Altogether [IC]

[Auranghzeb]

Cervena

Spoiler: Image

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The proud huntress of evil sneered at her sister's offer.

I'm fine, I can go on like this. Don't you worry about me dear sister

She grabbed some fruit from the ground, ate some and put some more in her satchel.

We have work to do, lets move.

And placing her hood over her head, she motioned towards the woods.

[BelGareth]

Oakthorn replies to the many comments without turning around, "You, are, already in the Blackwoods little ones" he says in his slow, booming voice. He raises one hand and points "Head that direction, and you will find what you've been looking for"

the Will-o-wisp just bobs and makes a pulsing sound to Evindal, perhaps that was it's name?

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Are you claiming it as your Familiar?

[LairdMaon]

Cur turns his face to Oakthorn, "Do you prefer these corpses left in any special way? They should fertilize your soil well, eventually. Cycle of life, ey?"

[BelGareth]

Oakthorn booms with laughter at Cur "Of course little one, you make me laugh. Yes....these...will be used, don't you fret my little cousin."

[Ilerien]

- I sincerely advise against eating what's left of the ogres, for dinner or otherwise, - having regained his composure, Evindal flashed his own teeth (admittedly far less impressive) at Endymia in a brief grin. - A severe case of indigestion would be detrimental to our mission.

The will-o’-wisp glowing with ethereal blue light levitated over his palm while the mage was slowly descending to the ground.
- Aren't you pretty? - he addressed the wisp. - Do you want to see the world outside the grove? - the elf tilted his head for a moment, looking at the wisp intently. - Of course you do. My vocal cords are poorly suited to pronouncing your real name, so I'll call you Amrynn, if you don't mind.

The elf partook in the fruit break, verbosely thanked Oakthorn for his generosity and guidance in Sylvan, but part of his attention had been invariably focused on the wisp levitating in his close proximity and sometimes bobbing, weaving and pulsing.

[Olive_Sophia]

Endymia's mouth pouted for a moment after Cervena refused to accept her help. She knew that her sister was stubborn, but she didn't expect her to take it this far. She was obviously quite hurt - it was foolish not to relent at a time like this. 'No matter,' she concluded, 'if she won't respect me, I'm not above letting her suffer.'

After their dinner was finished, she beckoned some of the party near her. "Tommasia, come here. I'll treat your wounds, as promised. It's true that my hands normally wield a terrible power. But the one I serve holds sway over both life and death, exalted as she is." The paladin put her palms together in a praying motion and appealed to her patron.

"O Tiamat, Dragon Goddess, once again your proud servant calls to you. I am grateful for the strength and the victory you have granted to me this day. Please, send me divine succor that I may fight on as your champion."

A faint light then appeared, which surrounded the party but didn't seem to come from any particular source. A few seconds later, the light coalesced into a bright, golden wyrm. His form was not a corporeal one, but it was quite beautiful. Light played along his glittering scales as the long coils of his body rolled through the air. Small for a dragon, the creature was still as large as a man. "An envoy of my Goddess," Endymia explained. "He brings us her gift. Look - he's absolutely overflowing with vitality. Simply touching him should rid you of all pains. Don't worry, I'll demonstrate."

She placed her hand on the wyrm's head, petting it in an affectionate manner. In no time, her injuries visibly shrank and faded away. Life energy washed over her with waves of euphoria. 'What an amazing feeling...' she thought to herself; it never really got old.

Spoiler: OOC

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Endymia uses her Spirit of Healing ability. (0 uses remaining for today)

Allies that touch the dragon can choose a number of hp to draw from its healing pool. The pool is big enough to full heal any injured party members.

[Cygnia]

Oddly enough, the mercenary looked a lot less worse for wear than one might expect after getting hit by an ogre. Tommasia's Lifedrinking crystal had proven to be a worthwhile investment. Still, out of politeness (and to make sure she was fully healed Just In Case), she partook of Endymia's offered healing -- even it was just to fix up the remaining superficial scarring.

"We shouldn't tarry too long," she grunted in between quick bites of fruit. "No telling who those escaped ogres are reporting to. Not to mention the 'missing' hobgoblin patrol might be noticed by now..."

[Auranghzeb]

Of course the pragmatic Endymia didn't understand her reluctance and mistook it for pride: the dark paladin didn't understand how healing, provided by pure Evil like Tiamat was tapping on the negative forces of the universe. Cervena was hurt, her ribs cracked by those damned ogres. She just had to be more careful and use her psychic powers to make her body more resistance until she could find a less Profane source of healing.


However, with everyone taking their time, she suddenly remembered she hadn't ask the most pertinent question:


Treebeard, why where the Ogres attacking the Dryad

[BelGareth]

Oakthorn replies once again without turning around, he growls first, "I do not know why they were torturing my great friend Lirethwen, but i do know it was not good, she is having a hard time...." he pauses for a moment as if he were stammering "she is having a hard time healing, I am concerned she may be permanently scared from this...event." he shakes his formidable head, causing a small nest of robins to fly out and squawk their discomfort to their host "I do not know little one, maybe.." he pauses again, as if thinking "Maybe you can find out?"

[Auranghzeb]

Cervena nods.

we will, Oakthorn, we will find out why are they defiling your woods. At least I will. I suspect is not the last we see of those ogres.

[Ilerien]

- It's likely, all things considered, - Evindal nods slightly, squinting at the wisp. - Though I personally wouldn't make binding promises, with all due respect, esteemed Oakthorn. Nobody knows what does our near future hold. And while the restored harmony of the grove speaks to my wish to withdraw from the worldly concerns for a bit of time, we don't have much of it to dally. The ogres have escaped and will definitely alert their superiors.

[BelGareth]

One of Oakthorn's will-o-wisps hovers nearby, the one that Evindal called Amrynn, it guides your way through the dense forest. You follow the ethereal glow as it leads you deeper into the woods, the trees closing in around you like silent sentinels. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and moss, and the only sounds are the hushed whispers of leaves in the wind.

The journey through the forest is both tranquil and haunting. The spectral light of the will-o-wisp illuminates your path, casting eerie, shifting shadows among the trees. As you walk, you can't help but feel the weight of the recent battle and the specter of the dark creatures that had tormented the grove.

Eventually, you come to the edge of the forest, and before you stretches a wide, rushing river. On the opposite bank, where once stood a quaint town nestled amidst the trees, now stands a sprawling and ominous war camp. The scene is a stark contrast to the serene forest you've left behind.

The camp is a sprawling mass of hastily constructed structures, resembling an industrial juggernaut. Towers of dark wood and metal rise high above the trees, armed hobgoblins patrolling their heights. The ground has been scarred and stripped bare, trees felled and earth moved to accommodate the massive camp. Smokestacks belch thick plumes of dark smoke into the sky, casting a pall over the entire area.

The once-thriving town, now obliterated, is barely recognizable. Buildings have been torn down or repurposed, their materials used to construct the war camp's fortifications. What remains of the town has been ruthlessly incorporated into the camp's infrastructure. It's a grim testament to the Hobgoblins' relentless industrialization and disregard for the natural world.

[LairdMaon]

"I do NOT like this. They have perverted this place and it stinks of the unnatural." Even with his facial expressions less than obvious due to rigid steel instead of mobile flesh that he grasps the irony of his disgust. "How will we lure out our target?"

[Auranghzeb]

Cervena looked at the camp from hiding.

If it stinks to you, imagine what revulsion I'm feeling. This has no relation to what we were informed initially. This is not a camp, this is a war factory. How many hobgoblins are there?


Cervena wanted to evaluate their position, locate entrances and exits. But she suddenly crouched almost to the floor, her lite shape barely visible.

A camp like this must have scouts and lookouts everywhere. Lay low and let me do some scouting, I guess you have some sort of magical scrying that could connect us...

She crouched even lower, moving like a shade in the late afternoon and started to scout the perimeter. Her psicrystal floating centimeters over the grass next to her.

Spoiler: OoC

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Hide (1d20+14)[26] MS (1d20+14)[27]
Sport(1d20+18)[32] +4 more If Evil.

SPECIAL SENSES: 30' scent evil, 15' to 60' depending on the wind. Up to 60-120' if the aura is very strong

[Cygnia]

"At best we were given outdated information," muttered Tommasia. "At worst..." The sellsword's face hardened and she looked towards the others still there. "...it's the feeling that's been in my gut ever since we all started this mission. I think someone higher up in the Petals is compromised -- a double agent."

[Ilerien]

- None for now, unfortunately, - Evindal whispered back to Cervena, clearly not happy about having to admit it. - But Amrynn here can follow you and deliver a message should you need to share it with us urgently. Please, dear, extinguish your glow for now so nobody sees you, be at Cervena's side, listen to her, watch your surroundings and don't engage any enemies. Return safely, - he addresses the will-o’-wisp.

Spoiler: OOC

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Does Amrynn have to roll hide/ms/spot/listen?

- I agree with your analysis. This looks like it used to be more of a town than a village. Still, with no way to contact the higher-ups we have to at least try following the plan whilst anticipating we're going directly into a trap. Just like old times. - He chuckled. - If the contact Hackford mentioned is worth their salt, they're still somewhere out there.

[LairdMaon]

"If it's a trap, I vote we spring it. The surprise is the teeth of a trap, remove that and we have an advantage they can't anticipate. Our own trap to spring from within." Cur continues, not taking his eyes from the atrocious encampment, "They might even take us directly in past their fortifications."

[Cygnia]

"We need all the information we can get before any springing. Charging in there without knowledge or a plan gives the enemy the advantage over us." This was the time for subtlety -- something Tommasia and some of the others woefully lacked. "Let Cervena scout first."

[BelGareth]

Amrynn bobs in assent as it moves closer to Cervan who smells a sweet honey like nectar on the air as it came closer, it vanished from sight, dimming it's glow as asked, Cervena checks herself, and then nods to the group and then disappears into the underbrush next to the hillock, the others squint and peek out over the foliage, pretending to see her. But Cervan is too good, and vanished she has.

Moving like a shadow, it's easy for you to reach all the way down to the river's edge, here it's a little more complicated, but you find a lodged dead tree trunk that was left from a flood. You crawl on your belly, and slowly submerge into the calm dark water of the river, keeping your head barely above, you use the log as cover and take a moment to observe the guard towers from this perspective. The guards were well trained, had good discipline, you could tell it wasn't going to be as easy as you hoped. However, guards are guards and they always suffer from the cycle of complacency, such was the duty, it was an inevitability, and here you found it like any other camp, they idly chat with each other, warm their hands at the brazier at the center of the tower and drink their warmed caff from steaming cups.

You slowly submerge entirely into the river and swim across, it's a simple exercise, and rather refreshing from all the...carnage, the weight of the day seemed to wash away in the cool wintry water, the swim was easy for you, and you think you could create a rope guide for your less than capable team mates. Once across, you eye another place that is in the shadow, and will let you get close to the wall actual. several minutes later, and some crawling on your belly, and you are next to the walls, you inspect them and they seem to be made out of local trees, pine mostly, but they were thick and relatively fresh, hard to light on fire, but not impossible, and very resilient to blunt trauma, the ditches were deep as well. You find a crack and peek through to see a relatively bustling little war complex, it is late in the evening, but people are still out and about, all the guards are hobgoblins, yet several other races were about, to include ogres, and gnolls, several humans in chains were being worked around the camp.

You hear one of the guards mutter something about their relief, and know you do not have long to linger.

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Whaddya do?

[Auranghzeb]

Cervena didn't want to risk too much. She backtracks up until the water banks where she crossed. Once there she instructs her psycrystal to stay put and communicate telepathically the movements of the watch, allowing her to move faster without looking over her shoulder. She wanted to relay the intelligence gathered to the others. There was a place to infiltrate, but the matter was how or when with this not too subtle group of hers...

Spoiler: OoC

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ms & hide (1d20+14)[29] (1d20+14)[23]
Spot (1d20+18)[29]+4 if evil

[BelGareth]

Cervana moves like a ghost through the water, and the subsequent underbrush, her psicrystal alerting her of any changes, nothing changes, the guards are complacent, and not searching very hard. She manages to get back to the group without any issues.

[LairdMaon]

After listening intently to Cervena's report, Cur finally sits down on the ground. He stops moving as his eyes unfocus.

"I don't have anything that doesn't end with capture or death for one or all of us." Cur's animation is gradual and he returns to his feet and directs his gaze across the party. "If any of you have some idea that has less chance of killing us, I'll gladly hear it."

[Cygnia]

"Tomorrow, I could use Alter Self to make myself look like a hobgoblin. Maybe get a better idea where our target is in that camp -- if he's in that camp at all. Or find other things to sabotage. But the spell would only last eighty minutes..." offered a grim-faced Tommasia. The idea that they were being set up to fail was still heavy in her thoughts. Not to mention, she wasn't comfortable with the idea of being in the camp without some sort of support.

[Ilerien]

When Cervena returned, Evindal smiled at still invisible Amrynn above her shoulder and reached out with his hand. The wisp reacted with a soft, though still eerie, sound.

The mage glanced at the mercenary. No way Tommasia is going there by herself. If the mission is compromised, it'll be a death sentence.

- Infiltrating the camp alone is unwise, though. I imagine we can both manage to maintain the transmutation you speak of for roughly an hour and a half, or about double this period if we stabilize the dweomers with that rod I have with me. The formula is relatively short-lived, unfortunfately, and we'll be pretty short on time before our hobgoblin disguises run out, - Evindal bent his brows. - My arcane arsenal is pretty depleted, so I'd prefer to rest and prepare some more surprises for the not-so-gracious hosts the hobgoblins are.

[Auranghzeb]

Cervena exhales, visibly irritated.

Our mission is simple. Get in and assassinate the leadership. We need intelligence on where the leaders are. Therefore, we need to either infiltrate or sneak in. I can do the latter, but I'm afraid this is not a very stealthy unit, if we can even call it a unit.

She says, eyeing her sister.

Dear sister of mine. I'm afraid I'll have to accept you patching me up. There's no point in waiting forever. We either go in or we withdraw. And I'm willing to try and go in, my way. Perhaps I could use a misdirection, a noticeable and noisy one that draws attention away from my sneaking up. Can we prepare something like that?

[Ilerien]

Evindal shrugged.

- If you're looking for noisy, detonating a good old inelegant fireball is the way to go, but this will surely draw attention to the fact there's an unaccounted for spellcaster around. I'm sure their leadership is able to add two and two and draw a conclusion that the same people who gave their forces at the grove a bad day must have arrived at Blackwood, - the elf paused for a moment. - The alternative would be summoning something unusual enough, but I, sadly, haven't prepared for it in advance. Well, and dear Amrynn here can mimic a march fire, but it wouldn't be loud, and I'd very much prefer that no harm comes to him.

[Auranghzeb]

Cervena listens to the mage.

How soon could you have it prepared? The best time to strike would be the dark hours of dawn. Hobgoblins can see as well at night as anyone in bright day. But they are likely to be more relaxed towards the end of the night.

She communicates remotely with her psicrystal to monitor the situation.

We need a method of communication. I can sneak in and locate the leader.

[Ilerien]

- If we set up camp somewhere safe and quiet, before the dawn would be doable.

The wizard glanced at the distant fortifications.

- How does being invisible and able to fly sound as opposed to us causing a ruckus? Would it be enough for you to get in there safely now? Amrynn can go with you invisibly as well. It's an imperfect method of communication - sorry, friend - but at least you'd be able to deliver a message. And then we could use the intelligence you acquire to plan the before-the-dawn infiltration accordingly.

[BelGareth]

As you discuss, a faint smell of clove, orange and garlic waft over you all, and a tiny round portal pops open nearby, a hand reaches out and drops a package, then as fast as it appeared, it withdraws and pops out of existence, the smell lingers for a good while, reminding some of you of home cooked feasts during Winters Eve.

The bundle contains several potions and a letter:

I trust this message finds you well. In light of the urgency and sensitivity of your current mission, I have taken the liberty of personally delivering the necessary supplies and equipment via a discreet portal.

Inside, you will find everything you need for the operation ahead, including:

6 potions of Alter Self (Level 10)
6 potions of Invisibility (Level 6)
6 potions of Cure Moderate Wounds (Level 6)
1 potion of Greater Invisibility (Level 10)
1 potion of nondetection (level 10)

Time is of the essence, and we cannot afford any undue attention or risk exposure.

I have every confidence in your abilities to carry out this mission successfully. Remember, the fate of our cause rests in your hands.

Best of luck, and may fortune favor you.

Sergeant Hackford

Classic Sergeant Hackford, there was a reason he had such a high mission success rate.

[Auranghzeb]

Not waiting anymore for her sister, Cervena chugs one of the Cure Moderate Wounds Potions, pockets another one, one potion of Alter Self and the potion of greater invisibility.

She looks at the wizard.

What can you do tonight? We ought to be infiltrating this right now. Before they find out about the patrol we eliminated and they raise security.

I'm going in in one hour when the night is fully dark.