IC VI Stormy Seas

[Admiral]

Brander, Natalia, Dresden and the others agree to wait a bit to let the dwarves move their reinforcements to the western gate. After a few tense minutes have passed, during which they half-expect orcs to come around the corner at any moments, Dresden gives a nod. The monks start the mules moving, and they begin heading towards the cave.

After a few minutes of walking forward, a message floats into Mithril and Natalia's minds. "Found the dwarves at the other entrance, they're on their way back. Reckon I'll stay here and help with the diversion: this distance thinking really is something."

The caravan continues south at a steady but cautious pace- their rocky surroundings have become a bit flatter and the chance they'll be spotted is increasing by the moment. Shiny turns to Natalia, Kurt and Miriam. "I'm running ahead to smoke the place up. If you want, you can come with me: I can keep all of us invisible. Maybe give us an edge in the fight if you pop up where you're not supposed to."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"The dwarves are moving. Ash says he'll stay at the east gate and keep a lookout," Natalia says, breaking the silence and keeping everyone informed.

We're on our way, Ash and Mithril, Natalia thinks as they start moving. "Stay safe. Mithril, I'll see you in a few minutes.

She pauses at Shiny's suggestion. "But if we attack while you're creating the smoke diversion, that might blow our cover. And I don't like the idea of being visible and surrounded by over forty orcs. Though Shiny, will you be okay by yourself?"

Spoiler

Show

Just to confirm--using the dawn burst wand will make me visible, right?

[Cavelcade]

Kurt simply shakes his head at Natalia's question - he never knew much about the trading, it wasn't where he was going to end up. When Shiny speaks, he rouses himself it seems, nodding slowly. "I think it's worth the risk. I'll go with you."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia pauses at Kurt's comment, then turns to Miriam. "You too?" If the cleric also agrees, then Natalia sighs and says, "I guess I'll come along as well." She then takes the nearly-empty wand, the one that makes the lightning, and starts casting it into her sword.

Spoiler

Show

I'm also casting the shocking grasp wand into my spellstoring sword. Admiral, if we've got several minutes, do I have to roll or can we assume she makes the check at some point?

EDIT: Natalia fiddles with her swords as she tries to cast the spell into them. "Shiny, are we attacking when you do the diversion, before the carts arrive? Wouldn't that give away the double bluff? Or are we waiting for them to attack instead of just casting smoke? Or...Hey, Shiny, can would setting fire to the tents Mithril described end your invisibility spell?"

[Admiral]

Natalia pauses at Kurt's comment, then turns to Miriam. "You too?" If the cleric also agrees, then Natalia sighs and says, "I guess I'll come along as well." She then takes the nearly-empty wand, the one that makes the lightning, and starts casting it into her sword.

Shiny takes a length of rope and tosses it to Kurt, Natalia, Miriam, Hilton, Rocky and Karn. "If we're going ahead, you'll have to stay within ten feet of me as soon as I've cast the spell. That means no horses. Everyone grab the rope, let's run on ahead." The caravan gives them two minutes' head start to make sure they can reach the cave entrance with time to spare.

EDIT: Natalia fiddles with her swords as she tries to cast the spell into them. "Shiny, are we attacking when you do the diversion, before the carts arrive? Wouldn't that give away the double bluff?

"We'll have to attack when they see the caravan," Shiny says simply. "Let's hope that's later rather than sooner."

Or are we waiting for them to attack instead of just casting smoke? Or...Hey, Shiny, can would setting fire to the tents Mithril described end your invisibility spell?"

"Funny you should ask that," Shiny says as the group dismounts their horses and starts moving forward. He casts a spell that suddenly stops sound from escaping his immediate vicinity, letting anyone who steps close to him speak freely. "My invisibility came quite in handy when I was a stagehand in the acclaimed production of "That's My Dwarf"- let me walk around moving sets and puppeting props (the clay giant, the paper-mache bugbear), without worrying about the audience seeing me and breaking the illusion. But last scene featured a red dragon made of plaster, and it was my job to fill my mouth with whiskey, light a flint, and simulate its fearsome fiery breath. I don't know whose idea it thought it was wise to give a Shiny Sloppystep, recovering drunkard and egomaniac, a liquor-based special effect, but suffice to say that by the play's denouement I lacked the precision necessary to carry it out. While the cast escaped unharmed, the entire stage- not to mention the bordello it was contained within- was reduced to ashes. If I hadn't stayed invisible the mob would surely have found me, and my head would be adorning a spike on their walls- but as my spell continued, I was able to stagger away and escape before the village could come after me." Shiny thinks for a moment. "So the answer to your question is no."

[CoffeeIncluded]

It's a good thing Shiny had already cast the silencing spell, or else Natalia's laughter at his tale would have given them away. She drops the rope, and fumbles for a moment before picking it back up, wrapping it around her wrists a couple times for good measure. "Maybe they gave you the role because you were the only one who could fit in the dragon head? Or maybe you were the least likely to drink the liquor, if what Mithril told me about Deldon was a hint? How did you get cast to play That's My Dwarf anyway?"

Still, the grin fades as they walk away from the horses and to the camps, though only Natalia can feel it. She asks, "Shiny, Kurt, I have a tindertwig in my bag. Do you think I should set fire to the tents too?"

[Athedia]

Mithril turned from looking out the window. "We ran into a patrol on the way here, killed them but I burnt up my spells. I do have these wands but I am afraid I will not be as much help as I could have been. I apologize for this. Would you rather that I stay up here and shoot these missiles through the window or join your forces below? She fumbled in her belt pulling out her wands and showing them to the dwarves. Did dwarves even practice magic? She could not think of one she had seen worship Boccob and when she had been at the Institute she had been a little overwhelmed.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Mithril, Natalia thinks as she fiddles with the tindertwig, feels the scratchy yellow of the compound that sets it alight--is it similar to the gunpowder? She should check. "Kurt, Miriam, Kurt's...charges...and I are going with Shiny. We're invisible and we'll try to make some sneak attacks on the orcs when we see the cart, and help him with the diversion. I'm going to try and set some tents on fire, cause some more chaos. How are you?"

[Admiral]

The dwarf looks thoughtful. "Don't know if anyone here knows how to use of of them wands," he says with an apologetic shrug. "But you go ahead and stay up 'ere and cast yer spells- if'n they're half as useful as whatever got ye in 'ere I'm sure you'll give em some trouble. The Iron Guard will take the fight on the ground.

[Athedia]

"It helps that they never miss. I don't know why, but it is very handy at times." She examined the window from various angles, trying to figure out the dimensions and angles she could fire at the camp from.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia takes a cautious look around the area, trying to see if she can spot the layout of the camp, or hear anything amiss.

Spoiler

Show

Spot: (d20+11)[22]
Listen: (d20+11)[25]

How far are we from the camp now?

[Admiral]

The group continues to race ahead in front of the caravan, hoping to reach the camp and start their distraction before the wagons are seen.

Spoiler

Show

Enemy Spot check: (1d20+6)[7]

As they round a corner, Natalia sees a dozen orc guards passing a few hundred yards ahead- but they seem distracted and haven't yet spotted the party.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Orcs," Natalia whispers, though it's not necessary, pointing them out. She looks to see what direction they're headed in. "We obviously can't attack them right now. Should we sneak around them or wait for them to pass?"

Spoiler

Show

is everyone in range of Shiny's invisibility and Zone of silence spells?

[Admiral]

As soon as Natalia points to the gang of orcs, Shiny's hands start their arcane motions. Moments later, the seven travelers have vanished from sight, before the guards could spot them.

Spoiler

Show

I should have mentioned they were visible at that point: Shiny didn't want to start his invisibility sphere too early or it wouldn't last.

Shiny gestures to the others. "Let's move on through," he says, his voice involuntarily quiet even though it is magically shielded.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia sighs in relief as everyone vanishes from view. "Let's hurry," she whispers. "We don't have much time." She heads out to sneak behind the orcs, careful to stay in range of Shiny's spell.

She turns back and asks Shiny, Hilton, Rocky, and Karn, "Do any of you have oil?"

Spoiler

Show

Ah, thanks for clarifying. I was confused by that. Ah well, so far so good. Let's get sabotaging.

[Admiral]

The others shake their heads to Natalia's question as they hurry forward. The party passes within a few hundred feet of the orcs, with the noisier travelers careful to stay close to Shiny to take advantage of his sound-dampening spell.

As they follow the path a bit farther south, they finally come in view of the orc encampment, nestled against the hill. They see a dozen tents stitched together of various materials: wool, cotton, leather, fur- and covered in the crude warpaint sigils of the Horde. Around them stand about forty orcs guards, most appearing to prefer cover from the tents, and a small batch of guards stand a bit off from the caves. They can see the heavy iron gate, and forty feet above it they see a pair of dark windows where they can assume Mithril is watching.

Shiny pauses. "What now?"

Spoiler

Show

Current map is in signature. Natalia, Shiny, Kurt and the others are standing near the bottom: up is South on this map.

Caravan is about five minutes from arriving at the camp. Invisibility is just over three minutes from running out.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia gulps at the number of orcs. And many of them are close to the tents too. She turns to the others and asks, "I guess we use. Shiny's magic to cover the camps with smoke? We should all stay close, and maybe set fire to the tents as Shiny covers them with smoke. I know none of you have oil, but does anyone else have means to start a fire? I have a tinder twig, but if someone else has something too it'll speed things along."

[Cavelcade]

Kurt shakes his head at Natalia's question, he doesn't carry oil...unfortunately. As the orcs pass in front of them he breathes a sigh of relief, for a second it had seemed like them coming ahead might have been a bad choice. Not that it necessarily wasn't bad...a choice made in haste.

"Rocky, Karn, Hilton...stay close to me, at all times. If you're separated, you'll be swarmed. Don't let that happen!" He speaks urgently, but quietly, the same eerie feeling Shiny has that they'll be heard making him keep his voice low.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia pauses, then thinks out loud, Mithril, were outside and ready to begin the diversion. I don't think you should open the windows yet, not until we actually begin and everything's covered in fog. I can see the windows clearly, and that probably means the orcs can too.

EDIT: Natalia passes her candles and the flint and tinder to everyone else. "Well, I guess we might as well start away from the patrols, and work our way east? Maybe? Kurt, you're the strategist."

[Admiral]

"Rocky, Karn, Hilton...stay close to me, at all times. If you're separated, you'll be swarmed. Don't let that happen!" He speaks urgently, but quietly, the same eerie feeling Shiny has that they'll be heard making him keep his voice low.

Karn points to the windows in the rockside. "If they let get in there, we'll be more useful," he notes. He looks to Natalia. "The dwarves inside- when door opens, they let us in? This you ask."

[Cavelcade]

Kurt shrugs a bit, watching the patrol go. "We should start it from this side, if this is the way the carts are coming. Make sure they're less likely to be seen...if they expect a diversion, then they probably won't come running out, and if they do well...it'll be in the direction the new fog clouds are popping up."

He unsheathes Daybreaker, looking at Karn and nodding thoughtfully. "Hilton, if you have a bow, you'd be better off in there. If not...maybe you can borrow one." He looks guiltily backwards, towards the horses. "I can give you mine...but few arrows."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"He has a crossbow, and I have bolts," Natalia says, giving some to Hilton. She nods to Karn. "I'll tell her."

Mithril, can you please tell the dwarves to let us in once the door opens? Or at least the archers? Kurt, Shiny, and I might stay out, I'm not sure yet.

"And you're right, Kurt. Lets go."
EDIT: Natalia passes candles to everyone else. "If you use these as torches, we can spread the flames faster."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Hang on," Natalia says, reaching into her pack to show everyone the items she's thinking of. "I may not have oil, but if the candles aren't enough I may have other things. Do any of you have torches? I have an ever burning torch and Shiny or Kurt may have one too. Thing is, I'm not sure if I can use that flame to start a fire, though I might be able to set a regular flame on top of it and have one of you use that to set the tents aflame anyway. And if that doesn't work, I have rope that we could use, and I also have a scroll of the Grease spell. I think that grease is flammable. Are any of these helpful?"

But then as Natalia looks down another realization comes to mind. "Oh, wait. They'll still see the fire from the torches anyway. Then it might be best if only I set fire to the tents; I'm pretty good at sneaking."

She looks out to the camps and draws the tindertwig from her bag. "Let's go."

[Athedia]

Mithril turned to the dwarves. "My friends would like to be let in when the gates open. We have some archers with us, they are pretty good at their job."

[Admiral]

Stanton nods. "Once the backup arrives (should be any minute now), we'll throw the gate open and make our stand. When we do, we'll let your friends in."

Kurt urges the others onward a bit until they're standing not far from the camp, all still invisible. All stay close enough to Shiny that the noise of their footsteps is hidden by his spell. Once they reach the point, he gestures to point out a semi-circle around the camp, making their trajectory clear.

Shiny grits his teeth. "When I cast this spell, we'll be surrounded in dark mist. Hold on to your rope-" he tugs on the rope he's handed to each of the combatants- "and stay close to me, or you'll become visible. And don't attack anybody- same deal." He thinks for a moment. "I say we start the plan the moment one of us spots the caravan on the horizon. Give the dwarf guards time to get here, not tip our hand too early. Agreed?"

Spoiler

Show

Votes on that plan? You can also start smoking it up right now but you don't know how long the caravan and guards will take to arrive (probably under two minutes each). The risk is that someone could spot the caravan before you do.

Incidentally, Shiny cast Expeditious Retreat to keep up with the others after he cast the invisibility spell.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"We should probably wait a moment," Natalia agrees with a nod. "Shiny, when should I start setting fire to the tents, and can you get close enough that I can do so without being detected?"

Natalia keeps a close eye out for the wagons, and her ears open for whatever the orcs might say.

Spoiler

Show

Maybe we should wait only one minute, and not two until we see them show up? I'm good with this plan though!

Spot: (d20+11)[26] unless I can take 20.

Listen: (d20+11)[20] unless I can take 20 and I can understand them with tongues.

EDIT: Another realization strikes Natalia and she asks Shiny, "How long do we have before your invisibility spell runs out? We should start the double bluff before then, even if we can't see the carts by that point."

[Cavelcade]

Kurt just shrugs, at this stage it seems like they've done all they can...whichever they do, it'll have to be done quickly. "Whatever you want to do, Shiny, I'll be right behind you."

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Kurt, once Shiny casts all the fog spells, are you going to fight everyone here? Even if the samurai and dwarves haven't attacked yet?" Kurt's strong, but that strong? And she'll be by his side, of course, but...

Well, it's not just her. She doesn't want to die but she doesn't want to think about what that would do with the mental link.

Edit: Natalia, however, still sounds distant as she focuses in the terrain around them. "I...I'm still here though. I'm not going to abandon you like..." She trails off and shakes her head. "I promise."

[Admiral]

Up in their perch, Stanton pats Mithril on the back. "I'll be takin' up my post again for when the rest arrive. Let's get you ready to cast them spells."

Stanton and Lyla reach down towards the window crank and begin spinning it. The glass window shifts over and is replaced by iron, then a few seconds later it is open. Stanton puts his fingers to his lips to suggest silence now that the window is open, then he turns and walks back down to the front gate.

The seconds pass by as the party nervously waits for the caravan to come into view, hoping they'll see it before the orcs do.

Spoiler

Show

A few orc spot checks:
(1d20+3)[18]
(1d20+4)[22]
(1d20+7)[24]

[Admiral]

Natalia's eyes, trained on the horizon, spot the heads of the samurai approaching- and when she hisses her warning to Shiny the gnome's fingers whip into motion. Moments later the party is bathed in darkness, surrounded by a thick mist.

Just as they'd planned, the moment the smoke has taken hold the party begins to race forward. In a few steps they are out of the smoke and charging ahead to continue building their smokescreen.

Spoiler

Show

That was your readied pre-init action. Now, all of you (except Mithril) want to run forward together- if anyone gets left behind you'll lose the invisibility. That means that unless all of you beat the orcs on the init roll, you'll all have to drop in the order so that you can coordinate your running.

Mithril and Lyla may end up in a different place.

Natalia: (1d20+7)[12]
Kurt: (1d20+2)[13]
Shiny: (1d20+2)[7]
Slavers: (1d20+2)[19]
Miriam: (1d20+1)[21]
Orcs: (1d20+2)[5]

Well, would you look at that. According to a quick simulation in R, the probability of that occurring was 16%, but good for you.

Mithril: (1d20+2)[18]
Lyla (dwarf archer): (1d20+4)[22]