3SC's Ironfang Invasion IC

[Farmerbink]

Gilraen mutters at Narek's rebuke, "I just meant that about the game... he said it." With and oddly sullen shrug, he falls into line.

At their previous campsite, the marksman shrugs out of his pack with visible relief. "Sadly, I do not," he answers. "Though it seems a potentially devastating plan- not unlike our previous thoughts of attacking from their own watchtower. At the very least, we should make that attempt. If free to fire without much recourse, I could unleash no small measure of destruction as well.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Ilsa

"Fire..."

Ilsa's face lit up again.

"I scarcely dare consider it, considering how it could light the forest ablaze - but there is another consideration. One of the elementals I could summon is one made of magma - molten rock, hot enough to set the very earth ablaze. It's vulnerable to cold, but it can burrow like an earth elemental and burn like a fire one."

[PersonMan]

Eyena sits silently as the others speak, picking away at a spot of earth until it's bare, then drawing one of her daggers to draw a simplistic rendition of the camp in the dirt. She draws a series of symbols, letters, arrows and lines that depict an opening attack on the watchtower, followed by the use of alchemist's fire and a burning elemental to set the tents ablaze, while Ilsa, Ramiel and Gilraen fire from the tower, with Rask and herself holding positions at the end of the ramp up. Once it's complete, she taps Ilsa on the shoulder to show her the completed drawing, explaining the details as necessary.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Ilsa

"So, explain again how the initial attack on the tower is going to work?"

[3SecondCultist]

Gilraen's efforts prove to be valuable, as after even several hours on the trail, you see no signs of pursuit. The Ironfang soldiers truly must have returned to camp. As the six of you eventually find yourselves at the same hollow that you first camped in on your way from the troglodyte caves, a decision of mutual weariness and necessity leads all of you to your rest. Healing, strategizing and extemporizing on the camp's layout and defenses takes up the majority of your evening, as you refine and hone several possible avenues for attack. Eventually, you come to the consensus that the tower is to be your first obstacle. If the guards there can be subdued quietly and the height of the ridge taken, the natural terrain should prove to your advantage. From there, hopefully you will win the day, but until that time comes all remains uncertain.

Night overtakes your encampment, and sleep comes easy for most of your group. All but one.


Narek

Unlike the rest of your companions, you find yourself tossing and turning in your sleep, tormented by dreams of a very particular nature. The fields of frost and glass are not the first you have encountered: this is likely the third time you are remembering this scene by night. But the noxious fumes on the horizon are new developments. Thunder and distant acid rain fill the skies, as the smoke threatens to envelop and choke you. Thick banks of acrid gasses pour down your throat, before they freeze shut your mouth and lips. The panes of your eyes are full of frost, and you can't quite close them in time. There is cold at the edge of your soul now, creeping ever closer to the beating heart of you.

You wake, your breath sucking air into your lungs greedily as you are catapulted up from your reverie. No, best call it what it was - a nightmare, pure and simple. The moon's eye cuts through the forest's canopy above you, casting scattered spotlights over the forest beyond your group's abode. There remain three sleeping forms near you, leaving only one guarding the camp. In your haze, you struggle to remember... who took midnight watch?

[Lord Of Mantas]

Ilsa & Ramiel

<So, it's all come down to this. Do you think this will work?>

<Honestly, there is a lot that can go wrong. But I think it's our best idea. And if it does work...>

<Then they will be wide open.>

Ramiel sat with Ilsa at the midnight watch, summoner and eidolon communicating mentally. The two had not much to do to prepare themselves, in the end. It was simply a matter of steeling their courage for the grand finale.

[n0ble]

Rask claimed a spot for himself and set to sharpening his knives in silence. He made sure to dirty up every single one until there was filth on every part of the blade but the sharp bits. Once that was done, he unslung his bow and checked the string. It pulled taught and true he took a bit of wax and greased the string up. Rask checked the fletching on all the arrows he had, then mucked up the arrowheads as well. There wasnt a whole lot he could do with his hammer. At least not in terms of maintenance. All things considered it looked to be in fine shape but for the small fissure in it. Maybe the dwarf coul- Rask blinked and the crack became a blood red flaw set in the hammers stone.

Rask gripped the handle of the masher harder and forced himself to look at the flaw. If the screams were anything to go by there were bound to be scarier things in the camp than simple trog magery. Best to get comfy with the fear now, when it could **** with him ****ing up the hob****ers. And the bugbear. F*ck. Rask scrunched up his eyes into a squint and fought to find some sort of meaning in what he was seeing. He squinted harder, and his head got a bit dizzy from the effort. Anger or no, nothing appeared to be immediately forthcoming. Rask sighed and stopped staring down the mallet. He did feel afeared anymore. Just a might foolish and more tired for the effort of trying to understand. The big man looked up towards the camp and narrowed his eyes again. Before things were done and over with he'd have to get right with the idea of seeing more red. Or maybe the mage could drop another spell on his eyes. Rask's thoughts turned to rest. He motioned for someone to wake him for the next watch, then took to sleep alone, at the roots of a willow.

[Starbin]

Narek Skyskin

Heart pounding, Narek sat up straight in his bedroll, eyes wild as he looked around frantically. His panic grew as he searched for the guard, sure that the hobgoblins had found them. When his gaze finally found Ilsa and Ramiro, silently communicating at the edge of the camp, his breathing finally began to slow, and his heart rate returned to normal. Glancing don at his right hand, he realized he had been reaching to his side for something ... or someone.

Frowning, the wizard pushed away his thoughts for a moment, focusing on the rituals of readying himself for the day. Soon, he was able to shut out the distractions of the world and study his spells. When complete, he rose and joined the others. He spoke quietly, as if unwilling to break the silence of the forest.

”We stand at a nexus of decisions. Do we continue our assault? I think it is clear, but the questions grow. Do we attack from several sides or from a single vector? Do we use summon creatures, or enchant our bed? Will subterfuge when the day, or brute strength?

It seems the plan we discussed last night has merit - using the cover of spells to target the tower, and from there use the high ground to control the battlefield. Key unknowns are the stays of patrols ... the numbers and positions of guards on duty ... the presence of reserve forces, if any ... whether they have contingencies in place for an attack against their camp ... what kind of magic their Alchemist wields ... or what magic their leader possesses.

That being said, they may or may not know who they fight against. If the bugbear was accurate in his reporting, they will know we have illusions ... magic ... archers. They know we have used subterfuge to magnify our effectiveness. Therefore, we need to presume they may be less likely to fall for similar tricks. Or we need to be subtler ... and trickier.”

Narek rubbed his temple, then took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Opening his eyes, her peers at his companions. “I have additional concerns. My dreams for the last two nights showed me images of frost and smoke and acid. It seemed to be a warning on what may happen to us all ... or perhaps a warning of what we will face in our battle. Either way, it has left me ill at ease ...”

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Continuing the plan. Let me know about spells ... thinking two invis as a min.
Spellbook includes All 0-level spells, 1-mage armor, grease, obscuring mist, silent image, shadow trap, enlarge person, endure elements, snowball, heightened awareness, magic missile, 2-gallant inspiration, glitterdust, resist energy, invisibility

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC: 13 HP: 19 Init +10 Move 30'
F +1 R +3 W +6
Weapon: Hvy crossbow w/16 bolts
Spells (4/4+1/3+1): detect magic, acid splash, message, ghost sound / magic missile, silent image, grease, enlarge person, heightened awareness / invisibility, invisibility, glitterdust, gallant inspiration
Prescience: 5/7; Good Dreams 1/1; wand of magic missile (24); wand of prestidigitation (24); wand of cause fear (10); wand of hold person (10)
Key skills: Perception +4; Stealth +2; Survival +3; Spellcraft +11; S. Motive +6; KS Arcane +11; KS Local +10; KS P/Na/D/R +9; KS H/E/G +8
Effect: heightened awareness (+2 Perception, Trained KS; 40min)

[PersonMan]

Eyena is quiet as morning comes, looking down into her less-fortified book until she eventually rises, joining the others. As Narek speaks of the hobgoblins, she nods slowly, frowning as he describes his dreams and giving a slight shrug. "A feint may be, that is, given the possibility of their expectation of deception, a feint may be, of greater utility, as a tactic, in our approach," she says.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Ilsa

"If a feint's what we want, our best bet would probably be to make some sort of noise a little ways into the forest. Not enough to provoke an all out response, but enough to get them to look one way while we approach from the other." She looked to Narek. "You wouldn't happen to know any cantrips that can make false sounds, would you?"

[Farmerbink]

Gilraen rests surprisingly easily- ultimately death holds little threat for one who trusts in the power of forces unseen. He is, if it’s possible, even more withdrawn as the night and day pass in their inexorable way. As he waits for the night to approach, he offers quiet assurances to the others- not out of any surety that they will be victorious in the battle to come, but that they must nonetheless stand in the metaphorical gap for the remnant of Phaendar. Whatever may come, this is their lot, their burden to bear- and if the gods will it, the Shepherds will persevere.

For perhaps the 5th time, his hands run the course of the recurve. An odd smile plays upon his lips as he considers the beauty of the bow- Hobgoblin make originally, no doubt, now used for their own ending. He reclines at the base of the hill, and closes his eyes to pass the time in rest.

[PersonMan]

After a few more moments of silence, Eyena begins to outline further details on her earth-sketch, which grows more intricate as the discussion continues, eventually forming a larger battle plan that she explains to any who ask.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

She's basically drawing out what I've put on the Roll20, and is formulating the stuff I said in the hangout, IC.

Here it is for reference:

Night Assault: Using Invisibility to close in, we can negate the original disadvantage from them having Darkvision; from there the advantage of the camp being asleep is more important than the issue of providing lighting, IMO.

Once we've opened the attack, we can use Dancing Lights (we have at least 2 of those, if Eyena and Narek prepare it), Ghost Sound (same) and Light (Eyena can put it on Eisenherz or on a stone that we throw into the camp; Narek could hold on to one casting for close-range lighting) to provide sufficient illumination.

Using the illumination (which can be supplemented somewhat by burning the camp, if we can set a tent or two alight) as well as Ghost Sound (we should have at least two, Eyena+Narek again) we can try and sow some confusion on top of the surprise attack as well. Potentially use it for marching noises or similar - that could spook some of the soldiers, even if only temporarily.

I don't think we need a great deal of observation, here. We hit them hard and fast, ideally cutting down enough of them all at once that by the time they're organizing it's already over. If the dice don't entirely turn on us (in which case we lose no matter what, TBH) we can brute force it from there and change plans on the fly.
With two castings of DL we can cover almost all of the camp in full illumination, and a significant chunk of the rest in overlapping partial illumination (i.e. also fully illuminate it)
Since the lights can move 100' per round, we can easily move them to illuminate anything we want focus-fired if one of the baddies moves out.

[3SecondCultist]

Bloodshed by Moonlight

Night falls once more. After hours of preparations, the stage for your assault is set at last. With your plan more or less finalized for the time being, the five Shepherds creep through the forest, closing in on the distant Camp Red Jaw. The path to the Ironfang outpost is the same that you took several days ago, avoiding the tread patrol routes that you've been keeping an eye out for. Thankfully - or perhaps suspiciously - even a cursory examination of the underbrush reveals there to be no enemy activity around here. Wherever the night patrol routes are, they don't seem be anywhere nearby.

After roughly forty minutes of careful marching through the woods, you approach the north-western edge of the clearing where the Ironfang camp lies. Ahead of you, the treeline falters and stops, revealing the same gorge. There don't seem to be any sources of light of any kind present in the field beyond: Scarvinious must be relying on the superior eyes of his soldiers to give him the edge. Yet even in the dark, the waxing gibbous moon above your heads stares down on the camp, revealing the silhouette of the watchtower and the sharp edges of the cliff. Hiding several trees away, Rask spots the movement of a single watching Ironfang guard atop the former structure. If he has a companion, there's a good chance that he's asleep.

When you've waited for a minute or two to make sure the coast is clear, the rest of your group quietly gets into position. The lone sentry hasn't noticed any of you, obscured as you are by foliage. This is your moment, your chance to strike unawares. The ambush begins now.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Okay, plan looks good! The Roll20 map is now up and ready to go here. I rolled a few Perception and Survival checks to move us along (all of which were successes) so right now you're all in position to start your night ambush. Keep in mind that until more lighting is added, the moon provides only dim lighting. For Ilsa, Rask, and Ramiel, that means they can see normally up to 60 ft, while Gilraen and Narek have low-light vision meaning that the range of their vision once other light sources are added will double. The camp itself is not illuminated at all at the moment.

As I mentioned in Hangouts, I included the markings made by PersonMan here, but for the sake of keeping the map clear for now, I have hidden them away and can reveal them again for easy reference. Now, I believe it's time for some of you to cast some spells and start this party!

[Starbin]

Narek Skyskin

Narek rose as they prepared for their evening attack. He had his spells prepared, but his concerns still lurked beneath his stoic face. He murmured one last concern to his companions. ”Remember- there are spells that detect invisibility. They may have adjusted their defenses with such protections. ”

Once they were close, Narek cast his spells, ready to complete the subterfuge as necessary. Once the attack was in full swing, it would simply be a matter of managing the threats.

Easy, yes?

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Cast prestidigitation and heightened awareness a minute before we reach our staging point. Then cast Invis on Eyena then Rask (40 rounds each)

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC: 13 HP: 19 Init +10 Move 30'
F +1 R +3 W +6
Weapon: Hvy crossbow w/16 bolts
Spells (4/4+1/3+1): dancing lights, ghost sound, message, mage hand / silent image, obscuring mist, enlarge person, magic missile, heightened awareness / invisibility, invisibility, glitterdust, gallant inspiration
Prescience: 7/7; Good Dreams 1/1; wand of magic missile (24); wand of prestidigitation (23); wand of cause fear (10); wand of hold person (10)
Key skills: Perception +4; Stealth +2; Survival +3; Spellcraft +11; S. Motive +6; KS Arcane +11; KS Local +10; KS P/Na/D/R +9; KS H/E/G +8
Effect: prestidigitation (1hr); heightened awareness (+2 Perception, Trained KS; 39min); invisibility (Rask - 40 rnds, Eyena - 39 rounds)

[PersonMan]

Eyena keeps Eisenherz sheathed, trapping the light from the spell she cast shortly before the final approach to the edge of the woods. Once Narek's spell is cast, she advances, moving into position as quietly as she can.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Moving in and up, as planned.

Stealth: (1d20+29)[37]

[n0ble]

Rask squinted at the tower as the magic was woven around him. He tried not to think too much about all the stuff that could go wrong. Hopefully the whole damn tower wasnt just rigged to blow soon as he got up there. If he got up there. Or that there were more dogs. They could sniff him out. Rask shook the thoughts from his mind and prowled forward.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Stealth! (1d20+24)[39]

[3SecondCultist]

With Narek's expenditure of magic cloaking their steps, both Rask and Eyena cautiously break the cover of the forest and begin to approach the base of the tower. Looking down, the spellsword and the soldier both notice that not only are they completely invisible, they cast no shadows in the moonlight. The sentry up on the tower doesn't seem to notice anything amiss while they close the distance to the lone fortification, convening up at the base of the ladder just as planned. As they ready themselves to climb, both of the Shepherds hear the hobgoblin scout humming to himself tonelessly, and the unmistakable sound of sonorous snores in the background. There must be a pair of lookouts up there, with one of them taking the night shift while the other sleeps. Your enemy is taking no chances.

In unspoken agreement, Eyena is the first to climb the wooden ladder, a task easier said than done without being able to see where to put one's hands or feet. She manages without too much trouble, making minimal noise as she presses herself to the north-eastern corner of the tower. From where she stands, Eyena can see that the awake hobgoblin already has his bow out but not yet loaded, keeping a steady eye on the treeline. His partner lies in a fur blanket on a cot, armor on and sword within arm's reach. She takes up her position with a hand on her sword's hilt, ready to strike. Rask is next... but halfway up his ascent, the half-orc slips and misses a rung, cracking his jaw on one of the wooden beams. The noise might as well be thunder in the clear silence around you.

Even as Rask scrambles up the rest of the way, the alert sentry turns around to face the sound of the noise, nocking an arrow and kicking at the cot of his partner. "Wake the f*ck up! I think I heard something." The motion jolts the other hobgoblin awake, who immediately reaches for his weapon. Neither of the hobgoblins seem to see the invisible intruders in front of them, but it's now or never.

[n0ble]

For once, Rask didnt curse his own stupidity. He shot up the ladder, running more on instinct than any sense of tactical acumen. When he got to the top he didn't wait for words or movement from the Hobs. Scrabbling up the tower had shot his blood full of an energy that cleared him of doubts. There was just the blood in his ears and the reassuring weight of the hammerhead as he swung at the waking hob, hard as he could.

Spoiler: Suprise Round

Show

Attack vs. Prone Hob (Power Attacking, blessed): (1d20+8)[23]
Dmg: (2d6+14)[23]
Sneak attack damage if applicable: (1d6)[5]

[Farmerbink]

As the seconds tick past, Gilraen struggles to master his nerves behind the last substantial tree lining the clearing. His breaths come faster than they would if he were climbing the tower personally. Somehow, waiting weighs upon the lithe archer more heavily than any but the most gruesome of tasks could. "Come on, come on, come on!" he mutters, anxious to see one of his companions waving over the rail.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Ilsa

Ilsa saw Gilraen go tense, and she responded in kind, ready to cast the summoning spell for the elemental the instant things went pear-shaped.

[PersonMan]

Breaking her own silence as Rask appears beside her, Eyena speaks a harsh syllable of arcane significance before bringing Eisenherz down on the other hobgoblin, the blade crackling with magical electricity as she attacks.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled in the roll20.

A: 26
D: 24

[3SecondCultist]

The dreaded warning cry never comes, as the threat atop the tower is neutralized in two strokes. Rask is the first to move, bringing his earth breaker down on the bow-laden hobgoblin and collapsing his skull under the pressure. He crumpled without a sound, bits of flesh and broken bone spilling out over his armor. Before the remaining Ironfang soldier can even react, Eyena appears before him, bringing her glowing blade to bear. A small crackle of electricity runs through her strike, and the faintest smell of burning fills the air as the second watchman join his brother in death.

A moment of tense silence passes, and then another. There is no alarm raised from the camp below - nobody seems to have heard the last words of the dead soldiers or spotted the light of Eyena's bastard sword. At the treeline, Ilsa is able to watch all of the action unfold thanks to her unique eyesight. With the watchtower yours, the way is clear for the real fight to begin.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Ilsa

Alright. Now it's time for me to make some noise. Or rather, send in something that will make some noise.



Once everyone had moved up to the tower, Ilsa made her move.

Moving forward in a low lope, Ilsa pulled forth her magic, focusing on the far distant shore of the moat, pulling forth the primordial force of magma.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

This action is readied for when everyone else is in place. Ilsa will move up on the map as shown, then use her Summon Monster SLA to summon a small magma elemental. As usual, what she summons is affected by Augment Summoning.

[Starbin]

Narek Skyskin

Narek saw the signal, whispering to his companions, ”Excellent work. Now, what targets are visible from your position? Gilraen, check for magical signatures within the camp, consistent with what we found before. Eyena, be prepared to engage the Alchemist if necessary. I stand ready to create a diversion to the side of camp, away from the tower ...”

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Pausing for any adhoc planning the group wants to accomplish.

Spoiler: Status

Show

AC: 13 HP: 19 Init +10 Move 30'
F +1 R +3 W +6
Weapon: Hvy crossbow w/16 bolts
Spells (4/4+1/3+1): dancing lights, ghost sound, message, mage hand / silent image, obscuring mist, enlarge person, magic missile, heightened awareness / invisibility, invisibility, glitterdust, gallant inspiration
Prescience: 7/7; Good Dreams 1/1; wand of magic missile (24); wand of prestidigitation (23); wand of cause fear (10); wand of hold person (10)
Key skills: Perception +4; Stealth +2; Survival +3; Spellcraft +11; S. Motive +6; KS Arcane +11; KS Local +10; KS P/Na/D/R +9; KS H/E/G +8
Effect: prestidigitation (1hr); heightened awareness (+2 Perception, Trained KS; 39min)

[Farmerbink]

The sigh of relief is almost explosive as the faint light of Eyena's blade appears over the edge of the watch tower, not accompanied by any cry of pain or warning. Without even trusting himself to respond, Gilraen hurries forward, using the boon of his patron spirits to watch for and avoid any auras of magic. At the foot of the tower, he looks up, eager to be able to see the camp from a better vantage, but he lowers himself to his stomach and crawls towards the edge of the ravine instead. From there, he takes several moments to peruse the camp itself, relying on scant moonlight and his mystic awareness to scout the camp. Satisfied with his findings, he turns and scales the tower before retrieving his bow and relaying his findings to the rest of the group.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Not sure what/if rolls are applicable here. (1d20+9)[12] stealth (1d20+9)[23] perception (1d20+5)[25] climb

[n0ble]

For a moment, Rask stood struck dumb by his own success. Then he looked to Eyena, nodded once, and made to scurry down the ladder and into position.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Stealth to go back down to the square marked on the map: (1d20+4)[19]

[PersonMan]

Eyena relays the information she's asked for, moving into position as quietly as possible, returning Eisenherz to its sheath until the final attack begins.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Just repositioning, I think the spot on the map is fine.

[3SecondCultist]

As the rest of the Shepherds approach the base of the tower, Rask and Eyena make sure their quarry is dead before descending to meet them. Both of the warriors take up their positions near the top of the wooden stairway, crouching down to avoid enemy scrutiny. Being at the top of the ravine helps, as it blocks some of the line of sight from anyone patrolling below. Ilsa and Narek hang back somewhat, the half-elf preparing to open a planar gateway and conjure up some aid as planned even as the wizard prepares for the surprise bombardment of Camp Red Jaw.

Gilraen is the one to creep forward at last, getting a lay of the land. The elf's keen eyes cut through moonlight to get a shape of the camp, seeing no active fire and only a pair of hobgoblins moving about. It's hard to tell at a distance under these conditions, but he can see that both awake Ironfang soldiers have bows slung at the ready and are fully armored with their swords belted on. From where he lies, Gilraen can also see the outline of Scarvinious' hut of screams... and something else that he did not register on his earlier scouting forays. Near the base of the stairs, there is a wooden cage, with what looks like a small furred shape within.

Not getting too distracted, the elf eventually gets up to report to the others what he's seen. It's in that instant that he looks back down only to see one of the hobgoblin scout soldiers staring back up at him. There can be no mistaking the look of realization on the sentry's face, as he turns and shouts: "<They're here! Everyone to arms!!>" Charging forward, the hobgoblin takes cover at the edge of one of the lean-tos, drawing his bow and firing two arrows right into Gilraen’s chest out of the darkness. His partner is already moving, continuing the shouting for his comrades to join the two.

Spoiler: Round 1 OOC

Show

Map of Camp Red Jaw

So not only did the enemies detect Gilraen and raise the alarm, but they just beat all of you out on Initiative. It looks like they were more ready for an ambush than I planned! One of them managed to get off a pair of shots at Gilraen, dealing a total of 14 damage despite her trait AC bonus and half-cover from higher ground. The others will be preparing to move in.

However, I'm going to give all of the sleeping troops at least 1 round before they can fully rouse themselves to action (most of the soldiers and Scarvinious have Endurance, you would have seen at least a few of them sleeping in full armor). Furthermore, since Ilsa was readying her spell, I'm going to allow Mantas to place the magma elemental within range of the spell from the start of Round 1.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Ilsa

Got to make it count, now.

With the elemental now in the camp below, it immediately vomited forth a puddle of magma, setting the tent next to it ablaze. Ilsa, in the meantime, chucked some alchemist's fire of her own down into the camp below.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

I have placed the elemental, and it will vomit out a Puddle of Lava at its current location as a full-round action.

Ilsa, in the meantime, will chuck some alchemist's fire at the tent to the east of the elemental.

Ranged Touch: (1d20+5)[24] minus any modifiers.
Damage: (1d6)[6] fire damage

[PersonMan]

Gritting her teeth, Eyena shifts her weight before working her magic, creating four glowing blue lights above the hobgoblin camp.

Spoiler: Round 1 OOC

Show

Casting Dancing Lights, putting the lights about 20 feet up, the drawing should be in the right spot on the Roll20.