Circle of Life's Red Hand of Doom IC Thread

[PairO'Dice Lost]

The giant is happy to see that there are others with Roni and Faien in their quest for justice--or at least, he is when he finally notices the rest of you "little folk"--and he summarizes his tale of woe and asks to hear of yours as you all walk through the forest.

The trek doesn't take too long with Warklegnaw leading the way; a trip that would take two days on foot or one day on a fast horse only takes you a few hours with your guide blazing a straight path through the woods and keeping any predators away. Along the way, the old giant points out interesting landmarks, casually picks fruit off trees two or three times Auran's height for you all to snack on, and reminisces about the past, so the long walk isn't at all boring. Finally, the ground starts to grow hilly and he slows down his pace. He creeps forward up one last hill as stealthily and quietly as a cottage-sized being can, pointing ahead through the undergrowth at the gorge coming into view.

After the forest peters out, the ground is barren for a good hundred or so feet before dropping off sharply down to a rushing river. The gorge stretches east and west as far as the eye can see and looks to be around two hundred feet wide at most parts, narrowing to about eighty feet where the Dawn Way meets it; a very old but sturdy stone bridge crosses the gorge here, wide enough to allow two or three humans side by side to cross the bridge at once. Each end of the bridge is anchored to two stone towers, each with a rickety wooden staircase winding around its three or four stories and an open-air watchpost at the top.

On the northern side of the bridge and just off to the west, a cluster of a half-dozen large tents surrounds some campfires where a handful of hobgoblins are cooking a late lunch. More hobgoblins man the towers, one in each watchpost, longbows in hand. More worrying, though, is the hell hound seated watchfully at each end of the bridge...and most worrying of all is the large and imposing, yet sleek and sinuous, dragon basking in the sun atop the northwest tower. Its green scales glisten in the early afternoon sunlight, and its yellow eyes are alert despite its lazy demeanor. "It looks like we aren't the only ones interested in the Gorge, no, not the only ones by far," Warklegnaw says softly as you all behold the goblinoid forces. "Is any of those worms this 'Koth' that we seek?"

[Fireheart]

"Tamara's grace!" Vaeri whispers, her eyes wide and awestruck at the sight of the dragon.

Spoiler: Perception to see Koth

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(1d20+4)[18]

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Though Vaeri's attention is focused on the dragon--and for good reason!--she can still get a good enough look at the hobgoblins despite the distance. She sees no sign of Koth's telltale robes or staff, and no horse that he would have ridden here, so it looks like you managed to beat him here. Depending on how long Soranna thinks an average rider can travel in one day, you have somewhere between two and five hours before he should arrive.

[Sallera]

"So they are not associated with Tiamat in name only," Faien murmurs as he shuffles forward, shaking his head at the sight. Such a display at a mere guard post - albeit an important one - was not exactly lowering his force estimates for the enemy army. "We need intelligence more than ever now, but this is not the place nor time to gather it. Warklegnaw, your guidance has been most helpful, and the one we seek has not yet arrived. We should withdraw out of hearing range of this outpost and lie in ambush for him near the road. It is our best chance of catching him before he is able to report - and what knowledge we extract from him, we can use to deal with the rest."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

"A good plan, little one," Warklegnaw agrees, and leads you a short distance back along the trail of destruction he blazed until it should be safe to speak at full volume again, then turns left and starts barging through the undergrowth in that direction. You find yourselves a quarter-mile or so from the Gorge atop a small cliff overlooking the Dawn Way, perhaps eight or nine feet high with heavy foliage. The Way is one big broad curve, starting out facing east near the Keep and turning clockwise to end up facing north at the Gorge, so the Gorge is completely hidden from your current position by the intervening forest, and hopefully the reverse is true as well.

The giant eases himself down onto an outcropping of rock just large enough to serve as an impromptu giant-sized chair. He pulls a few tree stumps left behind by all his trampling out of the ground and hefts them, testing their weight. "Old Warklegnaw's throwing arm might not be what it used to be, no, it's not in prime shape by far, but the, oh, two hundred yards or so he can toss these stumps should be more than enough, what with the curve of the road and low visibility and all," he tells you all with a hint of pride in his voice. "And for a close-in weapon," he continues, ripping a solid and sturdy ten-foot-tall tree out of the ground like a child would pluck a blade of grass, "this should do nicely. Now, I'm not accustomed to fighting alongside little ones, so you'll have to tell me how you people fight and where you want me to be when the little worm rounds the bend."

Spoiler

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The dark green area is the forested area atop the cliffs, which provides cover against melee attacks and cover and and concealment against ranged attacks. The dark gray squiggly lines are the cliff itself, which is ten feet tall and requires a DC 15 climb check to traverse. The light gray strip in the center is my best Paint impression of a cobblestone road, the dark yellow section on either side is loose earth and sand which counts as difficult terrain, and the brown is normal barren ground with sparse grass and weeds.

You can place yourselves wherever you want to be for the big ambush. The green W is Warklegnaw, but you guys can reposition him wherever you'd like.

[TekHed]

Paladins may be immune to the crippling ravages of mortal terror, and the Dragonborn to dragonfear in particular, but that didn't mean Auran couldn't see a losing proposition when confronted by one. As the situation stood, they had precious few resources remaining to them, having expended most just to survive their first encounter with Koth. No way would they be able to storm such a fortified position against such forces controlling both the high ground and the air. So it was that Auran felt a mental sig of relief when Faien suggested they had made better time than their quarry. Koth was also weakened from their earlier encounter, and alone on the road, outnumbered, they would never have a better opportunity.

"Warklegnaw...Could you toss several of those trees across the road? If you put them right there," he said, indicating the placement "the curve of the road will hide them until he comes around and we can box him in."

Auran looked to the others.

"Even so we'll want to make certain he can't escape, or worse call for reinforcements from the pass. We should surround him from all sides."

[Sallera]

"Our first move should be to kill his horse; Warklegnaw, your thrown stumps should serve us well there, and Vaeri's spells as well. His mobility should be sufficiently limited at the point for us to capture him. If said capture involves beating him into unconsciousness, that is no object." Examining the cliff, Faien positions himself and his mount some distance into the forest. "This should be possible to clear with a good start. I will leap down and block the road as soon as the first attack is launched."

Spoiler

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Mounted, 20ft from the cliff's edge to allow a running start. If we get a surprise round, ranged fighters can attack his horse while Faien and Auran (if he wishes) jump down to block the road.

[OMG PONIES]

Roni thinks back to a brief stint as an unlicensed fur trader in the King's Forest. He remembers that the easiest way to trap a rabbit was to drop a box over it, and his mind begins improvising a similar solution. "Mister Warklegnaw," he says (careful to be respectful to anyone who uses whole trees as weapons), "if you block the road with a few trees, once Koth gets near them could you perhaps toss a few more trees behind him to block him in? My guess is that he won't be scaling cliffs, and if he's half as drained as I am he won't be pulling any more disappearing acts."

As the others begin discussing their roles, Roni puts a hand to his chin and has a think for a moment. "Suppose I could drop an illusion to fool Koth if anyone has any good ideas, then drop back with some mood music for us all. In terms of magic though, I'm afraid that well's starting to run a bit dry for the day. Sound good?"

[Fireheart]

Vaeri listens as everyone discusses the options.

I am not completely out of spells, she says, though I may need to get a bit closer to be most effective.

Spoiler: OOC

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OOC: Helps to be able to read the difference between spells per day and spells known. :)

[TekHed]

Auran's eyes flared briefly with a golden-orange light.

"Once we have Koth caged...I would challenge him to single combat."

[Sallera]

Faien arches an eyebrow, unimpressed. "To what end? The man is obviously powerful, and doubtless still holds magic we are unaware of. I am ill inclined to risk his escape to satisfy your anger."

[TekHed]

"Not for my anger, no. But for the divine retribution of Bahamut. To make an example of him." The paladin seems quite serious.

[Sallera]

"To whom?" Faien indicates the empty forest with an outstretched arm. "Unless it is yourself you have something to prove to, I see no one here who would benefit from such foolishness." The magistrate had his suspicions about what might have brought this on, but he did not share Auran's imagined concerns.

"Lest you forget, we have a large and hostile force with intentions of pillage - at best - somewhere in the vicinity, and what we saw at the bridge has not done any kindness to my estimations of its size. Obtaining further intelligence - and preventing them from doing the same - must take priority over personal concerns at this point."

[OMG PONIES]

"Agreed," Roni pipes in, "bigger fish to fry. And THAT," he says with a finger pointing back toward the hobgoblin camp with the sleeping dragon, "is a grouper. A whale? Wait, those aren't fish, right? Regardless, that's a really big fish."

[Fireheart]

Vaeri crosses her arms and looks at the Paladin. "Single combat with him? When you are perhaps the only one of us who can stand toe to toe with the Dragon? (No offense - she nods to Faien) Are you crazy?" She shakes her head. "Auran, you can't risk yourself on Koth...he is only a pawn in Her greater plan. Let us take care of him from distance. I'm sure the time will come when you may need to stand alone and make an example of someone but this isn't it."

She felt slightly bad about ganging up on the paladin but at the same time, she also realized that the risk of losing him to Koth was too great if they were to face the dragon and the others at the camp.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Warklegnaw nods at the suggestion of boxing Koth in with tree trunks and taking out his horse with tree stumps. "That is a good plan, little ones, yes, an excellent plan indeed. That will be a good way for Old Warklegnaw to get his revenge on the little worm...and it has been many a year since he's tasted a nice plump horse, too." He stomps off farther into the woods as quietly as he can, leaving the rest of you to debate strategy.

[TekHed]

"Very well. I shall save my wrath for his inevitable superiors. A sneak attack it will be..." Auran finally conceded.

"I shall take cover in the trees and once he is knocked off I shall strike from the air."

[OMG PONIES]

Roni also takes cover in the trees, making sure to cover the sight line from the road to his position with a few small branches.

Stealth - (1d20+5)[10]

[Fireheart]

Vaeri nods and takes a position near her brother but still close enough that her spells are useful. She keeps her hands near her spell component pouch and whispers a prayer to Lendys.

Stealth: (1d20)[2]

[PairO'Dice Lost]

As everyone secretes themselves in the foliage, Baden goes around placing some extra branches here and pointing out visible clothing there to ensure everyone is well-hidden and Warklegnaw drags some tree trunks over to the road and assembles them into a makeshift barricade. Baden offers to help the giant hide as well (well, as best he can when he can't even reach the giant's waist), but Warklegnaw just chuckles. "Old Warklegnaw doesn't need any help to hide in the trees, little one, no, he does not. His leafy brothers and sisters can hide him well if he asks them to." And indeed, when the giant steps into the shade of a cluster of tall trees and stands motionless, between one moment and the next it's as if the hulking humanoid disappeared and a somewhat lumpy tree took its place.

A few minutes pass in silence. Then a few more minutes. Then yet another few minutes. The dirt and twigs everyone used in their disguises is starting to itch something fierce, and Baden just barely manages to hold in a sneeze. Did you make your preparations too soon? No, it seems not, as the faint sound of hoofbeats approaches from the southwest. It steadily grows louder until Auran, Faien, and Baden, hidden on the eastern side of the road, can see Koth galloping towards them. He appears tired and distracted after riding nonstop at full speed for the better part of a day, head lolling over the reins as he guides his mount with his left hand and loosely holds his staff, slung over his shoulder, with his right.

Vaeri and Roni, next to Warklegnaw on the other side of the road, hear a low grumbling as the giant lets out a growl of long-suppressed anger finally brought to the surface. The stump between them and the giant slowly lifts off the ground as the giant prepares himself to attack. On the road below, Koth rounds the bend and jerks his mount to a halt as fast as his exhausted reflexes allow, and he stares ahead blankly at the trees blocking his path before suddenly realizing their import and wheeling his horse around--but he is not fast enough. A tree stump almost as wide as his horse comes flying out of the underbrush and smashes his mount out from under him; one moment, Koth's horse is carefully stepping in a circle on the cobblestones, the next moment the horse is crushed against the far side of the cliff and Koth is flipped out of the saddle and smacked down onto the cobblestones with a very uncomfortable-sounding crunch. He levers himself up with his staff and takes a moment to catch his breath, looking wildly to the side of the road to try to find whoever ambushed him.

Spoiler

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Warklegnaw's tree stump: (1d20+10)[16] vs. horse's flat-footed AC 13; Damage: (2d8+20)[25]

EDIT: And the horse explodes and Koth is now on foot.

Map--Surprise Round

[Sallera]

Faien knees his horse sharply as soon as he sees the tree stump go flying, and a few seconds later he is flying along behind it, his battle-trained mount clearing the cliff with no difficulty and clattering to the road alongside Koth.

"It seems your list of crimes continues to grow, Koth. You have wronged many. I ask but once more: will you surrender?"

Spoiler

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Faien should have been twenty feet back from the cliff edge, to allow for a jump. His horse makes the jump check to reduce damage automatically, and he'll land just behind Koth.

[TekHed]

As the trap was sprung, Auran launched into the air, wings creating a dramatic down-gust. Then the magistrate started to parlay. No...even beleaguered Koth was too dangerous to negotiate with, not until they had him well and subdued. He made it about 15' into the air until, at the apex of his ascent, he folded his wings, called upon the blessing of Bahamut, and dove headfirst into the Hobgoblin, the butt of his spear leading the way.

Spoiler: crunchy roll

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Surprise round is partial actions only and with Avg maneuverability I can ascend at half speed that gets me 15' up (plus the elevation on the side of the road) at a 60* angle.

Then when I get my first proper action I'll swift cast Rhino's Rush and Dive Attack Koth.

+9 +5 Holy Strike +2 Charge -4 nonlethal=

(1d20+12)[25] vs flat footed (prone?)
(1d8+9)[11] x3 = 33 nonlethal

[Fireheart]

Vaeri steps out from cover and reaches for her waterskin. Hearing Faien's offer for Koth to surrender she hesitates for just a second, but seeing Auran leap, she finishes dropping a single drop on to her hand.

Shaking it briefly and speaking the words that call forth her magic, she sends a ray of ice shooting toward Koth, the sound of cracking ice following in its wake.

Spoiler: Actions

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Ice Knife
range (long)

Normal ranged attack with +4 bonus

(d20+9)[17]
if hits
(2d6)[7] +2 points dex damage
Fort Save vs the Dex dmg - DC16

(If misses, splash dmg in area (d8)[8] Reflex Half)

[OMG PONIES]

Roni remains prone within the cover provided by the foliage. Recalling every detail he can about goblin anatomy, he lets fly an arrow straight at the spot where it would cause Koth the most pain.

Knowledge Devotion - (1d20+12)[23] (Knowledge: Local boosted by Collector of Stories)
Attack - (1d20+8)[19] (boosted by Cunning Insight) +2 from Knowledge Devotion = 21 to hit flatfooted AC
Damage - (1d8+3)[11] (boosted by Cunning Insight) +2 from Knowledge Devotion = 13 damage

[PairO'Dice Lost]

The weary Koth has no time to think before your ambush is executed with well-oiled precision. Koth spins around to face Faien and lifts his staff threateningly as the latter's warhorse lands just a few feet away, only to yell out in pain as Auran's spear pierces through the back of his left leg and buries itself into the cobblestones with a shriek of metal on stone, forcing him to one knee. Koth collapses forward, then tries to lever himself up on his staff again, but Roni's arrow takes him in the right leg and Vaeri's ice shard strikes him in the side, knocking the breath out of him.

The wounded and battered hobgoblin glances over his shoulder at Auran, and behind him at the barrier across the road, then looks up at the magistrate mounted before him and scowls. Everyone but Auran can at least somewhat make out the emotions warring on his face, and to Faien himself they are crystal-clear: part of him is asking Are you really thinking about surrendering to this miserable rabble when your allies are right around the bend? while another part of him is saying Yes I am, martyrdom is for suckers.

The hesitant hobgoblin's mind is made up by Warklegnaw, who steps forward out of the tree line with another stump in hand looking as though he'd like nothing more than to smash Koth into a paste. Koth quickly props himself up on his staff and cranes his neck back to look Faien in the eye. "Aghk...you win, pinkskin. I surrender, you have my word as a Wyrmlord. Now call your warriors off me," he spits. Warklegnaw stops, seeming disappointed that he won't be able to give Koth a slow and painful death, but he's not about to attack an enemy that just surrendered. Faien and Auran can see the muscles in Koth's staff arm quivering as his holds himself up, and the blood soaking through his pant leg must be causing him no small amount of pain, but his jaw is clenched and even in defeat he obviously refuses to show any weakness to his captors.

[OMG PONIES]

"Your word?" Roni asks with an arched eyebrow. He had met some folk whose commitments were air-tight, but others whose word wasn't worth the air it was breathed on.

Sense Motive - (1d20+8)[11]

[PairO'Dice Lost]

At Roni's gibe, Koth turns to glare at the spellscale. [Yes, my word,] he snarls in Draconic, then takes a deep breath, making an effort to return his voice to its usual strong and resonant growl: [I have already debased myself to the point of surrendering to a pinkskin, scale-traitor. Do not insult me by--] He lets out a long hacking cough that sends bits of blood spatter onto the cobblestones, and after clearing his throat he continues in a more raspy tone. [--by demeaning my word as well.]

Roni knows it's hard to fake the tone of righteous indignation in Koth's voice--at least for someone less talented in conning than he is, of course--so he's persuaded that Koth is being honest with his intentions.

[OMG PONIES]

"Have it your way," Roni says with a shrug. "I'll stick to insulting you the old-fashioned way: sarcastic comments and stripping away basic personal dignities. Speaking of..." As Roni speaks, he pulls a length of rope from his pack and looks around to the rest of the group. He starts to wrap the rope around the Wyrmlord and jokes, "Anyone into this sort of thing?"

Use Rope - (1d20+5)[25] ideally to aid another in tying up Koth. If nobody has a higher modifier, I'll be the primary tier and someone else can assist.

[TekHed]

Auran could not help but gloat silently over the fallen servant of his Adversary.

"Very well then Koth..." He pronounced the name as if it were spittle upon the ground. "We shall accept your unconditional surrender. Do not make the mistake of testing our patience. Roni, be sure to search him thoroughly, lest he be hiding any tricks. And we ought continue this interrogation further away from the road..."

Seeing that the Quickscale was handy indeed with the rope, Auran was content to keep his spear leveled at the evil cleric.

"Mighty work indeed Warklegnaw. Rest assured justice for your family will be met. In the meantime, keep a lookout from your vantage point."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Koth's nostrils flare in anger and irritation at Roni's jabs and Auran's threats, but he manages to hold his tongue and not snap back at them. After taking a moment or two to calm himself, he says to Auran [If I am to be interrogated, I will need some healing to close up the holes you left in my leg. It would be inconvenient, wouldn't it, if I were to bleed to death in the midst of your questioning.]

Warklegnaw overhears all this back-and-forth and frowns. "Stop speaking in that slithery lizard tongue, child-murderer," he says to Koth. "Old Warklegnaw doesn't like a prisoner speaking in a language he doesn't understand, no, he doesn't like that sort of trickery at all." Koth glances over at the giant, who still hasn't put down his large tree stump, and growls one word: "Fine." The giant gives a satisfied nod and turns to walk farther into the forest. "Old Warklegnaw will keep an ear out for any of the child-murderer's foul accomplices, and give any that come close what they deserve, yes, he will give them exactly what they deserve."