A test of your prowess, the endless gauntlet - a continuation.

[wilphe]

Thank you sir. We'll try not to bother you again. Thanks for the tea.

Robina quickly hustles everyone out of the tower before they break something or piss him off.

Yes, as Oorth said we had a quick diversion getting you guys back. Princess is next job. If it is not too much to ask Xivlir could you tell us what happened to you since we saw you last?

[CNFish]

Xivilir:
as I recall it you three entered the fortress amd upon your escape I tried to make my way back down the mountain, I was close to the cart when I happened upon a hobgoblin raiding party. Being wounded already I was in no shape to fight them off. They knocked me unconscious and next thing I know I'm in everpine staring down the face of our evil...

[JonMarker2]

Finally giving up on trying to see through the mess of a tower, Jon listens on as the party and the resurrected go on through their details and what we should hope to accomplish in the next outing. Giving a quick pat on his bags for a rough check what equipment was used and what they will have to resupply, while making way to hopefully the front door slowly.

[wilphe]

Robina will bring Xivlir up to speed on what happened, everything including Abraham and the Princess, then check in with the gnomes to see if they have any news of their attack.

Ok, next item of business is the Princess. Need to find out what happened with the gnome attack.

Apparently there are some passages underneath that can get us in, if she is still there. If she is not there, well we can kill some hobs.

Unless anyone has any other suggestions that is where we should go next.

Xivlir I don't know if you want to come with us on that or not, we have some volunteers from the militia to help guard the horses with you or if you wish you can stay here and try and train the remaining militia


We have been fortunate that Fiorello has come back as himself, that means proving who he is is kind of unnecessary and might also make the enemy think we have better magic than we do.

What else, we have at least two skilled archers with access to powerful poison working for someone, probably Draco, need to be careful of them but right now they will have probably headed back to report success and get paid.

Fiorello should probably keep a low profile for the moment if they are after him

Logisitics:

Sell the stuff we got and cannot use, need another cure stick and to get some equipment for Xivlir. Fortunately we are in a gnome city so stuff in his new size should not be hard to get.

Also think about getting some better equipment for the militia

[finaldooms]

sounds like a plan, I'm tired of standing around watching magic lol..

Orth is just going to follow robina around till it's time to do a thing

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

agreed, let's go find the elder, see if theres any word from the gnome strike force

Time of day?

[JonMarker2]

Third, motion carrier-ed...I mean yeah, let us go and find out what trouble awaits. Said, lost in thought of "where the heck is the door this time, I am not swimming up through a sea of mud over tea/"

At the mayor: Just in case someone tries to pull a fast one on us, is there any way for us to know that the princess is really the princess and not someone trying to pull a fast one? I'm not talking about a signet signature ring.Maybe a maid that she is on a friendlier base with that you know of?

My ears are sharp open, but my eyes are blurring from wondering what was on the shelves and where is the door.

[CNFish]

The party begins their trek to the citadel where they met the gnome leader earlier and talked battle plans. As they wall they pass a market where they quickly dispatch of any unnecessary gear, (if you guys need any gear make sure to mark that in the ooc and then mark it respectively in your CS. (Remember, if you didnt buy it, and it's not on your sheet, you dont have it... looking at you jon lol.)

Mayor:
I'm not quite sure what you mean there Jonathan. The only people who would be able to identify the princess in person are about a 4 day trip that way. he points in the direction of camelot. or her father. And you guys said he didnt hit his rendezvous.. but it shouldn't be hard to know who the princess is. It's likely shes the only child surrounded by hobgoblins.

At the citadel, the party meets with the leader.

GLeader:
ah, the militia how have your efforts thus far gone?

[wilphe]

Orth is just going to follow robina around till it's time to do a thing hit something

[finaldooms]

Well you are not wrong lol..
...I dont think there was any normal supplies orth needed?

Spoiler: whilpe

Show

its Godwin's turn I think btw

[JonMarker2]

I apologize for the round about way that I am saying things mayor, what I meant was there such a person as to leave a deep impression on her highness that she would find a way to make a comment about them and make it seem off-hand? Or perhaps the likeness of the name of her first pet?

[wilphe]

We killed some trolls, including a spellcaster, as a side effect of our getting your spellcaster to raise our friends.

We will be buying some equipment for the new recruits and reequip Xivlir and then be ready to attempt to rescue the princess.

Could you update us on the status of your attack please?

It went well I hope?

Spoiler: ...I dont think there was any normal supplies orth needed?

Show

Buy your own alchemists fire and stop trying to borrow mine...

[CNFish]

Could you update us on the status of your attack please?

It went well I hope?

GL:
initial reports were promising, our next reports were due sadly less than an hour ago. This doesnt mean anything bad has happened, perhaps the messenger was just held up. But considering what's at stake I do have some anxiety with the wait.

He begins to move to a map with figurines likely depicting the battle strategy of the gnome attack.

what we know is there is a tunnel network underneath the castle, this is common for older fortresses that were built in times of wars, as the tunnels allowed nobility to escape during a siege. However, we dont know where the tunnels lead to inside the castle. You could end up in the dungeon, you could end up right infront of the throne room. The entrance is...... here. he points to a location a little ways away from the fortress. Upon looking at the map and what you can remember from the last time the party was near the fortress the entry point is close to where the party originally climbed the mountain in search of the fortress.

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

so how long before we send in the cavalry

[JonMarker2]

Bertie; I think it is about as fast as we can get there.
Robina, do you have any big offensive spells left? Or is it better to find a way and wait?
Oorth; do you still want to negotiate?

[finaldooms]

" ....I'm sure you are just tired from your trip jon
.I swear I heard you ask if I wanted to negotiate when all I do is bring the muscle around haha..

If all the hobs are focused on that tunnel now then it will be nearly impossible to get inside unless they left the front door unguarded though..that tunnel was not very big from what I recall

Also I just asked for 1 fire bomb! My sword works better most of the time lol"

[JonMarker2]

Yes, I did ask you to negotiate, take your muscles and move around the battlefield. That type of negotiation.

Elder? That tunnel was the way a lot of people escaped, there was no way that it wouldn't have been unguarded at this time. Is there a way to send personnel around to sweep and distracted, so we can extract? The original force sent out there.

[CNFish]

Elder? That tunnel was the way a lot of people escaped, there was no way that it wouldn't have been unguarded at this time. Is there a way to send personnel around to sweep and distracted, so we can extract? The original force sent out there.

I believe your referring to the sewers where you escaped from? This is not the sewers, it's a cave network in the side of the mountains.. no one has escaped from there yet. Or are you saying that it's possible the hobgoblins know about the cave network and will have it guarded?

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

I agree if the hobs overwhelmed the gnome force, they may have the tunnels guarded

What was time of day anyway? I asked a few posts back, didnt see an answer, its gotta be late I think

[CNFish]

I agree if the hobs overwhelmed the gnome force, they may have the tunnels guarded

What was time of day anyway? I asked a few posts back, didnt see an answer, its gotta be late I think

It's late evening. Not dark. But it's getting there. Though if the party moves at a hastened pace they could make it back to where they left the cart before dark falls.

[CNFish]

At this point I'm assuming the party is going to start heading for the hobgoblins since no one has said otherwise.

Are the NPCs going to be following you guys? Xivilir and mayor orders?

Other then that the party moves with haste towards the mountain, after a few hours of climbing the party comes across a dead body. Upon further inspection it's a gnome messenger, likely the one the gnome leader was expecting earlier. Hes sustained a large amount of damage and succumbed to his wounds, however there are no signs of battle around.

It's still about a half hour to the fork where the party abandoned the cart on their original trip up the mountain.

[wilphe]

Alright let's go

As she gets outside Robina begins making plans.

Abigail. Horses ready please. she looks at Xivlir, You ready for one of those or would you prefer a pony?.

She continues.

Four of us will go in, Xivlir, Abigail and three volunteers to take the horses back after we get as close to the entrance as we can.

She gives Xivlir a grin

When you get back try and instill some woodcraft in our recruits please? And we'll need patrols out to see if Abraham or Beatrice have returned.

Be very careful for those archers who got Fiorello. And he, sir, needs to stay out of sight a bit. They tried to kill you once, they can try again.

[wilphe]

Upon further inspection it's a gnome messenger,

Maybe not a trap but let's assume it is.

Robina dismounts and checks the corpse, ready for any ambush

(1d20)[14] Search +5

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

Spot (1d20+7)[18] scanning the area while robina examines the corpse

[finaldooms]

Orth hangs back glancing at x every once in a while trying to used to him being a halfling now

wonder what I would become if I got changed...

[JonMarker2]

Since the others are already looking for traps and we only bump heads, I will search for the area that would most likely be the site of the ambush.
(1d20)[15] +3

Robina: Which side of the body has bigger wounds? I will work on where the ambush came from based on the entry point of the biggest wound, or at least what is around here. I'll also stay within speaking distance of the party.

Oorth, see if you could find a messenger satchel, or a scroll tube, maybe?

Actions ready: holding on to keen sword. Then dismount only if needed.

If possible I don't wish to dismount at this time.

[CNFish]

The party notices no traps but the gnome is heavily wounded. Whether or not he got these wounds here at the site can't be told.

However Robina checks him over and finds the message he was carrying. After reading over the gist of it the gnome attack was in danger of failing and half of the forces had already succumbed to injuries. The message was intended to be a plea for more reinforcements

[finaldooms]

Time for orth to shine!!

I feel like we know where we are going anyways and its probly safe to assume the battle is that way as well..but il give the area a scout around if thatd ok robina ?

If so!!

Spoiler: survival !!

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(1d20+11)[17] finally my 1 other "social skill"
Anyways looking to see if I can find the way he came from and if anyone else was that way I guess?

.....and I rolled low -.- ( still high enough I'm hoping)

[wilphe]

Robina looks at Bertie

You have a way to get this message to your leaders quickly?

If not, she turns to two of the militia volunteers and hands them the message

Gnome attack is failing, half the force is wounded, they are in need of reinforcements. You will take this message at all speed back to Drandeldord. Go

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

i don't have an animal Messenger prepared.