Machines of War

[INWranger]

Get out of there and make my way to the Smirnoff camp.

[madtinker]

Make a couple hide checks to slip out without being seen.

[INWranger]

Hide
(1d20+14)[28]
move silently
(1d20+9)[27]

Hide
(1d20+14)[28]
move silently
(1d20+9)[26]

Hide
(1d20+14)[33]
move silently
(1d20+9)[24]

[madtinker]

Wow, those are really, really good rolls. Especially with all the confusion, and the fact that everyone who tries to fight the 'fire' falls unconscious in seconds. As you move away from the camp, the cloud of potent vapor hangs heavily in the torchlight.

Take 1000 xp

[INWranger]

Get back to my horse and head back to the Smirnoff camp. See what the situation there is and take 20 on what to do next. Maybe trick them into attacking before the smoke clears. Find out the situation first. Trance soon after my return.

[madtinker]

Whoa boy.

See what the situation there is: You arrive back in Smirnoff before dawn, but already soldiers are standing in ranks, waiting for the command to move out that will surely be given in a matter of minutes.

[INWranger]

Forget it. Let them attack, I am confident most of them are here to fight and win, not kill everyone they encounter. Even Captain kairns men will probably only kill men who are standing. Let them go, trance and afterward go after Argough. His agents may have won in the end, but he won't get away with this who deal.

[madtinker]

The army is still marching away when you drift into Oblivion.

You have the dream again. Vicciano laughing while blood spurts from his wounds.

When you wake, it is to the sound of raucous soldiers celebrating what was surely a decisive victory.

[INWranger]

Note to self, figure out this dream, it is angering Jaster. Maybe ask a diviner or cleric the next time he is near one.
Go outside and see how the whole thing went. Try to find Kairn or the marshal, preferably Kairn.

[madtinker]

From the men's excited shouting:

"entire army, wiped out..."

"all asleep..."

"surrendered straightway!"

You find the marshal, but considering his momentous victory he has a lot to square away. Kairn is similarly occupied.

[INWranger]

Be patient and join in the celebration, and remove the disguise if I haven't already. Looks like I accomplished one goal of preventing a massive slaughter. Look around Fort Nebo or the surrounding towns for a cleric or not fraud fortune teller. Too bad Jaster decapitated Gort about three days ago. He could have found a cleric to cast Speak with Dead on him. Maybe if the head were touching the body where it is supposed to be attached....
If I can find someone who will cast the spell maybe they can tell me.
Maybe I can find a healer I am popular enough with still to fix me up for free.

[madtinker]

Thou dost smell of mutton...you are also still holding your breath.

In the hubbub, you are able to join a queue of wounded soldiers and are healed without being noticed.

After a few hours you spot Kairn walking slowly around the edges of the crown, inspecting his celebrating troops.

[INWranger]

I shall assume that Jaster started breathing again once he passed out after he left the smoke cloud and started breathing again, or told me to stick it and started breathing on his own.
Wait for Kairn to finish, then ask him about the battle and what happens now, specifically what will happen with the Red Valley.

[madtinker]

Well, we marched down that road you found and thought to take them by surprise. We arrived just at dawn and the whole camp is dead as a ghost. They hear our trumpets sounding the charge, and the white flag was raised before we made it a hundred yards. The devils had someone drug their whole army last night, and half of them were still out cold from it. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it?

[INWranger]

Yes. I was there to see what I could do to tip the odds in your favor for a decisive victory and avoid a protracted war that I am sure someone wants and I intend to deny them. While I was there someone in a red getup knocked them out with some type of special smoke.

[madtinker]

Make a bluff check.

DM only

Spoiler

Show

sense motive. (1d20+8)[19]

[INWranger]

It isn't a bluff, it is 100% truth, but some details are left out. There is an element of deception though, until i get his reaction.
Here you go anyway.
(1d20+3)[7]

[madtinker]

He nods gravely. I see. And this strange man wouldn't be wanting any kind of reward at all?

[INWranger]

A reward would certainly be appreciated, but keeping a low profile has its own value as well.

[madtinker]

He nods, then motions for you to follow. He leads you into the fort, down a narrow flight of stairs, through a maze of passages, past several heavily locked doors, and finally through a false wall. All around weapons of all shapes and sizes glitter in the dim light. Some even glow with their own eerie lights of green, blue, yellow, orange, and red. Swords, axes, scythes, nunchaku, bows, arrows, and many others you don't begin to recognize.

He motions around. This is my personal collection. I have looted these from every corner of the world. Many have magical powers. Choose one. Choose wisely.

[INWranger]

Take a look at the short and long swords.

[madtinker]

There are several of each on a rack covering part of one wall. All are in scabbards, some are jeweled wood, one is of black ebony, but most are in simple tooled leather. The hilts likewise vary from gold wire with jeweled pommels to dyed leather cord wrappings to polished hardwood.

[INWranger]

"which of them cuts through armor the most dealing the most damage?"

[madtinker]

Kairn shrugs. Your guess is as good as mine.

Make a knowledge (weapons) check.

[INWranger]

What is the story on this black ebony sword?

[madtinker]

I took it off a warlord in the Modagian campaign. Fought like the devil was in him.

[INWranger]

Pick it up and see what happens. "Which two were the hardest to get from their owners?"

[madtinker]

Oh, hard to say. But you only get one.

[INWranger]

I want maximum control, so an excellent attack bonus. Then the best damage bonus I can get.

[curf06]

Here is a link to my character. Please find a way insert me into the game.

http://coyotecode.net/profiler/view.php?id=13792