Circle of Life's Red Hand of Doom IC Thread

[Sallera]

"This has been here quite a while. And the hobgoblins themselves the victims, it seems. Hm. Better them than some innocent traveller, but I would still have preferred it if we had managed to take care of the hydra."

As the breastplate slides out of the muck, Faien examines it appreciatively. "Good work. Enchanted, perhaps, but well-made nonetheless. We may as well take these two pieces with us; I am sure they can serve someone better than their previous owners."

[TekHed]

"Perhaps we will be able to finish it off on our return trip...with Roni's flame caressing our weapons, it won't regrow any of it's severed necks back." the paladin replied.

"I'll need attend to the injured." he added, flapping his way back through the bog and up onto the bridge. Once across he returned the longsword to Roni, and drew out his wand.

"Now, who needs attending?"

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Just let me know how many charges it will take to get everyone back up to full.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

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Three charges will take care of the NPCs.

[Fireheart]

Vaeri assists in carrying the wounded but otherwise remains quiet.

"I am well, Auran." she says as she helps the wounded to sit and stand after they are healed.

[OMG PONIES]

Roni has a few bumps and bruises, but he's determined to put on a brave face. Before meeting Auran, he would have done so just to impress Soranna, but now he also felt he had something to prove to the dragonborn. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he says with a nod. "Let's keep moving."

[Sallera]

Faien hauls the breastplate and dagger back to the horses, securing them wherever he can find room; even once back on land, his steps seem much lighter than before. Mounting up, he nods, the lenses over his eyes regaining their former sense of reality. "Yes, if everyone is restored and ready to continue, let us resume our marching order. We can only hope our battle has not alerted anyone nearby to our plans."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

"That's for damn sure," the Captain mutters grumpily in response to Faien's comment. "If these greenies lost their head like that in a fight against one big dumb beast...." She gives the order for the suitably-chastised militia men to fall in around you, and your party continues to follow the road. You don't see any sign of the hydra nearby, and it doesn't surprise you at any later point in your trek. In fact, it's fairly quiet in the forest for the rest of your journey through it; few birds are singing, and any wildlife you see scamper away at your approach. Something certainly has them spooked.

The road gradually curves to the northwest, and after another half-hour or so you stop for lunch, since obviously fishing at the river didn't exactly work out. The woodsmen manage to bring down and cook some game to supplement the supplies you brought with you, complaining when they return about the annoyance of hunting skittish animals. While you eat, the Captain shows you on the map that the road forks soon, one branch heading off to the west and slightly southerly while the eastern branch continues on to New Cyre. The goblins' camp is unlikely to be much farther north with the traffic around New Cyre, so Soranna suggests that you follow the west road to go deeper into the Vale.

After lunch, you take her advice and take the west road when you reach it. This road, known as Filigree Way, soon meanders out of the forest to leave you in open plains full of waist-high grass and the occasional hill. Off in the distance, you can see the hill known as Dragonmount directly ahead of you, with its famous Dragon's Crown of monoliths atop it. Most explorers and geographers have heard of the Dragon's Crown, though of course no one knows what the monoliths do or why they're there...but, as Soranna mentions with a note of confusion in her voice, she hasn't heard of there being a castle there before. "Castle" is overstating things a bit--it's more of a tower with small outbuildings--but there is indeed new construction on Dragonmount where there shouldn't be any. A few figures are walking around the tower, and a group of several figures breaks off and heads towards the forest (to the south, not coming in your direction) as you observe the keep.

"Gobs and hobs. Bet my armor on it," says Soranna quietly. "Looks like the place we want. Don't like being so exposed, though. How do you want to handle this?"

[Sallera]

"Hrm. We could potentially circle around and attempt to catch up to the group that departed; a direct assault on fortifications sounds rather impractical with this few, unless we have any effective measures available for such a plan?" Faien glances to Roni and Vaeri, looking for their input. "Such construction speaks to their dedication to this campaign. It can only be so sturdy, however, if it is recent. It is certainly high enough to provide them with a commanding view of the area, so I agree that we should decide quickly."

Focusing on the distant keep, he attempts to discern a few more relevant details. "What would you reckon the height of that tower to be?"

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Is the tower of wooden or stone construction? Roughly how tall is it?

[TekHed]

"I was just going to say. We ought follow that group there, determine their aim, and possibly capture them for interrogation."

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What do the monoliths look like on top of the hill, and how is the for situated in/around them? Are there any pictures? If not a more precise description will help.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Soranna squints and shades her eyes with her hand. "Not sure. Two stories? Three? Dragon's Crown's supposed to be twenty feet tall, and the tower looks about the same."

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Sallera: The tower looks to be two stories tall plus battlements on top and mostly made of stone; the outbuildings are less than a story tall and made of wood.

TekHed: The fort is to the north of the ring of ten monoliths, each of which is at least fifteen feet tall. If the monoliths are any more than plain pillars of stone, you can't see any details from this distance, and you'll need to get closer to make out any details of the keep as well. There's a map of just the keep when you get closer.

Knowledge (Geography, History, or Religion) DC 15

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The Dragon's Crown monoliths are steeped in mystery. Nothing much grows within or near Dragonmount; any plants aside from fairly sad-looking wilted grass that take root within the ring of monoliths wither and die within days. It is rumored that the monoliths glow with eldritch light when at least one moon is full and "sing" a haunting melody, but none of the locals have been brave enough to find out for themselves if this is true.

It is also said that cultists of the Dragon Below consider the Dragon's Crown to be a sacred site and use it for dark rituals. The only evidence for this has been the occasional corpse found within the ring and rumors of unholy sigils carved in the dirt, but again no one has been brave enough to investigate further.

[TekHed]

"Is that the Dragon's Crown?" Auran asked, squinting. "I've heard ill-rumors of that place. Not a good omen to see it fortified so, if these indeed are the enemies we hunt."

Glancing at Soranna he shrugged. "Granted that be the most likely of explanations, though I am not an an expert in goblin fortifications."

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Huh...I'm glad I asked...I imagined the hill to be much bigger...like a big hill easily a few hundred feet tall.

Also, I checked SRD and didn't find anything that prevents taking 10 on Knowledge checks so that gives Auran a 15 in religion.

[Fireheart]

Vaeri looks cautiously and shakes her head. But then she quietly adds,

"Wait...Dragon's Crown, you said? Wasn't there a rumour that followers of the Dragon Below believed the Dragon's Crown to be a sacred site."

She shudders and adds "I think I remember hearing a rumour that there was a corpse found at one point within the ring. Wasn't the corpose supposed to be surrounded by unholy sigils?"

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Knowledge Religion
(1d20+6)[23]

[Sallera]

"I have not heard of the place, but it comes to mind that I have a token to call an oak from the soil; it would grow within seconds, to three times the height of that tower, and would provide us with relatively easy ingress, if we took hold of the tree as it grew. The main issue would be getting close enough to use it without suffering undue arrow fire from above... this grass will not hide us or our horses for long enough to get within range for a charge."

"The issue I see with pursuing the second group is that we would have a difficult time making it around the fort without being spotted. If they have any means of keeping in contact, the scouts will know to stay well out of sight."

[OMG PONIES]

Roni Quickwing

The elder spellscale nods at his sister's description. "Mmhmm, that's right, sis. I'm kicking myself that I didn't pay more attention when I came across that in the Histories of the Loretower Cabal. I remember it was about five years ago, but I can't recall for the life of me what the symbols meant. Even still, nasty hobs camping out at an unhallowed altar don't give me the warm fuzzies."

The bard scoffs at Faien's suggestion, but immediately apologizes. "We're concerned about stealth, but our plan is to ride a sprouting sequoia? I'm sorry, Magistrate--forgive me for being flippant, but I think subtlety is called for here." Roni strokes his chin for a quick moment, and snaps his fingers as an idea hits him. "I think I know a glamer that can do the trick...Vaer, did I ever teach you my little shapechanging schtick? I can take the shape of a hob, and if any of you've got any magic or stealth you can either follow suit or hide amongst our gear. The rest of you will have to do some acting; I'll bring you into the keep as my prisoners, and we'll be inside before you know it. What do you say?"

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Geography - (1d20+5)[9]
History - (1d20+5)[24]
Religion - (1d20+5)[17]

[Sallera]

"We are concerned about stealth insofar as we wish to actually catch these hobgoblins, without them simply melting out of sight as soon as they catch wind of our presence. If we were to decide upon a direct assault on their fortress, stealth would swiftly become both implausible and unnecessary." Faien shakes his head at Roni's suggestion, waving a hand at the tower.

"The idea might have merit in a larger camp, but at this small outpost, they will know the faces of everyone they work with. While you could become a hobgoblin, you would not be one they would immediately trust. And I would not be surprised if they recognized Captain Soranna as well, if any of them were among those who have been harassing the town. Although on second thought, it might suffice to get us close enough for the other plan..."

[TekHed]

"T'would be foolhardy to attempt an assault, stealthy or otherwise, upon that hill without knowing what we are up against. This is a scouting mission, not a suicide one. What our our options for intercepting their patrol undiscovered?"

[Sallera]

"Few. The fort is between them and us; if we turn back now and circle around through the forest, we might have a small chance of intercepting them on their way back, but we have no way of knowing if they are even intending to come back. If they don't, they will have far too much of a lead for us to catch up."

[Fireheart]

Vaeri shakes her head at Roni's question.

"Nope...not one I've managed to pick up at yet...

Could we perhaps play dumb? Simply walk up? Approaching cautiously but not hididng? We do not yet know that these are enemies, do we? Perhaps they are simply foolish enough to try and build in an area they do not know is claimed?"

[Sallera]

Faien gives a half-smile, shrugging. "It would be excellent if it worked. However, if they are as hostile as we expect, they would need only to wait for us to come well within range, and we would be exposed to arrow fire for far too long." Waving a hand as if to cut off the argument, he motions everyone back deeper into the forest.

"Enough; we've talked for too long already, and we will be spotted. We have time, now that this fort has been located; we will implement our options in ascending order of risk. First, we will send half our force - Auran, Vaeri, Soranna, Bors, and Davis - around through the forest and lay an ambush for the returning patrol. The rest of us will do the same on this path. Should the patrol not return along either path by the time the sun touches the horizon, we will regroup at your position and attempt a covert approach to the fort. If they prove as hostile as we expect, we can use the tree and enter from above; that should negate their defensive advantage. Any further objections?"

[PairO'Dice Lost]

"Hate to just let them go like that. What if they're raiding Drellin's Ferry while we're out here? But you're right, nothing we can do about it now, we'd just be seen and they'd get reinforcements." Soranna looks up at the position of the sun in the sky, then back toward the forest. "I'd say wait a little longer, maybe half an hour past dusk. If the gobs are attacking this time of day, they'll probably wait until after dusk to retreat, when they can see and most of the townsfolk are blind. My men can tell the time from the constellations if you can't." She shrugs. "Sounds like a good plan otherwise."

[OMG PONIES]

Roni Quickwing

Roni was still uneasy with a plan that ended with the possibility of them hitching a ride on a magical tree. He was much more comfortable when he could lie through his teeth, as it allowed him to improvise as long as he knew the key. Following someone else's plan had always felt a bit like sight-reading a piece of music--more of an exacting science than improvisation, and with far less room for either error or experimentation. Even still, he felt that he had to respect Faien's idea of ranking the plans from safest to riskiest. "Say, magistrate," he pipes up, "when you talk about approaching covertly do you mean my Goblin Surprise idea? Or do you mean making it up the Mount without being seen?"

As the others begin to split into the two subgroups suggested by Faien, Roni pulls his younger sister aside. "Listen, Vaer," he says in a tone that, despite his best efforts, comes across as concerned and parental, "I know the lawman thinks his plan will work like gangbusters, but he can't help but think like a lawman. Any half-respecting gobbo will see his ambush a mile away. If you're lucky, they'll steer clear of you. If you're not..." Roni can't bring himself to finish his thought, and instead changes the subject. "The others are used to fighting together, but if anything goes South you just use these and make haste back here, savvy?"

[Fireheart]

Vaeri listens intently to Roni. "I will, Roni. Don't worry. You know me...I like to stay as far away from getting hit as possible."

[Sallera]

Faien nods; an ambush in the dark would be more difficult, but the logic of their time of return was sound. "Half an hour past dusk it is, then."

"The latter would be close to impossible, I'm sure," he replies to Roni. "Likely either some variation on your idea or Vaeri's; we can discuss that further if it becomes necessary."

[TekHed]

Auran furrowed his bescaled brow. "Is it wise to divide our forces in such potentially hostile territory? These woods could be crawling with more patrols. What if one of our groups is ambushed? Or captured?"

[Sallera]

"Have you a better method of covering both paths of return?" Faien waves an arm at the fort impatiently. "Intercepting the scouts was your desire, I believe. Each group will have numbers roughly equal to those of any patrol, assuming they are similar in composition to the one that left earlier. Not only will both groups have the potential advantage of surprise and magical support, both you and Captain Soranna, as well as myself, are skilled in defense, allowing us to take the frontline and occupy the patrol's attention. It is the surest method I can offer you of taking prisoners before we sound the fort."

[Fireheart]

Vaeri listened and then quietly spoke.

"We should go. The longer we wait here, the more chance of being seen by someone in the tower."

[Sallera]

"On that I most certainly agree. Roni, you are, I am guessing, more skilled at staying out of sight than I. If you, Zeke, and Baden can assist each other in finding suitable ambush spots, I will check from the road with these lenses to ensure you will not be seen; if I cannot spot you with my vision enhanced thus, it is unlikely the hobgoblins will. I myself will stay entirely out of sight and count on you for the signal; this armour is far too conspicuous for stealth. Let us move a short ways back along the path so we are well out of range of the tower's eyes even once battle begins."

[TekHed]

Auran sighed. "I too lack much flair for subtlety these days. Nonetheless, we shall take our leave. Good Fortune."

As they split off with Vaeri and Soranna, Auran turned to the militia captain. "Which of your men are best at tracking and hunting? We will need someone skilled to scout ahead."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

"Probably Bors," Soranna answers after a moment of thought. "Must be why I keep him around. Definitely isn't his combat savvy." She smiles briefly to show her complaints are meant in jest now that the danger is past, and from Bors' expression this incident is going to be added to a long list of running jokes that they're not going to let each other forget. "He can help conceal people if they need it." She looks Auran up and down, taking in his shining scales and polished armor with another grin. "And from the looks of things, Sparkles, you need it. Come on, time to set up. Best of luck, Magistrate."

The Captain makes an "after you" gesture to Bors, and he leads Auran, Vaeri, Soranna, and Davis slowly around the perimeter of the forest, staying deep enough in the underbrush so that their movement would remain unseen from the fortress but close enough to the edge to keep an eye out for any new goblin parties. Meanwhile, Baden and Zeke look for a suitable ambush location near the road. Both parties eventually find a good place, and they hunker down to wait.

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Since you're under no pressure at the moment, everyone can take 10 on their Stealth checks. Both parties will have their woodsmen Aid Another the others as well:
Baden: (1d20+7)[14]
Bors: auto-succeeds
Davis: (1d20+7)[19]
Zeke: (1d20+7)[9]
EDIT: Looks like the young and inexperienced Zeke just isn't up to the task. Auran and Vaeri get +4 to their Steath, Faien and Roni get +2.

I don't have the module on me at the moment so that update will have to wait a few hours, but in the meantime, pay no attention to the random rolls behind the curtain:
(1d100)[18]
(2d6-1)[10]

[OMG PONIES]

Roni accepts the offers of help from his companions. As the group starts hiding near the road, the elder spellscale remembers something that he had heard in one of the bard's songs during his short semester at college. "I believe that dirt can serve to mask our appearance, if anyone can find any mud. It's dirty work, but someone's gotta do it." As he jokes, he rubs his hand in the dirt and smears it on his face and arms, helping to prevent his scales from reflecting the rapidly dwindling light.

Stealth check of 19 after burning a point of Inspiration via Cunning Knowledge and taking 10.