes for a kickass cape.

>>139430
>>139431
>>139432
Triple nigger.
So where are we at the moment?

Aral bought that potion of Neutralize Poison off of Jorr for 800, and proceeds to drink it.

For the record does the party want to ride through the night, right?
How far do you want to go?
Assuming the Red Hand is on foot (which most of them would be, logically), you can assume that it might take them a could take them a couple more days to get to town. You could also rest if you wish.
>>139433
You are in Drellin's Ferry, in the evening.

>>139434
I thought Chad had a spare one of those, but okay.

Jorr finished laying out the looted equipment.

The Worgs Had:
>3 exotic archey saddles (charred, designed for worgs)
>Bags with what appear to be three dried steaks
>6 rawhide chews

The 3 Goblin Worg Riders had:
>3 Scimitars
>3 Shortbows
>3 Suits of studded leather armor
>3 bucklers
>What appears to be a scroll
>7 Dragonsbreath Arrows
>3 Alchemists Arrows
>3 Signal Arrows
>some dozen normal arrows

The 3 Hobgoblin Samurai Dropped:
>What appears to be 3 healing potions
>3 heavy steel shields
>3 Bastard Swords
>3 suits of chainmail
>3 composite longbows
>8 Dragonsbreath Arrows
>Some dozen normal arrows

Also:
>3 tanglefoot bags
>2 noxious smokesticks
>Masterwork longsword
>2 thunderstones
>2 flasks of Acidic Fire
>1 unmarked oil
>2 unmarked potions

>>139435
Hmm, if we rested there would be a high risk we would get our slumber party crashed, so i think it would probably be better to move ideally, unless sleeping in the burning town would make for nice marshmallows.
>>139436
I like the sound of the masterwork long sword.

>>139436
Jorr took the liberty of taking the curative steaks and rawhide chews for his dogs. They would have nauseated any humanoids anyway, being meant for worgs, by goblins.

"Raiders." Jorr says, gruffly
"Looks like these bastards were some o' the ones harrassin' merchants on the Dawn Way. I reckon they came 'ere to get first pickings o' the loot before their comrades arrived."
>>139437
The town is not burning. Only a couple houses.

How far do you guys want to go?

>>139436
Aral takes and counts the arrows (I believe the normal ones were 40 arrows). Puts 3 Alchemist's and 3 Dragonsbreath arrows in his current quiver.
He also cast Detect Magic on the loot, sharing his findings with the others.
>>139437
The throwables are very nice too. Consider taking some.

>>139438
Well should and could we set it on fire so the goblins can't ransack anything that's left?
>>139439
Not sure, how far is Brindol and how long would it take before we needed to camp?
>>139440
I think i'll take the flasks of acidic fire.

>>139440
Nobody else is proficient in longbows. May as well take all the good arrows.

The scroll is an Arcane Scroll of Protection from Good/Evil/Law/Chaos.
The healing potions appear to be Cure Light Wounds. You'll need to roll spellcraft to try to identify the other potions.

>>139441
>Well should and could we set it on fire so the goblins can't ransack anything that's left?
If you want to.
Pic related is a map of Drellin's Ferry.

>>139443
Yes, would i be able to cast produce flame on a house?

>>139442
[1d20+14 = 29] Spellcraft
And might as well try to identify those 2 elixers I have.
Also yeah, taking all arrows, 6 of the enhanced ones are in the current quiver, ready to be fired.
I have been actually tracking the currently equipped 20 arrows in combat, it just never came up so far.

>>139441
>Not sure, how far is Brindol and how long would it take before we needed to camp?
Idk. It's about 9 PM in game time.
You cannot reach Brindol in one day. The nearest town is Terrelton. You could probably reach it by morning on horseback, although that means you'll need to rest through the day (arcane spells require 8 hours rest; humans need sleep).

Pic related is Lord Koth's Map, btw.

>>139444
With digits like that, you can cast it on 6 houses, without moving.

>>139445
One of the potions appears to be Enlarge Person. Another looks like Reduce Person.
Or, so you think, judging by the auras.

Gonna paste my spells so i can find them later.
3rd level spells:
Magic fang, greater
Call lightning
2nd level:
Bull's strength
Heat metal
Barkskin
1st level:
Calm animals
Faerie fire
Entangle
Produce flame
Cure light wounds
Level 0:
Guidance
Detect magic
Flare
Purify food and drink
Mending
>>139446
So should we camp here then?

>>139447
If you wish. There are plenty of abandoned houses in Drellin's Ferry (-10).

>>139448
If we camped here then started a march on Terrelton in the morning would we reach it by noon or evening?

>>139449
Depends what time you get up.

By incredibly rough estimate, it would take you around 10-12 hours on light horses to get there. I need to check the map though...

Also, by now, the conversation with Wiston and Soranna would have ended. Before he left, Wiston would have given you some basic info about the way east. Also
>What’s the best way to get up north?
“Well, normally I’d say the Old North Road. But right now, I wouldn’t recommend that route. You could take a boat up the Rhestwash to Lake Rhestin. Your other option is to head east toward Brindol. At Talar or Brindol, you’ll be able to cross the Elsir River and head north along the Rhest Trail. It’s up to you. The river route is probably more dangerous, but it’s faster. If you head east, I can give you several horses. If you head north from here, feel free to take any of the boats moored in town. We won’t need them.”

So, yeah. You guys can head east, and then north if you want to.
Everyone has a horse, in case they didn't before.

>>139450
I don't think we should go sailing, let's camp first and go wherever in the morning.

>>139452
Yeah, I wouldn't mind having spell slots back and healing up a bit.

>>139452
Okay.
Hamfist, due to his character's earlier request, has scavenged several bottles of cheap ale that the hobbit who runs the bar decided weren't worth carrying. He has passed out drunk in whatever house you guys are in.

DAY 9: END

Now, what time do you murder hobos want to get up in the morning?

Ah, it will actually be 8 hours on light horses to Terrelton.

>>139454
8 in the morning.

>>139456
>sleeping 11 hours.
This is fine.
Assuming nothing happens along the way, you'd reach Terrelton at around 5 PM.
Be aware that you need one hour to prepare your spells.

Oh shit, I forgot about Jorr. His dogs only move at a speed of 50 ft... Let me crunch some numbers...

Oh, yeah, one of you needs to roll Diplomacy to convince the woodsman to leave the woods.
Anyone else may use the Aid Another action for peer pressure.

I’m here

Who has the best CHA mod to being with?

>>139459
>>139461
I have +1 to diplomacy.

>>139461
That would be Chad.
The rest of you can roll Aid Another to try and help (just roll Cha).
>>139462
You can use Guidance too, if you want.
Misty has higher Cha than any of you.

>>139463
So i should use Guidance on Misty?

>>139463
I vote to let the horse do the talking

>>139465
Same.

>>139464
Sure, and roll Diplomacy yourself to aid.

Everyone can roll, but only one roll is the main roll.

>>139467
So what would the modifier be for Misty?

>>139468
+2

Aid Another charisma roll
[1d20-3 = -2]

>>139470
now roll Chad's

>>139473
>Rolling an 18 for Aid Another
Guess it wasn't such a good idea to let the Telepathic horse do the talking afterall...

Okay, Chad succeeded on his Aid Another check, but Aral and Hamfist failed.
That means it's 8 + 2 Aid Another + 1 Guidance + 1 Pretty Mare, which comes up to a grand mod of 12.

The woodsman remains unconvinced (and somewhat confused) by the horse's word, but shrugs as he looks at the burning buildings in the distance, and then at his dogs beside the party.
"I got some business to take care of a bit past Terrelton. I'll ride with you boys along the way." he says

Okay, so you guys are going to get up at 8, or leave at 8?

If you fall asleep like logs, you can get up as early as 5.

>>139475
I’m interested in sleeping at 8

>>139476
I left off at 9 PM last night in game.

>>139475
Probably leaving at 8.

>>139475
Does a little more sleep translate into a little more HP?

>>139479
If you go a complete day and night of rest, you could recover twice your level in hit points.
Otherwise no, but you could prepare healing spells, if you wish.

>>139480
I'll get up earlier then, and prepare for leaving at 8.
Maybe attempt to craft some arrows from whatever is around in the time between.
[1d20+7 = 19]

>>139481
You only need to trance for 4 hours. You may spend remaining time crafting.
Some arrow making materials could be scavenged from the barracks in Drellin's Ferry.

>>139482
I also need some time to prepare arcane spells as part of the long rest, don't want to miss out on that, but otherwise, yeah, I do that. That was a crafting check, but should be 17, I realized I have no tools.

Okay, so the party gets up, prepares spells, and sets off on the dawn way.

Do you guys have a preferred riding formation? Who's on front?

>>139483
You find a set of cheap tools in a crawlspace in one of the buildings, found because elves always receive passive checks to find trap doors.
Also a leather sack that looks like it was emptied in a hurry.

>>139484
Me and Henry should be in front while Aral, Jorr and Misty are 10 to 15 feet behind.

>>139484
Henry will ride in front. Also I’m using all the healing belt charges to heal up a bit.

>>139485
You don't want to ride Misty?

>>139487
Actually... yes, i do.
I forgot i wasn't in wild shape.

Okay, enough stalling, stuff has to happen...
let me just take 5 and check my notes...

By this point, you're only four hours into your journey.
The afternoon sun beats down on you; the air is hot and still. The sparsely settled lands of Elsir Vale are starting to grow monotonous, with a seemingly endless line of dusty flyspecks of towns.
You're still not out of the woods though.

Chad, roll a spot check.

>>139491
About some 100 feet ahead, just over a hill, you spot a group of hobgoblins. No surprise round.

It appears they've spotted you too. Shouting emanates from the hills.

Everyone join me in the server for a combat encounter, and roll initiative.

Okay, that was quite the encounter.
Ngl, the point of this encounter was to be easy, and showcase the fact that not every gang of humanoid warriors roaming around the vale is made of up fanatical veterans.

Aside from the Red Leader, a mighty warrior, these hobgoblins were nothing special. These were lvl 1 mooks, even weaker than the Regular samurai you guys have been fighting, if their rusty, meager equipment is anything to go by.
The Bladebearer, however, was quite loaded. I will roll his equipment shortly.

The dead hobgoblins do not have any sort of paperwork or relevant information. Jorr, who only survived by the skin on his teeth, rolls splendidly on his knowledge check. He communicates gruffly that these must have been mere raiders, prowling the countryside for easy loot.

It is close to noon in game time.
With all of the fleeing villagers, marauders have been getting bold enough to attack travelers in broad daylight. Perhaps a bit too bold though, as they were no match for seasoned adventurers.

Before you lie two unconscious enemies.
One is a low-ranking hobgoblin, only a meager warrior, not even a fully-fledged samurai. It was grappled into submission by Jorr's dogs while its allies abandoned it.
"So the Red Hand employs low-level scum like this. Guess 'dem Red boys ain't all high an' mighty now."
Jorr says, nursing his wounded canines.

The other is a hellhound. You'd need a character with the right knowledge skill to tell anything about it.

>>139504
>Okay, that was quite the encounter.
You can say that again.
>Ngl, the point of this encounter was to be easy, and showcase the fact that not every gang of humanoid warriors roaming around the vale is made of up fanatical veterans.
Turns out you were underestimating the enemy.
>>139506
>The other is a hellhound. You'd need a character with the right knowledge skill to tell anything about it.
What would that entail?

>>139507
>What would that entail?
Some details about hellhounds, or what's up with this particular one.

>>139506
Check roll. Arcana.
[1d20+6 = 20]
We could also move onto interrogating the goblin if you want, Aral can translate. And likes to slap goblins, so win-win.

>>139510
Aral does not know anything about hellhounds, but he does know that this creature is not native to this world, but must have been called in with magic.
Closer inspection reveals Draconic traits on this particular specimen. It appears like a naked dog, only scalier. It's forepaws are hooked into talon-like toes, and its hide is tough and scaly. If it were an animal, it would be a Drakken (Dragon-Descended), but you don't know what to make of this one.

>>139511
Would i be able to roll anything?

>>139512
Not really. It's not common knowledge. You would normally need ranks in The Planes, but Aral had ranks in Arcana, so he noticed the draconic traits.

So, new information is revealed:
>not all of the Red Hand's Forces are as formidable as they seem
>However, within their ranks are mighty warriors who's strength rivals your own
>the Red Hand appear to be using alchemy and drugs to enhance their forces
>the Red Hand is not only allied with fiends from another world, but seemingly draconic ones

>>139517
>drugs
>fiends
Is this a mf Fallout reference?

RHoD will be continuing next weekend, with a new player too.

Next session, the party will have arrived in Terrelton.

Okay, due to some players being busy on the holidays. We will not be having a full session today.
DAY 10: 4:00 PM
Terrelton is a dusty village that gets by on the livestock and leather trades; several large. foul-smelling tanneries sit in the hills east of the town.
The local in is known as The Brass Dagger.
Supplies can be bought at Esper’s Market.
Checks will need to be rolled for additional information. It's a small town and has no map. Please don't make me draw one.

Okay, the session has begun.

Aral has finished managing his ammunition. Everyone is at low HP as they arrive in Terrelton.

There is only one Inn in town. It's rather low shabby, but due to lack of customers the keeper is willing to accommodate the party for 2 sp each (meals sold separately).

>>140373
I'm sitting somewhere in whatever common room the inn has and looking over what directions I got from my higher-ups in the church

As you arrive in town, Jorr excuses himself and says he'll be back in a few hours, saying he needs to take care of "some serious business".

>>140374
And I completely forgot to describe myself... Let me just fix that.
The guy you see sitting there is a human of around average height, wearing scale armor and a very oddly shaped helmet that appears to be made of platinum

>>140374
Your church only told you to warn Drellin's Ferry of impending doom, foretold by a-ranking priest in your order.
However, it seems as though the town has already begun evacuating before your arrival, and the whole region seems to be on edge for the impending war.

Right now, you're feeling a bit disillusioned. You are now certain that the vision that your superior had was a genuine one, and not just some excuse to get rid of you; however, you've received no further orders, and are contemplating what to do now. From some gossip you've picked up, you're aware of "a massive horde of goblins coming" from the West, and supposedly a blockade stopping the roads to the North.

(btw, you came from far East of Denovar, which is East of Brindol).

The Inn is unremarkable, and rather sparse, many of the clients having packed up and left in advance of the horde. Nobody stands out except for >>140376 a lone man in scaly armor sitting at a table in the corner.

Aral, Chad, and Hamfist are all gravely wounded, and will need to rest for several days without access to magical healing (unless Chad spends all of his spell slots tomorrow). You have heard that a certain crusading Cleric of St. Cuthbert has been investigating the Merchants' Guild in this town, however; perhaps you solicit them for healing services.

If any of you would like to know more about the Merchant's Guild, roll Gather Information (just a Cha check), or Knowledge (Local) as an Int check.

>>140378
>>140379
Rolling a Knowledge.
[1d20+2 = 18]

>>140376
You see a two humans and an elf walk into the bar, covered in blood and severely wounded. A passive Sense Motive check with your Wis modifier hints that they're formidable.

>>140381
"Hey, you lot. One, what happened to you all, and two, why didn't you evacuate with the rest of the town?"

>>140380
You don't know anything of real value, but since you've been to Terrelton before, you know that the town is governed by a Merchants Council shot through with connections to various gangs of brigands and highwaymen, but a crusading cleric of St. Cuthbert is working to clean up the council by exposing the misdeeds of the criminal members.
The corruption in the (((Merchant))) council is an open secret, but since this is medieval times, nobody before the Cleric has bothered to lift a finger to oppose them.

>>140382
>>140383
"We got into a couple of fights with goblins, and we aren't backing down from them."

>>140385
"So you all are here to deal with that mess too?"
Also, can I give them a quick look-over to determine exactly how badly they're all wounded?

>>140383
The town has not evacuated entirely, as many of the (((Merchants))) have stubbornly refused to abandon their property.
Half of them, however, have packed up and skedaddled.

>>140387
fucking merchants, it's always them

>>140386
"Yes."

>>140389
"Alright, I might as well help you out too. Now, who's the most hurt here? If I'm going to heal you all, I want to make sure it's done right."

(towards Henry) "Artorias Greenmarsch, cleric of Bahamut and occasional mercenary slash healmonkey for the right cause or the right coin. You?"

>>140391
"I need healing."

>>140391
You can tell taking 10 on a heal check that they're all pretty fucked-up. Several sword and arrow wounds and some moderate burns.

>>140393
"Yes, you've made that clear. I'm not wasting a full spell on a papercut though, so I'd like to know how badly."

>>140395
"I have been shot by about 10 arrows and earned a couple of cuts."

Henry approaches the rugged looking character and sets a bottle of rum down in front of him while uncorking another for himself. “What’s your story, stranger? You look like you’ve walked down some hard roads.”

>>140394
Alright, then I burn all three of my Cure Serious Wounds.
[3d8+1 = 8]
[3d8+1 = 13]
[3d8+1 = 8]
And feel free to claim whichever one works best for your HP levels.

>>140398
see
>>140392

>>140399
Any more healing required?

>>140399
I'll take an 8, I have the most current HP.

>>140395
Just fyi, you've got a bunch of unexpended spell slots, and they'll just disappear if you don't use them by tomorrow.
>>140399
That would be 3d8+6, your CL is 6.

>>140403
I know, but Artorias is supposed to be kind of a jerk at times.

>>140399
Disregard this number, these are the ones to use!
[3d8+6 = 17]
[3d8+6 = 16]
[3d8+6 = 18]

>>140404
Still the lowest one, as that is enough to put Aral at full HP. Assuming we got to that part already:
You get a "Thank you, cleric" from him, but that is about it. No hellos or pleasantries. It seems he's about to just get up and leave without any further word. Fucking unbelievable. As he turns, he stops mid-motion, absent-mindedly trying to wipe away at a patch of blood on his cloak, before realizing it's not about to come out anytime soon.

>>140405
You get a thumbs-up as you walk away, and the others get the rest of what needs healed healed through whatever spell slots are used to do it.

>>140405
>before realizing it's not about to come out anytime soon
Prestidigitation is good for this.

>>140406
“Are you going to drink the rum or should I put it back up?” The pugilist says with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

>>140404
I'll take the 17 and 18 if Henry doesn't, then use the alchemical healing paste to oil myself up for the night in the stables.
"Thanks mate, anything else you wanna ask?"

>>140409
>oil myself up for the night in the stables
Misty is into kinky stuff now?

>>140410
"Always has been."

>>140410
Misty knows it’s going to rain and wants to fly

>>140412
What?

>>140412
What?

>>140408
"I'm not particularly thirsty, but if you insist."
I chug it

>>140409
"Yeah, what are we up against here? I know it's goblins and that there's a war coming, but besides that, my superiors have left me pretty far in the dark."

>>140414
>>140413
I’m referencing the “cover yourself in oil” meme

>>140416
Misty can already fly, but okay.

>>140415
"We're up against pretty much any piece of goblin ass you can imagine, dragons, spell scourges, spellcasters, samurais, et cetera."
>>140416
>>140417
Oh.

Okay, while you guys dialogue, can you all communicate what you plan to do on day 11?

>>140419
“Now that I give it some thought, how do goblins even become samurai?”

>>140419
"Dragons? Why would dragons be tooling around with those knife-eared savages unless they're using them like chew toys?"

>>140421
You're a Warblade, right? Roll knowledge (local).

>>140423
I rolled an 8.

>>140424
That's a fail. Sorry.

>>140421
"Through excessive gobble training, I assume."
>>140422
"They were recruited into the Red Hand, the rest is still a mystery other than maybe they are doing it for gold."

>>140426
"That... that makes a lot more sense and is also quite worrying. If only somebody at my church had the ability to warn me of this, but passive aggression gets me nowhere...

Okay, I've understood at this point that you guys want to head east tomorrow. When do you all want to go to bed? You need 8 hours rest for arcane spell recovery, and one hour to prepare spells.

In-game, it's about 4:30 PM, on day 10.

>>140428
try to convince whatever stubborn (((merchants))) that are left in town to finally leave, and then I guess I'll turn in at about 10 PM

>>140429
Hmmmmmm, let me find my notes for that...

>>140428
I'll head to sleep at about 9pm after i finish my fetish fun.

>>140432
Do you know where we are?

>>140433
hot

>>140434
of course, I was just wondering if it was being brought to the table as well as the bedroom ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

so do we all fuck our horses behind closed doors, or is it just going to be Chad and me?

>>140435
It's a thing. He's a horse druid and everything.
I'm reasonably sure he fucked my horse too, but Aral failed his listen check that night, so in-character I have no idea.

>>140429
You make your way to the merchant's council gathering. It's a large but shabby building, a foul smell emanating from the general area. The building is visibly lit, but sparsely, as if by someone who cared more about saving oil than common sense.
In front of the building, you see an angry-looking woman, somewhere in her mid twenties, clad in chain mail, with an absurdly long scroll in her hands rolling across the floor. She appears to be giving a severe tongue-lashing to two very tired looking guards.
As you approach you hear
"What do you mean 'the forum is closed'?! It's supposed to be an emergency meeting, and by order of the founding guild doctrine, all emergency council meetings are to be made open to the public. I demand to see your manager!"
>"Ma'am. We're sorry, but we have orders."
"I'm not going anywhere until I find out what happened to the public's donations!"
>>140432
I have been operating under the assumption of it.

>>140440
Can I determine anything else about the woman, like maybe if she's the other cleric in town?

>>140441
Roll knowledge (religion), to identify the sigils on her armor.

>>140437
>>140438
>>140439
Based.

>>140444
just don't fuck my horse and we're cool, got it?

>>140445
Fine, it's a deal.

>>140443
With a check like that, you easily recognize her holy symbol as that of St. Cuthbert: God of Truth, Wisdom, Law, Justice, and Common Sense. You recognize it so easily because you saw the church of St. Cuthbert when you passed through Denovar.
From this, you can assume that this is indeed the local crusading cleric named Leille that the (((merchants))) have been whining about recently.
She looks quite angry. The guards look frustrated, tired and vaguely frightened by the persistent woman, who is still reading down along her comically long scroll.

>>140444
Digits checked.

>>140447
Then I guess I introduce myself and provide a stern, equally frustrated in the direction of the guards as further encouragement

>>140449
The woman pauses her rant as you approach. She speaks politely, her demeanor turning on a dime.
"Greetings, Sir. I am Leille (lol, i forgot her surname), Knight of the Cudgel."

The guards seem still frustrated, but mostly just tired.
>"I'm sorry, but we've got orders not to let anyone in while the council is meeting. Try again tomorrow."
"This is ludicrous! Just what are they doing in there that has to be kept secret?!"

Okay, I'm only now realizing that I'm basically setting up a one-person miniquest here...

Can I get an ooc commitment that Artorias has agreed to follow the rest of the party east?

>>140451
(towards Leille) "Artorias Greenmarsch, cleric of the Platinum Dragon."
(towards guards) "I refuse to believe whatever's going on in there is more important than the goblin army that currently has dragons in its employ currently coming this way, so if you'll let us in to properly explain this fact, then I won't try to drag you out to be used as meatshields."
Diplomacy if necessary: [1d20+11 = 21]
Intimidation if somehow diplomacy fails: [1d20+2 = 14]

>>140452
I'm following them, don't worry

>>140453
One of the guards sighs, visibly giving up to the fact that his job will probably be gone in a couple days anyway.
>"The council is inside dividing liquid assets for the town. They insisted not to let anyone in."
"Liquid assets? You mean the gold that Brother Derny donated to the poor yesterday as the refugees from Ferry were passing through? So that's what this is all about. I'll have a word with Mr. Goldberg if he thinks he can get away with lining his pockets again."
>[audible groans]
>"Ma'am, we have orders-."
>"We [i]had[i/] orders."
The other guard says, as he picks up his satchel and promptly walks off into town.
The first guard stares after him for a few seconds before deciding that dealing with this lady is above his paygrade and follows suit.

>>140453
The priestess seems satisfied that she's been able to get in through technically-legal means. She looks towards Artorias.
"Thankyou for that." she says, not specifying what for
"I think I can handle things from here on out. The council can be a stubborn bunch, but they're quick to turn to putty up close." she continues, brandishing her light mace in one hand as she enters the building.

>>140454
>>140455
I nod to Leille and give a simple "You're welcome." before going back to the inn to tend to my horse and turn in for the night

Okay. Unless Artorias really wants to spend the rest of the session T-posing on merchants with Miss Leille, I'm going to move this session ahead to day 11.

END OF DAY 10

Okay, that's 8 hours rest, one hour to prepare spells, and another doing miscellaneous things...

DAY 11, 7:00 AM.

And you guys are on the road, heading north east to Nimon Gap.

>>140458
I mean, I'm always down to T-pose on merchants, but other people need playtime too

It will take less than a day to get to Nimon gap.

Jorr eventually returned in the morning with a grim look on his face. He silently gets on his horse and follows the party eastwards.

Nimon Gap is 25-30 miles away. One day's travel at the speed of Artorias's Horse.
Nimon Gap: A tiny hamlet located at the place where the Dawn Way descends out of the Nimon Hills, Nimon Gap grew up around a large walled inn known as the Cross-Eyed Beholder. The folk of Nimon Gap grow apples, pears, and chestnuts in orchards sheltered below the hills, while shepherds and goatherds keep their livestock in the heights.

>>140461
You would get there sometime in the afternoon.

Nothing worth session time happens in Nimon Gap.
DAY 11 END
The next day, you reach Talar.

>>140461
I just want to punch things until they turn into ground beef

>>140463
I’m gonna go see what the fight game looks like in Talar

Used all charges of the healing belt to heal. Currently at 61/77 HP.

>>140463
I guess I keep doing what I can to warn people about the gobbos as we continue moving around

>>140464
You know what.
Fuck it.

As you're travelling through the orchards from Nimon Gap, Aral and Misty spot some rustling in the trees.

Everyone roll initiatve and meet me in the server for combat.

Okay... Henry is kill, after suffering a critical hit from a Warblade with a Heavy Pick.

The Hobgoblin Cleric (it's a Cleric), is still alive, but dying. You could stabilize him if you want him as a prisoner.

As for the unholy symbol ID roll, this is a symbol that Artorias would know anywhere: The mark of the devil Tiamat (pic related).

>>140470
Yeah, I'll stabilize the hobgobbo and get one of the guys good with ropes to tie him up; he's getting interrogated probably next week since that combat took long as hell

>>140471
I know. I really, really, really would like to do this in voicechat going forward.

>>140472
understandable

Loot for this encounter:

236 gold pieces
1 Lapis Lazuli
1 Onyx
Iron Samurai Mask (70 gp)
Electrum Cloth Vest (1800 gp)
Silk Hunter's Cap trimmed with Sable (70 gp)
And the biggest Blue Diamond you've ever seen in your life.

14 cure light wounds potions
+1 Dragonfang Heavy Pick
+1 Banded Mail
Masterwork Hide Armor, Dragonskin
10 dragonsbreath arrows (kept forgetting to use those)
5 fancy arrows made of what appears to be ice(?) on the Red Leader
Silver Unholy Symbol of Tiamat

>>140474
Also a scroll of Summon Monster 3

Okay, I guess I'd better get this going.
I'm not really prepared today though, so it might be unproductive and cringe.

Now to see how long it took you guys to get to Brindol, and if any villages have been burned in the meantime...
>totally forgot to DM Jorr's sidequest
Whatever.
Jorr, assuming Artorias spent one of his remaining spell slots to heal him at the end of that encounter, eventually tells the party that he's been searching for family members that left a small home on the outskirts of Terrelton. He suspects that some of them might have joined the caravan to Brindol, but isn't sure how they stayed ahead of the party so far. It's also why he's been so anxious lately.

>>140868
"Best of luck to them."

Btw, what we learned last session, to get it through your thick PC skulls:
>in wake of the horde, hobgoblins have been raiding the countryside with increasing boldness and frequency, attacking merchants and refugees alike
>The Red Hand is not to be underestimated, for their ranks hold powerful combatants
>NPCs with x4 Crit modifiers and PCs below lvl 8 don't mix well...
>Red Hand regulars tend to scram when their leaders are killed (so focus fire)
>Warbands in the Red Hand sometimes include priests of the Devil Tiamat

What we gained:
>More loot than this encounter really deserved for its CR
>1 prisoner: a low-level sunscorched hobgoblin Cleric of Tiamat
>muh glory
>misc stuff that wasn't even mentioned in the lootpile (leather armor, longswords, longbows, arrows, stone unholy symbols, dirty clothes)
What we lost:
>1 Party Member: Henry Hamfist (revival pending)
>some hit points
>some spell slots
>Jorr's dignity as a competent archer

Okay, you guys reach Brindol early in the morning of Day 13. I kind of regret glossing over Talar, but I'm going to have to cut down on the number of encounters if this game is ever going to be finished in a PbP medium.

DAY 13 BEGIN

Pic related is a map of Brindol.

>>140871
Are they going to be mad if we bring in a tied up hobgobbo no matter what we plan on doing with it?

>>140871
Is the cathedral visible from afar? The idea is to head straight for a local place of worship to find someone who can resurrect the recently deceased.
Once we're inside, that is.

>>140873
Unless you plan on doing something retarded, a Red Hand prisoner is reasonable.
Here's the game map, with marked dots, because a little bit of metagaming doesn't hurt anybody.
>>140874
Sorry, still skipping reading what it's like when you arrive in Brindol... And finding my notes for the NPCs.

The cathedral of Pelor is easy enough to find, being a large, fancy building with lots of windows letting the light in. You would get there taking 10 on a Gather Information check, when I'm ready.

>>140876
I'm assuming doing the interrogation within city limits counts as "something retarded," right?

Okay, this session isn't going anywhere until well-after i read Part 4, re-write it to fit in Part 2, and plan notes accordingly... It's kind of SOL at this point.
Sorry, I really wasn't prepared today.

Going back, the party would have tried to interrogate the snarling goblin thy captured before reaching Brindol, because he would have been a pain and a half to transport.

At first, the hobgoblin was completely hostile at the sight of the Platinum Helm, but after a 27 diplomacy check his attitude has improved to Indifferent, and he merely glares at Aral and Chad.

>>140879
"Alright buddy, I get that you don't like me and I sure as shit don't like you. However, I've already helped you out by not letting you die to a few dogs and some other monster, so how about you help me out in return? Do a good enough job and I'll even let you go."

>>140880
The cultist cackles in response
"Fool. I'd proudly die in service to the Dark Lady! What could you hope to gain from me?!"

>>140881
>I'd proudly die
Aral slowly draws his sickly in the background.
"That works too. I'm the alternative."

>>140881
"Okay, then tell me what I want to know and I'll gladly let you go back to getting mauled by animals. Otherwise, you're being dragged with me until you give in even if you're kicking and screaming the whole way. As for what I want, it's information. What are your goals in all this?"

>>140882
*Sickle. The curvy thing. Lol.

>>140884
>commie tool
>for killing people
this checks out

>>140883
>>140882
The goblin cackles even louder, sounding like a turkey as he gobbles curses in his own language
"Gobgobgobgobgob! Bold of you to assume I fear death. Better to die at the hands of the enemy than be sacrificed on the altar of Tiamat."
>What are your goals in all this?
"Your Doom!" he hisses, before falling back into gobbling laughter
“You may have won today, stupid humans, but our day is coming! The Red Hand will destroy you all!"
"[Gobgobgobgobgobgobgobgobgob!]"
"The human river-town has already fallen. And soon the town of walls shall meet the day of ruin!"

>>140887
"Let me be more specific. I got the whole 'death and destruction' idea from you sending out a massive wave of goblins. What I want to know is what else specifically you hope to accomplish with all this, because I refuse to believe that a horde of you greenies would mass up to this size for purely shits and giggles, as much as that would fit your kind. Are you trying to summon Tiamat, or something else entirely?"

>>140888
"Our lord works in mysterious ways. The tribes have been united, all in the name of The Dark Lady!" he says, unhelpfully

Roll Sense Motive to see if he visibly responded to anything you just asked; Aral can apply his Favored Enemy bonus (and use Int).

>>140888
Trips checked, and I'll throw in some extra info if either of you make these checks.

>>140889
[1d20+8 = 14] Sense Motive

>>140891
You notice the hobgoblin's right eye visibly widen and twitch at the phrase:
>Are you trying to summon Tiamat
before returning to the same angry glare.

>>140893
The plot chickens

>>140889
"Thanks for nothing, there. Next question, what kind of numbers are we up against? I don't care if you give me some rough estimate with one real number and a bunch of zeros or an exat headcount of all of you, but some noghing answer like 'a lot' or 'enough to drown you fuckers in' will just result in me asking until I get that real answer.

>>140894
*exact and *nothing

>>140893
Int check in place of untrained Knowledge (Religion) (or planes, or whatever applies)
How the fuck does summoning a god even work? Would it be an avatar or something? Can Aral even guess at it?
[1d20+5 = 19]
Also to determine whether he even understands how bad this even is, if nothing else.

>>140896
how do I assist with this roll?

>>140897
I don't know if you put points into knowledge religion (but I mean, you are a cleric, so you have it as a class skill)
But if nothing else, the aid another is like:
Roll the same skill, if it's higher than 10, then you get to add a +2 to the other player's roll. You might be better off to just roll your own tho.

>>140898
fair enough, I'll just assume you told me what you're thinking about and make my own roll
[1d20+9 = 18]

>>140899
well then
I guess we know about as much as each other

>>140900
If you have it trained, you still probably know more. Untrained checks allow for common and basic knowledge only iirc.

>>140901
does trained knowledge affect something separately from having it as a skill?

>>140894
The goblin, possessing high Wisdom but rather low Int, is glad to continue berating your with unintelligoble slurs and let info about the Red Hand slip as he continues to threaten you with Doom
He gobbles in laughter
"Gobgobgobgobgobgob! You have no hope! There are too many of us! Thousands of us march from the human river town as we speak! The giant-ones have joined us, and dragons soar overhead. Saarvith readies to end the swamp elves, and soon even the Lion King will follow us! Gobgobgobgobgob!" the goblin divulges, stupidly
>>140896
>>140899
Summoning a monster is one thing, summoning a god is another. Sustaining a god on the prime material plane permanently is unheard of, but would be apocalyptic if it occurred.
In any case, it would involve the powers of a mighty spellcaster, and a sacrifice of great value. It would be a truly apocalyptic event, were it to unfold.

>>140903
Can I roll something to see if I can figure out who the Lion King and Saarvith are?

>>140904
Saarvith is unfamiliar.
Aral immediately recognizes the "swamp elves" as the Tiri Kitor Wild Elves in the Blackfens.

Roll knowledge (religion) to see what you might know of this supposed "lion king".

The hobgoblin cultist suddenly looks nervous, as if he's said too much.
"B-but, he isn't doing anything important there. Who is Saarvith anyway?"
>>140906
Elsir Vale is home to a powerful lich, commonly known as The Ghostlord, who resides in an ancient temple devoted to lions. The Ghostlord is only spoken of in legend, but his power is said to be unmatched.

>>140907
"Nice try, faggot. Anything else you'd like to share with us, since I'm sure you now realize that you can't dig yourself any deeper, or would you rather take it up with your countrymen the next time we see them?"

>>140908
"N-never! You won't get anything from me! The Lady awaits me!" The cultist declares

>>140909
"She may await you, but first you gotta check back in with her gatekeepers. So, would you rather be executed for treason because you were a dumbass, or because you actually committed treason?"

>>140910
The goblin scowls, and lands a perfect 20 to spit right through the visor on your helmet, cursing unintelligibly in at least three languages.

>>140911
I remove my helmet, wipe the pit from my eye, wipe it back on one of the restrained bits of the hobgoblin, and whistle for my horse
"Daisy, c'mere."

>>140912
*spit
I am just full of typos today

>>140912
Once my horse is there, I get back on her and have her stamp the gobbo's legs into paste

Huzzah!
[1d20+11 = 15]

Anybody want a piece of the hobgoblin before I say the interrogation's over?

>>140916
I'm gonna piss on him.

>>140916
All yours.

>>140915
Sorry, not high enough to get plot relevant info. The DM says with a sigh of relief.
However, you do know that "The Lion King" is another name given to a horrible monster that haunts the Thornwastes. It is a region that no other druids in the vale dare approach.
>>140917
Roll a Dexterity (pissing) check, add your base attack bonus.
Horse form gives a +4 racial bonus.

>>140919
>Sorry, not high enough to get plot relevant info.
Hold my Knowledge (Nature).
[1d20+12 = 29]

>>140917
>>140918
Fair enough.
I tell the gobbo "Then I guess you're dying a dumbass." and put him back wherever he was while we were transporting him while we were between towns. As for what to do next, why don't we take all this info over to Pelor's bros and see if they can help us out with any of it, assuming >>140920 somehow turns up nothing

>>140922
Me and Misty piss on him.

>>140920
[Sighs]
I really shouldn't be telling you this before part 2 even begins, but I already spoiled in in that ghost-nonsense encounter, so...

The Druids of the Tiri Kitor are old enough to have told you about something called a "Blighter" a wicked ex-druid who has turned against the natural order. The Ghostlord, or "Lion King", is one such Druid, a mage of unmatched power who haunts the Thornwastes.
>>140922 (dubs)
The Cleric is completely covers in piss.
He REEEEEEEEEs a mighty REEEEEEEEEEEEEE as Jorr's dogs join the party.

>>140921
Jorr helps you tie up the piss-soaked cultist, who writhes in fury as he is gagged.
The hobgoblin's attitude has once again become hostile.

So, now what?

What we learned today:
>The Red Hand are fanatical followers of the devil Tiamat
>The horde has already begun marching from Drellin's Ferry
>The unknown lord of the horde has ambitions that surpass the conquest of Brindol
>Red Hand veterans and cultists fear not death, for they mean that deserting means sacrifice on the altar of Tiamat
>Int is a dump stat for Clerics
>Elves in trouble
>McGuffin in the Blackfens(?!)
>The "Lion King", a monster of unmatched power, may join the fray
>>140926
Now I read this book and do some work for class registration.

>>140927
A solid decision. Happy reading and GL on that registration work!

>>140927
>int is a dump stat for clerics
can confirm...

Okay, I'm going to try to actually be prepared for the session this week.

Okay, as I mentioned earlier in the server, I've taken the liberty to do a bit of retconning to the session two weeks ago. It was my mistake to replace a lvl 4 low-op Fighter with a lvl 4 high-op Warblade with a x4 crit modifier.
>muf favored weapon of Tiamat
Because of that I derailed the game and created the "revive Henry" sidequest that forces the party to go to Brindol.

So, with that being said.
>A magical golden elephant (see: Hollyphant) flies by and revives Henry immediately after he dies
>Henry remains lvl 6 because reasons
>Dumbo is immediately torn apart by randomly-spawning demons
>the demons are promptly smited by a randomly-teleporting Paladin on a Door Crusade casting Door To Great Evil:
>http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/ghostwalk--94/door-to-great-evil--1384/index.html#:~:text=Door%20to%20great%20evil%20guarantees,with%20a%20way%20to%20return
>Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Film promptly teleports away on his prismatic dyke horse, to do important paladin stuff elsewhere
>An Ethereal Filcher pops in from the Astral Plane and steals the +1 Dragonfang Heavy pick and the priceless blue diamond from Jorr's Bag
>"REEEEEEEE! Dagnabbit! Bloody, plowin' Filchers!"
>A random Hobgoblin Bladebearer charges out of the woods and attacks the party
>She is immediately shot to death by Jorr, who got a sneak attack, and finished off by his dogs
>She Drops two identical +1 Dragoncraft clawed gauntlets (spiked gauntlets, but slashing), and two more potions of Enlarge Person (the party has 3 now).
>An Invisible, flying Wizard helpfully tells Aral that the Ice arrows he found were actually made of Stygian Ice
>John J. Abrams, said Wizard, accidentally steps on a planar manifest zone, and enjoys an all expense paid vacation to the 5th layer of Baator, only to return when his player is able to commit to playing consistently

I know it's gay, but this will make it more enjoyable for everyone.

And so, the party leaves off on day 12, having just finished interrogating the Piss Goblin. It is no longer necessary to go to Brindol to revive Henry, but you may if you wish to.
You could also see what Norro Wiston said about Cromar being in danger in the Blackfens.
Or check out the blockades on the Rhest Trail that the lion lady mentioned, in that area.
Or see what this "Saarvith" guy is planning in the Blackfens to unleash on the elves there.

I turned time back to day 12 because stuff happens in-game regardless of whether or not the PCs move to the next milestone. Also because I don't think anybody absorbed that you could get to both the blackfens and the Rhest Trail via the Elsir River.

After you get to the next milestone (It's in the Blackfens), I will raise the entire party to lvl 7, and switch the game back to XP based leveling.

Also, everyone in the party receives 8 action Points for the remainder this level, since I'm too retarded to know when to fudge a diceroll in the party's favor:
https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/actionPoints.htm
Depending on how you use these, I may make it a permanent part of the game.

>>141435
No matter what we do, I nominate that our official secondary objective goes from whatever it was before to "find a silver dragon and convince it to help us"

>>141436
Seconding this.
it's more like "bribe a slutty dragoness to be our cum dumpster."

As for what I vote we do right now, we take a quick look at brindol to make sure things aren't on fire yet and then go get that free milestone and level saarvith guy so we can stop him

>>141436
Noted. I'll see if that fits on my map.
Silver Dragon Wyrmlings are ECL 11 though...

>>141438
You are near Talar, and you haven't heard any news from Brindol except that refugees are still evacuating in that direction, so you can rest assured that shit has not hit the fan (yet).

>tfw my trove PDFs aren't working anymore ;_;

>>141440
So then I guess we go in whatever direction the blackfens are in, if nobody objects

>>141439
I'm down for waiting till we're qualified to fuck young dragonesses.
>>141441
Yep.

>>141441
Alright. The only meta reason to go to the city would've been shops and stuff, but going towards the story is kind of important too. Blackfens it is.

>>141443
Ah, heheh.. Good choice. No railroading here...

So, you can either go by boat, or head up the Rhest Trail North of Talar. At this point, I'm situating you guys around Talar, so it'd be quicker on horseback.

You can do any essential shopping in Talar before you move to the Rhest trail. All mundane provisions are available, and low-cost magic items can be found as the merchants dump their stocks for shekels.

Also, since I guess trying to hold back map info to avoid metagaming is a lost cause, I managed to find a map of Elsir Vale with all secret doors removed:

Okay, assuming you guys left on day 10, canonizing the two encounters I ran, it should have taken you 5-6 days to reach the Blackfens, *assuming* nothing else happened along the way.

This info is revealed with Aral's Geography check, inferring from his own memory of the Blackfens, and the Red Hand map.

You rested in Talar on day 13, and went north to Witchcross after suddenly deciding there was nothing worth doing in Brindol for now.

Did you guys want to bring the piss goblin with you?

>>141446
yeah, I'm bringing him with us. He may yet prove useful in other ways, anyway. Also, I'd like to note that in case any more gobbos show up, I have my helmet put away so that they don't immediately try to focus me down for being the ultimate heretic or something.

>>141446
>Did you guys want to bring the piss goblin with you?
Would it hurt to bring him?

>>141448
Jorr has him tied up and gagged, and he can't cast anything without his unholy symbol. You could feasibly drag him there, but you don't really sense anything else useful from him.
Only drawback on my part is occasionally having to roleplay him.
>>141447
Got it.

Now, does anybody have something they want to buy or sell in Talar?

>>141449
>Now, does anybody have something they want to buy or sell in Talar?
What's on the counter of options?

>>141449
I have all of jack and shit to sell, so I guess I'd like to hear the list of buying options too

>>141450
As i said in the server, mundane provisions are available, including special materials, and low-cost magic items are available (feather tokens, potions, weapon augmentation crystals, scrolls, etc). As the merchants dump their stocks for shekels in wake of the coming horde.

>>141452
any specific kinds of feather tokens present/ removed from that list?

>>141452
What kind of potions other than the ordinary?

>>141452
>weapon augmentation crystals
Wasn't aware those were an option. How do those work and which ones are available?

>>141451
>>141454
Potions of lesser vigor are available. You can barter one cure potion and one flask of alchemical healing paste for a Lesser Vigor potion.

A rare oil of Personal Weapon Augmentation is for sale. You can have it for you can have it for 300 gp.

All feather tokens are available: Price 50 gp (anchor), 300 gp (bird), 200 gp (fan), 450 gp (swan boat), 400 gp (tree), 500 gp (whip).

One merchant is selling a Gray Bag Of Tricks for 800 gp. Less than usual.
And it seems as though a set of Druid's Vestments are going for 3,750 gp. Just over a third of its usual price.

Magic Arrows are sold individually for the price of 50 of said arrows divided by 50.

Really, if you guys want a low-cost magic item, I'll let you buy it. Nothing over 4000 gp is here though.

>>141456
>>141455
You'll have to check the Magic Item Compendium. My trove link is broken.

>>141457
question, if we sell off all the garbo we've collected so far and sold it all, how much dosh would we each get from it? Because if I can get around 200 gp, then I'll buy a lesser crystal of life drinking, and if not, then I'll just get a least one

>>141451
I would like to inform you that the piss goblin was wearing a decent suit of +1 banded mail, before Jorr looted him.
If you want to sell your old armor, that's can be done.
>>141458
It depends on what you sell and were you sell it, but magic item often sell for half their market price.

>>141457
I'm not going to buy anything.

>>141460
I guess I'm taking the hobgobbo's armor and ditching my old suit. Also, is there anything that would indicate to me where would be the best place to sell off our collective loot so as to get the biggest pile to distribute?

>>141463
If you make a really good diplomacy check, I'll let you sell all of your stuff for %55 of its market price.

Reminder that gems, treasure and art items sell for their full price. They're basically currency.

Also, I would like everyone to sort out what they took from the last few encounters. Unclaimed loot will be taken by Jorr and sold for expensive dog food.

>>141464
Anybody care if I take everything we don't care about, sell it off, and bring back the money?

>>141464
I'm gonna keep the idol of Ehlonna but sell pretty much whatever else.
>>141465
Go ahead.

>>141466
That's one yes, any input from Aral?

>>141467
Sure. Check the inventory channel, there was even unclaimed currency in there. I support you being in charge of collecting and splitting up that shit.

>>141465
Please discuss it with the party. I think there's quite a bit of unclaimed loot in the inventory channel.

In game, you would be aware that the Red Hand Horde is going to trample town after town in the coming days. Chances to buy and sell items will be increasingly scarce, and resource management will make the difference between winning and losing.

>>141468
Alright, taking all of our unclaimed garbage and selling it! [1d20+11 = 14]

Selling:
-1 lapis
-1 onyx
-Iron samurai mask
-Electrum cloth vest
-Silk hunter's cap with sable trim
-both +1 dragoncraft clawed gauntlets
-my old scale mail

>>141471
I would like to give Henry's player a chance to claim some of those before final decisions are made.

Fyi, if you don't intend to buy something with the funds, the gems and art items are worth carrying around because they're effectively lighter weight currency. You should be factoring the weight of gold and silver into your carrying capacity.
>50 pieces = 1 pound of metal
Art items also count as masterwork tools for whatever skill you can justify them relating to.

The scale mail sells for 25 gp. Add that money to your sheet.

>>141473
fair enough, I'll add the +25 gp to my stash, hold off on selling anything until we can sort out the inventory management, and probably have to wait until next week to actually see if I can purchase what I want to or not