Lost Mines of Phandelver [IC]

[Malexia]

Perra fulfills her role in the plan, staying in the rear group.

[Lank]

Every sound that comes from Rangrim's armor makes Anvorwulf cringe.
When it is Anvorwulf's turn he heads up the stairs.
His glowing veins and eyes cease as he makes his way up the stairs.

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Anvorwulf will try to move up the stairs as quietly as possible. He will have advantage for this because of his Tides of Chaos class feature.
(1d20+2)[4]
(1d20+2)[6]

[Townopolis]

Tom moves quickly up to the base of the steps, then waits as Rangrim begins moving up the steps. As the dwarf advances, Tom is on the lookout for trouble. Once Rangrim is partway up and the rest of the party is in position to cover his advance, Tom begins climbing the stairs two or three steps behind Rangrim.

When he and Rangrim reach the top, Tom is prepared to wait a few feet ahead of the steps, again ready for the first sign of trouble, as the Hyram and then the other mages advance--one by one as Hyram suggested.

Once the whole party is assembled at the top of the steps, Tom covers their advance until they reach the curve in the tunnel. At that point (subject to further input from his allies), he is ready to back down the steps to provide the distraction.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Readied action to cast Vicious Mockery on the first goblin he sees while Rangrim advances. This will stay readied until Rangrim is about halfway up.
Sneaking up after Rangrim Stealth - (1d20+2)[21]
After reaching the top, Tom will return to readying an action to cast Vicious Mockery

[eleazzaar]

As his new comrades start to clank up the stairs, Hyram dashes around the corner of the west passage, so he can't be seen from the bridge. Then he imagines a slightly drunk Perra wearing ill-fitting armor borrowed from an ogre. This Perra is attempting to climb the rock wall, grunting, clanging, and scraping all the way up, loud enough to wake the dead. Hyram hopes the noise will be enough to mask the parties actual ascent of the stairs, and perhaps divide and confuse their foes.

Hyram then joins the back of the group, carefully making their way up the stairs one by one.

Spoiler: Quietly...

Show

Quietly walking up:(1d20+5)[8]

The illusory noise will last for 1 minute.

[Zergrinch]

The warlock cowers behind the dragonborn, holding on to her armor even, with his other hand ready to unleash a spell against the first creature he sees.

Spoiler

Show

Ready Action against first creature we see:

• Assuming we don't get disadvantage shooting through allies: Eldritch Blast (1d20+5 vs AC, 1d10 force damage, +1d10 on crit)
• Assuming we do get disadvantage: Frostbite (CON save, on fail, 1d6 cold damage and disadvantage on next weapon attack roll.

[Vesth]

The stairs creak alarmingly as you traverse the passage, but other than Anvorwulf stubbing his toe on a stone and screaming bloody murder, you made it to the end of the passage one by one, with relative safety.

You find yourself in a large carve, divided in half by a 10 foot high escarpment. A steep natural staircase leads from the lower portion to the upper ledge. The air is slightly hazy with the smoke of a cooking fire, and pungent from the smell of poorly cured hides and unwashed goblins.

You find yourselves at the end of the lower potion, with another tunnel to your right, leading up.

Six goblins are holding defensive positions near the natural staircase, looking at you with equal parts fear and bloodlust. On the upper portion, you see two more goblins at the ready, with their shortbows trained on you.

And there is another goblin who is holding a bound and gagged Silar Hallwinter in front of it as a shield. A gold ring carved with symbols glimmers on the goblin's finger.

"Intruders," that goblin calls out to you. "Let us strikes a deal."

[Townopolis]

Spoiler: Shadow Monk'd, Please Ignore

Show

Trying his best not to let anyone see his reaction to the noise everyone is making is difficult at first, when Hyram decides that this calls for further deviation and creates a ghost sound early, Tom finds it practically impossible to suppress an ironic smile and quiet chuckle at the party's antics. He manages to keep from making a noise, at least. Once the party is in position, then, he sidles up to hunker just behind Rangrim and Perra, sword out and ready for action.

Zuu catches the bard's eye, and Tom sidles back to have a very quiet conversation with the mage. Hand gestures are involved, possibly even pantomime, but Tom gets the idea and sidles back toward the front. There, he raises his free hand to cover his mouth, as if to somatically signal a stage whisper in a play. Then he waggles his fingers in a series of, frankly, quite odd gestures.

"I'm going to take a look" hisses Tom's voice from just ahead of Rangrim, even though the bard is clearly behind the dwarf. Tom performs a second series of arcane somatics, and a combat dummy springs into existence around the corner. The dummy consists of a barrel with a staff sticking out. The staff has a full helm atop it, with little bits of straw sticking out from underneath. Below the helm, a cloak neatly covers the sack of straw filling in for a body, and the whole thing is constructed such that the staff is sticking out at an angle much like someone attempting to peer around a corner... which the dummy sort-of is.


Minor Illusion to create a ghost sound of Tom's voice, followed by another Minor Illusion to create an illusory object.
Should it be applicable, Tom will back this performance up with his skill at deception. Deception - (1d20+5)[18]
His goal is, as Zergrinch suggested in the OOC thread, to spoil any readied actions the goblins might have.

[Zergrinch]

So the goblin wishes to parlay, but is holding Sildar as a hostage. The sorcerer steps up.

"Yeemik, I presume? One One-Eye spoke highly of you. Weapons down, then we talk."

To signify his sincerity, the warlock lowers his staff to face the ground and faces the goblin leader in a neutral position.

[Malexia]

Perra looks to Zuu warily. "You would parlay with one of them? After they murdered one of their own?"

[Zergrinch]

"Based on what One One-Eye told me, there is little love lost between the goblins and Klarg. The faction that murdered a goblin is not necessarily the same faction we are currently facing. Why don't we hear him out?"

[Townopolis]

Tom is rather taken aback by this turn of events, first, there's the sudden, blinding panic when they turn the corner to find no fewer than nine goblins. Then there's the bafflement when he isn't immediately skewered by arrows. It takes him a moment to catch up with Zuu.

When he does, Tom lowers his sword, then sheathes it. "We'll understand if you prefer to keep arrows nocked, just the same as I expect you'll understand if they keep a-hold of their weapons" he says, indicating that he means the party by the latter. Then he quirks an eyebrow and tilts his head upward in an inquisitive gesture.

"Now, you have a deal in mind?"

[Vesth]

The goblin makes a gesture with a hand and says something in goblin. The other goblins lower their weapons, but seem tense, and ready to spring into action.

"Yes, I am Yeemik." It suddenly barks something in goblin, and another goblin that was raising its weapon lowered it down again.

"My terms are simples. You kill Klarg and do not kill us, and we returns this human to you. You are heres for this human, yes?"

[Townopolis]

"The human is a friend of a friend--we're here for a dwarf. If you have him as well, I think Klarg and Ripper--and you know we'll have to kill Ripper too--for the human and his dwarf companion seems a fair deal. If you don't have the dwarf, we might be convinced to trade for information as to his whereabouts, but it would need to be good information, real valuable stuff." Tom adjusts his stance as he talks, using his body language to help convey the tone and connotation he desires.

"I'm sure you have something more than just the human, anyone with magic like yours is surely clever... clever enough, at least, to know his only opportunity to oust Klarg when he sees it."

Spoiler: Rolls and such

Show

Tom wouldn't mind getting more out of the deal, but his primary objective is to give Yeemik an opportunity to talk him down--essentially massaging the goblin's ego so that he is extra-happy with whatever agreement we meet.
diplomacy - (1d20+5)[13]
advantage, assuming Zuu helps - (1d20+5)[17]

[BurgerBeast]

Rangrim's bow was trained on the nearest goblin, and then on Yeemik. He slowly and reluctantly lowers his arrow, but keeps the it nocked and ready to fire. The present situation is as tense as he's seen. One wrong word and this hall will turn into a bloodbath. Not many survivors would walk away.

As Tom and Zuu enter dialogue with the wretched goblin leader, he keeps a close eye on the movements of the warriors. He can't keep the hatred off of his face, but he can at least keep his mouth shut.

[Malexia]

"Terms that simple? It seems this deal favors you, goblins. You have numbers. Why not aid us in dethroning this 'Klarg', if you hate him so?" Perra stands beside Zuu and Tom, and peers closely at Yeemik.

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

Insight: (1d20+1)[18]
Persuasion (If I need to roll it, if not I'm just helping Tom I guess): (1d20+3)[11]

[Vesth]

Yeemik considers Tom's proposal. "Dwarf...dwarf not here anymores. But you kills both, I will tells you who took Dwarf."

It turns to Perra. "Win-win for us. You kills them, we free. He kills you, we no more intruders. If we helps, and you lose, we lose as well. We have deals?"

[Malexia]

"I suggest we're allowed to take any loot we want from Klarg. Unless you have any other information you could provide instead?"

[Zergrinch]

"Lord Yeemik," the Warlock says, piling on the praise, "We know there are goblins outside and in Klarg's room. If we fight Klarg, we might have to kill them. I am sure you do not like to be the leader of only eight or so goblins. And furthermore, if you are the one to deal the killing blow to Klarg, everyone will respect your strength."

"I would like to suggest you accompany us to tell the other goblins to stand down. Once we soften Klarg up for you, you can finish him off."

[Townopolis]

Tom waits for Yeemik's inevitable rebuff of Zuu's counterpoint and also to see how Perra's amendment is accepted before continuing. After Yeemik responds to those points, he turns to Zuu and asks in elvish "Anything else?" After Zuu responds, unless that response changes things, Tom will address Yeemik.

"Yes, win-win for you, although clearly a bigger win if we succeed in killing Klarg and Ripper. Alright, you don't have to help us directly in the fight, but you know you can make sure we reach Klarg's room fresh--unhindered by any pitfalls lurk along the way."

"Take us to Klarg's room--it's in your best interest, after all--and we'll kill him and his wolf in exchange for the human and what you know about who took the dwarf... you're strong-arming us, but your Fizxeez has seized my friend's sympathies," and he indicates Zuu here, "So you have yourself a deal."

[Lank]

Anvorwulf would love to see every single one of these goblins dead. But he is no fool. With nine to six the odds are in their favor and he does his best to hide the look of anger on his face towards the goblins. He stands behind Perra. Because of all that they have suffered at the hands of the goblins he would like the chance to be restrained by Perra if he loses control in the negotiations and starts firing off spells at them. After a few tense seconds he feels a lot less stressed about the situation and takes a few steps back.

[BurgerBeast]

Rangrim is growing uneasy. This could very likely be one hell of an ugly trap. We might be facing off against the bugbear and his bodyguards and this group of goblins at the same time. More likely, this Yeemik will wait for the bugbear to soften us up and then sick his goblins on us and finish us off.

How many times do these people have to be fooled before they stop trusting goblins? Goblins.

He works his way back to Anvorwulf, steadily and keeping his bow ready. He mutters, "I reckon we're walking straight into a bugbear and goblin sandwich, Featherbeard. Six of us amid thirteen or so. At the very least I'd expect this Yeemik to kill us after the bugbear softens us up."

[Lank]

"I feel you Rangrim". He whispers. "Perhaps if Klarg were to know of Yeemik's plot, we could pit these two groups against each other". After whispering to Rangrim, Anvorwulf folds both arms behinds his back content on staying silent.

[Vesth]

Yeemik's face darkens at the mention of Fizxeez. "Our goblins foughts you on the road, yes? The only other survivor tells us Fizxeez helps you kills other goblins and brings you here."

"The goblins there will listen to Klarg. If you kills them, I wil not holds it against you. But if Klarg is killed, I will stop the other goblins from hurtings you. I don't knows if you will wins, but if it looks like you ares, we will helps."

[Townopolis]

Tom can't help it. The line about Fizxeez killing goblins gets a chuckle out of him. "Yes, I do recall a second goblin fleeing that ambush, but I distinctly remember that it was him, not Fizxeez, who dropped a tree on his fellow goblins. Fizxeez..." Tom takes a moment to think before shaking his head, "didn't kill any goblins while we were with him. Of course, the last I saw him was when we asked him to come in here and convince you to strike a deal with us." He punctuates this with a little shrug.

[Zergrinch]

"Goblin that killed other goblin is called Noglixz, Fixzeex said. He dropped a tree on other goblins so he can escape. By the way, what can you tell us about Klarg? What can he do aside from swing that morning star?"

[Vesth]

Yeemik frowns at the two adventurers as they describe their version of events, but it does not pursue this line of conversation.

"He swings morningstar. I don't thinks he has other weapons. As a gesture of goodwill, I tells you this. Take the others passage in this room when you leave. They will not expects you to comes from that direction. Not unless you makes lots of noise."

It gives a pointed look at the party as it says this.

[Lank]

Anvorwulf speaks up. "We have some idea of Klarg's troops, can you give us a more exact number so we know what resistance we will be facing?".

[Zergrinch]

"There was another goblin with an eye patch who tried to lure us into a trap. Is he with Klarg? And if not, can one of your goblins send word to him of our agreement?"

[Vesth]

"7 goblins. The goblin you are talkings about is there." Yeemik subconsciously rubs the ring on its finger. "I will nots send anyone there, not when Klarg will suspect what we are doings."

[Zergrinch]

The goblin does something Zuu doesn't expect.

Spoiler

Show

Why rub your finger, dude? Insight: (1d20+1)[13].

"Very well. We will be off then." Zuu turns around to the upper chamber passage, but doesn't exit the tunnel, and takes a good look around.

Spoiler

Show

Perception: (1d20+3)[8]

Am I overusing skill checks if I can remember them without referring to the PNG?