Welcome, lurkers, to our fabulous thread.
In this thread, we continue our journey in which our party (yet unnamed), embarks on an epic quest to thwart the assault of the Red Hand army on Elsir Vale, racing to prepare for the assault before the might horde ends the world as they know it.
The game is a long-term d&d campaign that run on the 3.5e system. It is mostly played on this board, with partial support on discord.
General details of the campaign can be found here:
>>132102 →Now, the party left off at the end of the evacuation of Drellin's Ferry, the townsfolk fleeing ahead of the advance of the horde. The Red Hand forces are mighty, and the party has been able to accomplish little to hinder the army, although the vengeful fury of a certain giant and his granddaughters may have bought the villagers some time, as distant sounds of thunder echo from the hills.
In part one, the party learned some vital information, from the the Wyrmlord Koth's notes, map, and conversations with many characters along the way
>The Red Hand horde means business. If it is going to be stopped, that will have to be at Brindol, the only place in Elsir Vale with a standing army large enough and the fortifications necessary to have a chance against such a large force.>Monsters are blocking the roads to the north, blocking any chance of reinforcements for Brindol>One of the leaders of the Red Hand is in the ruined city of Rhest.>The horde is going to steamroll the towns east of Drellin’s Ferry and keep going.>A powerful wizard named Cromar is retired in the BlackfensA partial archive of Part I can be found here:
>>133942 →And with that, let the games begin.
332 replies and 51 files omitted.
DAY 9: Evening.
Now, let's continue where we left off, shall we?
"That chimera was a massive pussy."
>>139428Double 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."
>>139430I 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.
>>139429Yeah... 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)
>>139430Yeah, the dwarf you sold the owlbear pelts to helped you treat it before he skipped town. It makes for a kickass cape.
>>139430>>139431>>139432Triple 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.
>>139433You are in Drellin's Ferry, in the evening.
>>139434I 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 chewsThe 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 arrowsThe 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 arrowsAlso:
>3 tanglefoot bags>2 noxious smokesticks>Masterwork longsword>2 thunderstones>2 flasks of Acidic Fire>1 unmarked oil>2 unmarked potions
>>139435Hmm, 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.
>>139436I like the sound of the masterwork long sword.
>>139436Jorr 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?
>>139436Aral 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.
>>139437The throwables are very nice too. Consider taking some.
>>139438Well should and could we set it on fire so the goblins can't ransack anything that's left?
>>139439Not sure, how far is Brindol and how long would it take before we needed to camp?
>>139440I think i'll take the flasks of acidic fire.
>>139440Nobody 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.
>>139443Yes, 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.
>>139444With digits like that, you can cast it on 6 houses, without moving.
>>139445One 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
>>139446So should we camp here then?
>>139447If you wish. There are plenty of abandoned houses in Drellin's Ferry (-10).
>>139448If we camped here then started a march on Terrelton in the morning would we reach it by noon or evening?
>>139449Depends 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(heading north is not required at all; don't mistake my clumsy attempts to make sure you have information for railroading)
>>139450I don't think we should go sailing, let's camp first and go wherever in the morning.
>>139452Yeah, I wouldn't mind having spell slots back and healing up a bit.
>>139452Okay.
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.
>>1394548 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.
Who has the best CHA mod to being with?
>>139459>>139461I have +1 to diplomacy.
>>139461That would be Chad.
The rest of you can roll Aid Another to try and help (just roll Cha).
>>139462You can use Guidance too, if you want.
Misty has higher Cha than any of you.
>>139463So i should use Guidance on Misty?
>>139463I vote to let the horse do the talking
>>139464Sure, and roll Diplomacy yourself to aid.
Everyone can roll, but only one roll is the main roll.
>>139467So what would the modifier be for Misty?
Aid Another charisma roll
[1d20-3 = -2]
>>139473>Rolling an 18 for Aid AnotherGuess 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.
>>139475I’m interested in sleeping at 8
>>139476I left off at 9 PM last night in game.
>>139475Probably leaving at 8.
>>139475Does a little more sleep translate into a little more HP?
>>139479If 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.
>>139480I'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]
>>139481You 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.
>>139482I 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?
>>139483You 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.
>>139484Me and Henry should be in front while Aral, Jorr and Misty are 10 to 15 feet behind.
>>139484Henry will ride in front. Also I’m using all the healing belt charges to heal up a bit.
>>139485You don't want to ride Misty?
>>139487Actually... 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.
>>139491About 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.
>>139506Check 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.
>>139510Aral 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.
>>139511Would i be able to roll anything?
>>139512Not 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
>Red Leader, high on Fervor Juice, after taking a max-rolled Arrowsplit attack with an Alchemist's Arrow from a Ranger with Goblinoids as his favored enemy
>>139517>drugs>fiendsIs this a mf Fallout reference?
>>139531Mostly an appropriation of some pathfinder fluff concerning hobgoblins.
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).
>>140373I'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".
>>140374And 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
>>140374Your 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>>140379Rolling a Knowledge.
[1d20+2 = 18]
>>140376You 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?"
>>140380You 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?
>>140383The 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.
>>140387fucking merchants, it's always them
>>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."
>>140391You 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.”
>>140394Alright, 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.
>>140399Any more healing required?
>>140399I'll take an 8, I have the most current HP.
>>140395Just fyi, you've got a bunch of unexpended spell slots, and they'll just disappear if you don't use them by tomorrow.
>>140399That would be 3d8+6, your CL is 6.
>>140403I know, but Artorias is supposed to be kind of a jerk at times.
>>140399Disregard this number, these are the ones to use!
[3d8+6 = 17][3d8+6 = 16][3d8+6 = 18]
>>140404Still 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.
>>140405You 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 soonPrestidigitation 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.
>>140404I'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 stablesMisty is into kinky stuff now?
>>140410"Always has been."
>>140410Misty knows it’s going to rain and wants to fly
>>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>>140413I’m referencing the “cover yourself in oil” meme
>>140416>oil floats on water>step 1: wait for it to rain>step 2: cover yourself in oil>step 3: fly>mfw
>>140416Misty 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>>140417Oh.
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?"
>>140421You're a Warblade, right? Roll knowledge (local).
>>140424That'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.
>>140428try 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
>>140429Hmmmmmm, let me find my notes for that...
>>140428I'll head to sleep at about 9pm after i finish my fetish fun.
>>140431so he's actually gonna fuck the horse?
>>140432Do you know where we are?
>>140433hot>>140434of 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?
>>140435It'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.
>>140438wow, just getting cucked like that? harsh.
>>140429You 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!">>140432I have been operating under the assumption of it.
>>140440Can I determine anything else about the woman, like maybe if she's the other cleric in town?
>>140441Roll knowledge (religion), to identify the sigils on her armor.
>>140444just don't fuck my horse and we're cool, got it?
>>140445Fine, it's a deal.
>>140443With 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.
>>140447Then I guess I introduce myself and provide a stern, equally frustrated in the direction of the guards as further encouragement
>>140449The 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]>>140452I'm following them, don't worry
>>140453One 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.
>>140453The 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>>140455I 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.
>>140458I 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.
>>140461You would get there sometime in the afternoon.
Nothing worth session time happens in Nimon Gap.
DAY 11 END
The next day, you reach Talar.
>>140461I just want to punch things until they turn into ground beef
>>140463I’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.
>>140463I guess I keep doing what I can to warn people about the gobbos as we continue moving around
>>140464You 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).
>>140470Yeah, 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
>>140471I know. I really, really, really would like to do this in voicechat going forward.
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
>>140474Also 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.
>>140871Are they going to be mad if we bring in a tied up hobgobbo no matter what we plan on doing with it?
>>140871Is 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.
>>140873Unless 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.
>>140874Sorry, 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.
>>140876I'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."
>>140880The 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 dieAral 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 peoplethis checks out
>>140885It's a trip weapon, but yeah, I guess.
>>140883>>140882The 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).