Adventurers' Guild 2: Cap'n Marko and the crew of the Sampo

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Kyte

"What sort of power or value do you think this strand of hair might have today, either by itself or in combination with other strands? If it's likely that Finde's gang wants it and knows how to get it, maybe Mason wants us to help protect it... or retrieve it before Finde does!"

[Thymin]

Dravick:

Dravick sits quietly and takes in everything that the librarian says. Though an observer might think that Dravick is not paying much attention, at times he even closed his eyes to focus on the sounds of the words, he listens to all of the details of his story, committing them to memory. Then after the librarian stops, he thinks for a few moments before speaking. "Thank you sir, for sharing that information with us. Some parts of that story are familiar to me, even if only recently so. It would seem that, though you doubt the existence of a guardian order protecting this artifact, one does likely exist out of sight of common eyes. And that would seem to suggest that this artifact may be incredibly important to our cause. Possibly even the most pressing issue at hand. We need to confer over the meaning of these events, and what possible actions we can take to fulfill our destiny in this matter."

[Bonecrusher Doc]

When he gets the chance, Kyte peruses the room and tries to look out any windows to see what he can see.

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Spot - (1d20+5)[7]

[Daryk]

Marko

Marko nodded in agreement with Dravick's assessment. "Well, then that seems to lay our path out clearly. It's just a matter of deciding on the method. Shall we hunt the goblin digging parties, or try to beat them to their prize and remove it to safety?"

[DavidByron]

Niry:
"Or you could just do nothing.
Is this your fight? Your "destiny" as you say?"

"I understand Mason must have a duty to the tomb and hair as he sees it. I don't understand the goblins' motivation. Clearly if the lute was re-created it would have devastating power. The ancient Vanorians believed that, at least. But to reunite all the strands would be impossible. I did a little research on it. One of the strands is known to be held in the treasury of the High Dwarven King. I'm no military man but if you tried to get in there with just a couple of hundred goblins and a score of ogres they would laugh. No goblin army of any size has ever captured any Dwarven capital fortress."

"If they are going for the easy target first, I suppose it makes sense, but if I was a guardian of a strand and I heard that one of the other five was stolen...."

"As both an artifact and a relic of course, it is worth a lot of money. The Church would pay for its return. Maybe they are simply tomb raiders?"

He looks around to see how that suggestion goes down.

Niry sighs.
"No, I don't believe that either."

Kyte glances round the room. There are no windows. No chance of the conversation being overheard from outside. It appears to be a room at the center of the house. There's a second internal looking door and ... something most people wouldn't count as a doorway ... there is a large fireplace with a sturdy looking iron grille that acts as a grating which would be hard to get passed if you happened to be the sort of person to consider climbing up and down chimneys.

The room has many books lining the walls that makes you think of stories about hidden passageways behind bookcases. But these books are often double stacked and of mixed appearance whereas in such stories the books are all leather bound volumes like a decoration.

Niry lists off some generic "uses for an artifact stuff" but he apparently doesn't have any specific ideas.

Artifacts are all almost indestructible. You could make a really strong piece of thread from the strand. As a holy relic it would boost the powers of a cleric of Saint Cuthbert considerably, and any good cleric somewhat. Holy relics are very good for fighting undead or warding them off. Or maybe its just needed as a powerful sacrifice to some evil god? As for whether a single strand could be used to make some sort of magic item like an overpowered Lyre of Building, "I'm afraid I wouldn't know. I'm no arcanist."

He continues.
"Look, I'm just an old librarian that wants my town cleared of goblin trash. If they are here for the strand and they'll go when they've got it maybe that's the best thing? I don't know about this "destiny" stuff. "Tomb raiders" for cash is a logical possibility. I'm a skeptic I suppose, and Mason is your zealot, but we'll both help you as we can. In the end maybe "because they want it" is reason enough to stop them."

"Well that's about all I have on the tomb. All from public sources back in the day. My advice on Mason is: be indirect. I suspect he has sworn an oath to never tell anyone the secrets he holds. That would be typical of any secret society and explain his odd way of handing out information. For example, I am sure he could have told you everything I know himself. Oh and he's always down in the sewers. And he probably worries if you get down there you'll grab everything that isn't nailed down... well... that's the reputation of adventurers... I mean no offense."

Dragutin:
Sometimes in this sort of situation, where trust is an issue, I find that as a paladin I can swear an oath as guarantee of future behaviour....

Niry:
"It couldn't hurt.
As I say he's obviously concluded he has to trust you so his oath, if there is one, might be more of an issue."

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Btw I think Mason gave you a rough map of the sewers and marked whereabouts the digging was, to the North of where you've been so far, so if you want to visit the digging site while its still night, you know where it is.

Since this is once a week and there may be less time for back and forth, I'll assume you head for the dig site next if nobody else says anything as per Marko's suggestion, or else if someone else has a different idea somewhere else. I'll try to answer any further Q to Niry before you move on next week.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Kyte mutters quietly to himself...
Probably more treasure in the same place as that relic, and no need to swear an oath about not keeping golden door handles and such. Best to take the most direct route anyway instead of chasing random goblin patrols...

While the others finish talking, he familiarizes himself with the map and, when everyone is ready, leads the party out.

[MK Kilmarnock]

He felt a little cold...

Zan was pretty sure it was simply the air, though. It's not like chasing after some artifact made him tremble with fear or something. Though his timidness would often indicate otherwise, Zan loved to adventure. Finding things was fun for every kid, so why not fun for every adult if the things in question were valuable?

Still, what worried him was that it seemed to be slowing him down from his own goals. It's not like I can just go off by myself, though... maybe I could get to Lauden quicker that way, yes, but then what? Plus, half the reason why I need to be there is because of the guild in the first place... and ditching the team is bound to make her very cross with me. I guess I'm stuck...

[Thymin]

Dravick:

Dravick listened to the librarian's words as if they were distant echoes of reality. He didn't know why, but he felt as sure that this task was their destiny to complete more strongly than he'd ever felt anything before. "I think we should get the item before they do, we'd probably lose a fair fight anyway..." he said to no one in particular.

[Daryk]

Marko

"Not so much destiny, as my luck sir. I find myself putting more and more store by it as time goes on. In this situation, I seem to have the luck of being in the right place at the right time with the right people to accomplish something greater. So I say have at thee, fate! By luck, water, and Ahto's will, I'll see what can be done," Marko said enthusiastically.

...

"Tomb raiders? Tomb raiders don't sack a city, then ignore the pillaging," the gnome replied with a frown

...

"An oath? I'd say we're already bound to this task, and I to seeing Khorinis free once more. I won't stop anyone else from swearing, but I believe my cosmic balance sheet is already well in the red," Marko said easily.

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Yes, I vote for checking out the digging sooner rather than later.

[DavidByron]

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Bardic knowledge on Hesperida's hair and the Lute of Creation.

Dravick is aware of a number of legends about the Hesperida's hair. These come from the Vanorian knights mostly as they are often devout in following Saint Cuthbert and most of the legends involve, as you might imagine, the return of the glory of the old kingdom of Vanos in some way although one is darker and predicts the unmaking of the whole valley. Either way the legends say that Hesperida will return to the valley she once created and her arrival is tied up with the hair, intervening to prevent catastrophe or to bring it in judgement.

Niry, to Marko:
"Ah yes they have been a very polite set of goblin raiders, that is true. But that's another conversation perhaps. At any rate may you go with the courage and wisdom of the Saint."

He sees you out.

It is dark outside but the moon is up. The group leaves the same way that most of them came, down the alley at the back of Niry's house, across the road to the sewer cover, re-entering the sewers, climbing down the fifty foot shaft. According to the map the area of the dig is further North in the opposite direction from where the group met Running About, the giant talking beaver.

After a few minutes of travel North the flow of water in the main cistern decreases to a trickle. With a few minutes more you notice ahead the quality of the darkness changes. With lights covered you can see that up ahead the complete darkness of the underground changes to the mere darkness of night, as if the sewer simply opens up on ground level ahead of you.

Kyte moves ahead of the group keeping quiet.

Just after he does so you hear a sound behind you.

Up ahead Kyte comes to the end of the sewer at a cliff face. He's standing in a crater about 3-400 feet across and 100 feet deep. It's a huge hole in the ground and Kyte is on a ledge about half way down. Just beyond the lip of the crater, fifty feet up and off to his right, Kyte can see there's the light of a fire and some low sounds of goblins talking. Occasionally one sounds angry or victorious. More than five. Perhaps a squad of ten. They don't seem to be too bothered about keeping a watch on the dig. Kyte is confident he could easily get down without alerting the guards but as for the rest of the adventurers.... trickier, but do-able perhaps. The guards are about 250 away and the earthen crater would dampen sound. The soil and rocks on the sides of the crater looks loose but wooden panels have been driven in at intervals where the sides are steepest. So long as nobody slips on scree and falls down the slope it should be fine.

At the bottom of the crater there are some small shafts dug further into the ground, about 10 feet wide. There are lumps of piled up dirt and there's some digging equipment. Rope, wood, tools and what looks like a continuous flame torch. Wait! There's also a dog tied to a sturdy stake. No-- it's a wolf of some sort. A big wolf. It is lying on the ground full length. It looks bored. It's about 120 feet away and facing towards the goblins and their fire as if it would prefer to be up there. The odd chemical smell from the sewer would probably mask any scent and there's no wind in the crater.

Kyte returns to the group with his news.

He finds the group talking to a man sized rodent.

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He watches as the new human, the stranger, leaves the others to go up to the end of the sewer line alone. Running About has been following them since they entered the sewer, and now feels brave enough to make his presence known.

"Peace. Greetings to the People of the Isles.", he calls out to Marko, "Do you mind if I come along with you all?"

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The goblin guards would have a -25 on Listen checks for the distance and the wolf would have a -12 so I just went ahead and assumed that Kyte would be able to get up and back without any issue there.

[MK Kilmarnock]

There was a clear breadth of distance, maybe three to four inches, between Zan's feet and the ground. Only for a moment, of course, but it was very obvious that the cleric jumped (and how) when Running About spoke up. It hadn't helped that he had, once again, zoned out from just about everything going on around him, and that the only thing that snapped him out of his daze was an unexpected voice.

Trying to turn his neck as though it could go the full distance by itself, Zan eventually spun the rest of his body until he could see the whimsical rodent fully.
"Y-Y... ... You're good, I d-didn't even know you were there..." was Zan's first attempt at breaking the awkwardness of conversation. "Um.... I h-have no objections? I m-mean... with you coming with us." He cringed as soon as he said it, though... he wasn't the leader, and he was unsure of how Marko might react to Zan taking the initiative for once. On the other hand, it was simply his opinion... his vote, so to speak.

[Thymin]

Dravick:

"Master Running About, Well Met!. I was hoping that we would encounter you again, but I did not expect it to happen so soon. I for one, would have no issue with you joining us. In fact, I was hoping that you could answer some of my questions..." Dravick's voice trailed off to a ghost of a whisper as he continued, "...about the hair."

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Dravick is playing fast and loose with the information he's been getting tonight and he has already made the tenuous logical leap from the "existence" of a group who protects the hair and Running About's story of the group of Giant Beavers who live in the sewer, to the conclusion that the Giant Beavers are the group that protects the hair.

[Daryk]

Marko

Marko smiled and nodded agreement with his fellows. "You're more than welcome to join us, Running About. As Dravick mentioned, though, he has a few questions before we deal with the goblins our young friend Kyte just told us about," he said, still grinning.

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As far as tactical planning, Marko will advocate for a way to prevent any of the goblins (or the wolf) escaping. With eight of us, we'd have to be exceedingly lucky to pull that off with brute force. Perhaps we should observe for a bit, and see if any of them head off to use the latrine, or otherwise isolate themselves. That may give us an opporunity to cut their numbers down. Being close enough to hear their conversation for a bit may give us an idea of their names (for use in a ruse). A sleep spell would be really handy right about now.

[DavidByron]

Running About replies to Zan:
"Oh we are a quiet people, not fighters at all. But we are good with wood. I am supposed to be on watch but nobody comes down to the sewers. What you are doing sounds very more important. And I can't go with you above ground in case humans see me, but maybe I can be of help."

Dravick asks about the hair:
Running About doesn't seem to have heard about the hair but he knows something is down there. He explains that the beavers mostly fulfill their guard duty by carrying out repairs of wooden items and other acts of maintenance within the tunnel system below. There are three guardians that fight and they are not beavers. The first is "the cat" (but at other times he says "cats"), the second is "the water spirit" (also refered to as "she" or "her"). You get the impression Running About is in awe of this spirit and that she/it must be pretty powerful. As for the third guardian he just says that "the twins don't need any wood, or food or anything at all and nobody has seen them but they are said to be very very strong". Said by who? Other beavers, but he's sure none have met the third guardian.

Meanwhile Eodrick gives his opinion that they should just attack the goblins because "that will be ten less goblins", but he also suggests that if the group attacks from below and has to clamber up the side of the big crater it might give the goblins time to see them and run away "because goblins are all cowards". And then after the goblins are gone they can just shoot the wolf since it's tied down. He also says he understands the goblin tongue if that's any help and is reasonable at sneaking about.

Dragutin wonders if the team should just head back to the Masons' house with the information they have, and then wonders if there is a way to get around the back of the goblins such as another exit from the sewers.

Running About:
"I can show you other way out of the sewers! But I shouldn't go above ground with you."

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Hmm. So it's really more like seven of you since Running About seems less than reliable as a fighter. You're all free to post about planning and questions to ask in the OOC of course if that helps.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Kyte
"We need information, not kills. The violence can wait until the last second, when they've done all the work for us, all the digging or what have you, then we strike! Killing ten goblins right now is more likely to hurt our chances of reaching the relic than help.
"Do we have some way of communicating if we leave a lookout here to let us know if this goblin patrol looks like they've found something? Or should we just all stay here and wait?"

[Daryk]

Marko

Marko weighed Kyte's statement for a moment before replying, "It's not kills we're after. If we can eliminate the guard post quietly, we'll gain a little time to investigate unmolested, and if we hide any trace of the bodies, we'll leave the ones running this operation a mystery. That could do more to slow them down than anything else. Ultimately, we want to foil their plans, whatever they may be."

[MK Kilmarnock]

Zan reached behind his head to lightly touch and grab at the handle of his scythe before returning it to rest over his holy symbol. "You kn-know me... I'd rather avoid the v-violence if possible, though I have c-come to terms with having to shed blood." Notwithstanding that issue, the cleric also listened to Running About's statements of the guardians. The cat sounded like something they would overcome, and same with whatever the third guardian (or guardians) happened to be. It was mostly guardian number two that his ears caught most.

"A w-water spirit.." Zan breathed, biting his bottom lip in thought. It was general knowledge that spirits were fey. Fey could be tricky things to handle, being in tune with nature and such. That incident with the staff, though, had brought about a different feeling about them to Zan. He wanted to write it off as a boost of confidence, but it was almost as though he felt 'in tune' with nature. Sometime, he would have to go back to the tree and see if he could bring back that connection - while dodging any of those ridiculous 'treemind people'.

[DavidByron]

Running About seems reluctant to reply directly to Kyte but after the others have a say he interjects:
"Oh, Oh they've already found something. They dug through to the main corridor above the first guardian yesterday."

As everyone turns to stare at him he makes a nervous movement with his paws over his face and says, quietly,
"Well that's what I heard...."

Eodrick growls and faces the beaver (who is a good foot taller than the dwarf) asking sternly in the manner of an inquisitor that he is when on a manhunt:
"OK--- this is important: WHO exactly told you this, and how did THEY know?"

Running About is obviously very nervous but answers nonetheless,
"It was Clever Hands I think, oh or maybe Sharp Tooth... well they all said it from... you know the guys that work with wood for the first guardian, they were all talking about it. They've been talking about it for days now. Guessing how long it would take. It's all they talk about now. The digging was going on day and night. But I don't know; I don't go up there really. They did stop digging just today. But I've been on guard duty since this all started and the man started coming more often. I just hear what they say at the Lodge. Everyone's nervous or excited."

It's the longest speech you've heard him give.

"Maybe I should just go back to my guard post...."

Dragutin (and perhaps others) look daggers at Eodrick as if to say, "What on earth are you doing scaring the poor guy?" but Eodrick is not phased and continues in a softer tone,
"No, Running About, you're doing the right thing. What we're doing is very important and you're helping us. You're doing the right thing."

"One more question (for now) I'm guessing there's no way that we'd be allowed through this "Lodge" if that's your secret base. Is there any way you could sneak us to this "main corridor" or the first guardian, or as close as your friends get to it ... without going through the Lodge?

Running About just shakes his head in reply.

Eodrick nods to himself and backs off. He approaches Kyte and quietly says, "the young girl Sandra gave me this as we were leaving the safe house" he shows Kyte a medallion.

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And explains its use as explained to him earlier that night, in the event that Kyte doesn't already know. This is the medallion half to the necklace and medallion pair of items that communicate with each other over about 500'. Someone in the group also has the necklace so you have both.

The girls had intended to check your progress using the medallion but you went out of range so they figured that they might as well give it to Eodrick and Kyte.

Here's a full list of your communication options the last time it was discussed:

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...71#post5889371

After a little while Running About calms down again.

Zan muses out loud about the water spirit:
Running About says,
"Yeah she's all watery. Made out of water. It's beautiful to see."

The group is talking in hushed tone a couple of hundred yards down the sewer from the gaping outlet onto the crater. As a precaution your lights are covered making it hard for the humans to see the faces of those they are talking to.

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Btw the gnomes have low light vision and the conditions outside and on the surface are such that they can see as clearly as they would in daylight (not merely double distance) per definition of low-light vision here;http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbi...lowLightVision

This gives the gnomes an enormous advantage over mere darkvision users. (Darkvision is better underground).

I'm going to rule that as with all Fey, Zan gets low-light vision too. Not sure if that was ruled on but obviously its something Zan would have got used to in the last few weeks.

[Thymin]

Dravick:

Dravick was a bit disappointed to hear that Running About couldn't tell him anything about the hair, but he was excited that evidence pointed to its existence. "I will defer to whatever you all decide in regards to dealing with the goblins. I will put my blade and my song to the best use that I can." Dravick interjected into the discussion of the plans. Then he started thinking about what Running About had said. The cat, the water spirit and the twins? Strange. I've heard something similar to that before I think...

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[roll="Knowledge"]
1d20+8
[/roll]
That would be either Bardic Knowledge or Knowledge(History) whichever is more relevant. They both have the same modifier.

[MK Kilmarnock]

"I w-would figure a water spirit would be... ... y-you know, watery.." Zan gave Running About the most apologetic look he could manage in order to display that he wasn't being rude, whether the beaver saw it or not. "I'm j-just thinking if... maybe I'll be useful f-for once besides being a walking bandage."

Brushing the distasteful twinge of self-pity aside, Zan joined the rest of the party in trying to keep his voice down. It would come as a slight surpise, though, in that he realized he could see things a little more clearly than he had expected. Things weren't quite this vivid for him when they first entered the sewers... maybe his eyes had just adjusted?

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Somewhat candid spot check.
(1d20+3)[23]

[Daryk]

Marko

Distracted from planning against the goblins by mention of a water spirit, Marko marvelled, "A water spirit? Ahto favors us indeed!"
Forcing his mind back to the task at hand, he scratched his chin and said, "Well, if there are goblins below, then we'd best be rid of these up here. They could be trouble if we're overmatched and fleeing. I think we should wait for one to split off alone, and kill it quietly. That could draw a search party smaller than all of them that we might be able to dispatch quietly as well. Then we can mop up the rest. Anyone else have any ideas?"

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Kyte, saying nothing, sits down and unsheaths his dagger. He quietly sharpens it on a small whetstone.

[MK Kilmarnock]

Zan solemnly shook his head. "I-If I get a better idea, I'll open up and s-say something... t-t... it's doubtful though. I'll j... just, you know, keep watch..."

[DavidByron]

Dravick has not heard of these specific guardians or combination of guardians. He has some general thoughts though. Three guardians is a common number and inevitably it means they get tougher from first to last. The concept of twins as a guardian in legends often suggest a pair of tough fighter-type monsters, often not very smart and perhaps argumentative between themselves. Alternatively it can mean two dangers where the safe route lies by balancing carefully in between them both.

Eodrick:
Well one of their force is already split off -- their wolf. Presumably if the wolf starts to howl the goblins will investigate it. If they all go together we have a big fight, and if they only send one or two they'll have split up as you want.

Dragutin:
In other words lure them down to the floor of the dig and ambush them with a height advantage? How do we get the wolf to howl?

Perhaps Zan has not been out at night much since the time of the Tree about three weeks ago. And Bridgeport is a place where the lights of the stars are often subdued by the greater lights of the city, certainly in West Bridgeport. At any rate as Zan looks up the passage to the outside sky the stars tonight seem much clearer than Zan recalls them being. All this talk of fighting seems to have awakened something in the scythe, like a pulse beat wanting revenge for unknown outrages. It seems to come from within Zan, preparing him for the coming violence, or pushing him towards it.

It's been about 15 minutes while you've been talking over this and Kyte and Zan, who have ended up nearer to the exit hole than the others, have not detected any sign that the goblins send off any of their number as a patrol at intervals. Indeed though neither can clearly hear the words spoken or comprehend the language used, it seems like the goblins are taking it easy; celebrating in fact.

Now it sounds like they singing something, but oddly, not a drunken singing. It's a simple soldiers chorus.

With that racket they would be unlikely to hear even an armored man moving stealthily to the bottom of the crater.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Kyte

"Psst, Zan, lend me a hand here!"

Kyte has taken a coil of rope out of his pack, ties it to a boulder, and prepares to rappel down the grade. It is not so steep that he needs to bound, instead he just drapes the rope across his shoulder blades and holds it in either hand. As he descends sideways (dominant hand leading), he will hold his arms out and allow the rope to slide through his hands. When he needs to pause to steady his balance, he will bring his arms in, hugging the rope to his chest. His dagger is in its sheath... for now.

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Assuming nobody stops him, Kyte descends for a closer look and listen, and readies himself to drop the rope from his dominant hand and draw his dagger should he think that he is spotted.
(add circumstantial modifiers as you see fit DM)
Use rope (1d20+10)[23]
Climb (1d20+9)[10]
Move silently (1d20+9)[15]
Listen (1d20+5)[16]
Spot (1d20+5)[17]
Initiative (if necessary) (1d20+3)[5]

[MK Kilmarnock]

Zan certainly had noticed the clarity of the sky, but more than one factor immediately shunted him away from this odd fact before he could dwell on it and come to any major realization. The scythe's oppressive air had always been around Zan when he held the weapon in his hand, or secured it to his back. Before this very point in time, though, there had always been some doubt... SOME possibility that it was just the hatred in his mind welling up and playing tricks on him.

There was no longer any doubt.

I hate you. I hate you so much... Zan thought with clenched teeth, flicking the clothed blade without changing the orientation of his eyes. He nearly missed Kyte's request, 'nearly' being a very fortunate word in this case.
"Wh-what do y..." The cleric's own whisper didn't even need to be finished, Zan probably knew what Kyte wanted - backup of some sort.

... I'll be right down. Me and my apparent suicidal tendencies. Getting himself ready, Zan would follow Kyte's lead if and when the rogue gave him some sort of sign.

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For when they are needed:
Hide - (1d20+2)[20]
Move Silently - (1d20+2)[21]

I tried rolling for spot too, but I messed up. So... forget it for now?

[Thymin]

Dravick:

Dravick was feeling a little out of sorts, he knew that a fight was a dangerous proposition especially since he couldn't see anything in the dark of this tunnel. He assumed the same would be the case for the other humans. Dravick felt that Eodrick was somehow gong at the problem of the wolf in the wrong way. Wouldn't it be better to silence the wolf completely and then sneak in after the hair quietly? He was unsure, and that made him unsettled. Dravick was usually sure of himself, not necessarily that the plan was always right, but sure of his ability to pull it out in the end. Somehow he had lost that edge tonight. It's the hair. We must get it before they do. What power it must hold. And to string it across a lute... Dravick snapped out of that line of thinking quickly. This isn't about me, and what I could do with the hair. It's about Khorinis and repelling the goblin invasion. he reminded himself. He knew he'd gotten too invested in retrieving the hair, he needed to loosen up and roll with the punches as usual. He addressed Marko, trusting in Marko's leadership and planning, "Hey, Marko. How should we go about this? Should we split up and try to find isolated members of their squad or should we try to lure some of them into ambush?" Then as the soldier's song drifted into the tunnel and hit Dravick's ear he was distracted again. "Sounds like quite a few of them, and ready to fight too. But I suppose if we have to fight... his voice drifted off, but after a moment he spoke again in a clear and deferential voice, "I defer to your command Captain." Dravick hoped that Marko could see the smile widening on his face as he palmed the hilt of his sword.

[Daryk]

Marko

The gnome stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment, the replied to Dravick:
"As Eodrick suggested, getting the wolf to howl might work, assuming it doesn't draw more reinforcements from elsewhere. As far as making it howl, Dragutin, we could either shoot it from here, or I notice Kyte has already started in that general direction. Here's what I think we should do. Since Kyte and Zan are already headed down the grade, I think they should take on the wolf. Since it is chained, they shouldn't have too much trouble with it. Once that commotion starts, the rest of us wait with missile weapons for some of the goblins to head down the grade. Once the first several are committed, we hit the rest from behind with as much massed fire as we can. That will either cause the ones heading down slope to turn around and fight us uphill, or leave their backs exposed to whatever missile fire we can spare to cover Kyte and Zan. Since Kyte is already down the slope, the rest of us need to prepare quickly. I'm not saying no one has a better idea, but I think we're committed now. The water is flowing. It's best to ride the waves."

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As someone else once said, a good plan executed violently now is better than a perfect plan next week. Marko will work his way quietly forward to take advantage of a sneak attack with his first shot.
Move Silently: (1d20+7)[27]
Hide: (1d20+7)[12]

[DavidByron]

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So it turns out wolves don't have that great a listen check. Takes ten = 13.

Kyte and then Zan after him don't have to use the rope very far. A drop of 15 to twenty feet that is nearly sheer and ends on soft dirt. You could almost jump down. Almost. Then its on to a merely highly inclined dirt slope and from there to the bottom of the crater easily enough. There are many piles of dirt dotted about that can be used for cover. The wolf doesn't seem to notice; it is up now and looking towards the light of the goblins' fire.

It's at the end of its rope so you can see how much length it has; only about five feet.

There are several holes/wells dug in the ground, but only the one next to the wolf has equipment next to it. Passing close to the edge of one such shaft Kyte cannot see the bottom without more light but Zan is able to see it is thirty feet or so to the bottom and then dead ends. No ladder down. Looks abandoned.

Kyte draws up when he is close enough to the wolf that he could do some serious damage with a thrown dagger (ie 30 feet). He and Zan hide behind the frame of a large sized wheel barrow (ie a wheel barrow that looks like an ogre is going to be pushing it not a goblin).

Back at the end of the sewer Marko surveys the possible battlefield. There are ample hiding places on the floor of the crater. Most of the sides of the crater are not too bad to scramble up, especially for goblins who are probably used to terrain like this. Not the sort of thing you want to try with someone trying to hit you with a sword though. There's a pathway that leads down from the direction of the guards fire (Marko cannot see the guards from this vantage point but the light of the fire is indirectly visible and the singing is easy to place). The path winds a bit back and forth mostly in the quadrant of the crater towards the guards' fire. The path doesn't conveniently pass underneath the sewer entrance but at its closest it does come within short range of a bow or crossbow whereas the wolf is placed just outside that range you judge (about 120 feet).

Marko can see that Kyte and Zan are in strike position close to the wolf behind a big metal cart thing. The wolf looks big but appears to be a regular mundane wolf, not a riding wolf or warg. How quickly can they kill it?

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I think that would be an automatic you guys win initative / surprise round situation. Kyte gets sneak attack damage if appropriate.

I'll assume Marko can have a prepared action to shoot at the wolf if Kyte and Zan shoot it or start to charge at it. However in addition to the -2 for range it would be a -2 for partial cover. Earlier it would have been another +2 AC for a crouched figure but the wolf is standing up now.

(normal) Humans can see about 30 feet OK but no colour. Beyond that just some glinting here and there and vague outlines in the light of the goblins fire some 2-300 feet away and just over the lip. You can see further if you concentrate patiently and take time over it.

The sloping ground would be difficult terrain and would give away loads of AOOs if you tried to withdraw from combat. ie no 5' steps or withdrawal actions except along the pathway and crater floor.

Behind Marko the louder members of the team are busy loading up crossbows and what have you without yet risking coming out onto the edge. Eodrick is up close to Marko.

Eodrick, whispering:
Do your eyes see where those two got to? I can make out a pathway down from the lip. What if a few of us get on the far side of it where it passes nearest here and lay in ambush to prevent their retreat -- I mean if the goblins come down here.

He grabs hold of the rope ready to descend. Evidently he's volunteering for that position.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Kyte looks back over his shoulder and mouths DON'T SHOOT ME to his comrades readying their crossbows. He leaves the end of the rope close to the wheelbarrow and his eyes glint as steely as his dagger.

Kyte
"Psst, Zan!

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"I don't know what spells you've got prepared, but keep this wheelbarrow in mind! We might need to use it for cover or something if things don't go well!"

Nice doggie...

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SNEAK ATTACK! (I hope)
Attack - (1d20+6)[19]
crit - (1d20+6)[19]
damage - (1d4+3)[5]
SneakAttackDamage - (2d6)[6]