Planning a rescue
Subject Plans
Any one have any plans? Ideas?
From: Kevin
Subject Plans
As previously mentioned, Harp will listen as long as he can, but really wants to go to sleep after his exertions (combat, healing, burial when completed, etc.). He will do what he can for himself with his healers kit and his cure minor wounds spells if he has any left.
From: Randy
Subject Plans
"It looks like we will have to act fast. I have some ideas as to what we might be able to do here."
With that ran outlines his plan.
"We must make our move soon, and it will be much more likely to succeed in the cover of night. So tomorrow night, I propose that Surin once again enters the encampment, taking me with him if he thinks that I can get in without bringing additional trouble. The rest of the group, minus Fal, will march up to the front of the fort and make a lot of noise, trying to cause a distraction that will draw the majority of the troops to the front. Salix, if possible, you may be able to help create a distraction calling on the powers of nature. This distraction must not start until we have had enough time to get back under the building that Lady Rochelle is being held in. Once the leader hears the distraction, he will do one of two things. He will either rush to see what the commotion is about or he will move to Lady Rochelle, either to protect his ransom or to enact revenge.
Either way, Surin and I will then make our move to get Lady Rochelle out the back. Once we are out the back of the Fort, Fal who will be waiting there for us, will send up a signal so that you know you can retreat. If you are unable to retreat, you must signal us and Fal and I will join the battle leaving Surin to get Lady Rochelle to safety."
Ran then asks the group for input and whether they believe his plan is sound.
From: Mark
Subject Plans
Harp doggedly scoops out the last spade full of dirt when Surin shows up. He hardly notices the little halfling popping out of the woods and the others filling him in on what happened. When he is done he picks up Alatyr's body and places him in the grave, his weapons crossed over his chest. He then says the prayers of blessing and gentle repose, asking Heironious to accept this brave man into his service. The others watch, bowing respectfully during the service. When he is done, Harp starts filling in the grave.
Salix approaches Ran and offers assistance with his wounds. Ran nods gratefully and feels much better after Salix has done his prayers. (Heal for 11 points) Ran whispers to Salix ?We need to keep an eye on Harp. I think he was more grievously wounded then he has let on. However, in the mood he is in now I think it can wait until we have slept.? Salix nods and heads off to keep watch on the woods.
While Harp is working, Ran has Surin fills the party in on what he saw and what had happened. Surin glances at Harp but Ran just nods for Surin to continue. The halfling relays what he found in the camp and what he had seen. About half way through his tale Harp comes over and settles down. He looks almost worn out. However, at the mention of the symbol on the shield of the ? orc's visitor, he hisses ?Hextor.? The others in the party look at him questioningly, but Harp declines to make any more comments about it. ?I am tired and hurt. Let me have a nights sleep and I will think more clearly. Lt. if I may have the last watch tonight?? Ran tells him ?Tonight you stand no watch. We have others who can do that. Off to bed with you. We will wake you for the noon meal, for I think we have some little time before we make our move and that friend Surin is right in that tomorrow night should be when we move.? With that Harp climbs into his bed roll and is out in seconds.
Ran tells the party of his initial idea for the raid. ?However, we may see things differently in the morning. Let us take our watches and get some much needed sleep. We will discuss this more on the morrow.?
OODM: OK I need discussion on what your party is going to do.
From: Mark
Subject Plans
I forgot to copy a line from Word when I sent the last turn out.
The nigth/morning go by peacfully. At around noon Ran wakes Harp and the other party members who were still asleep.
From: Kevin
Subject Plans
As Harp awakes, he looks over and sees the newly dug grave of Alatyr. He is reminded again at the vagaries of fate in general and their quest in particular. This man had seen his compatriots mowed down in their glory protecting their charge, and now he had fallen while trying to complete his quest. Harp swears an oath to Heironious that he will complete his quest to save Rochelle,in honor of Alatyr's memory.
After he has broken his fast, he will inquire of Ran what plans were decided earlier that day. When he hears of Ran's plan for a diversion at the gate while Ran and Surin are hidden in the camp, he furrows his brow, contemplating the plan and possible actions. Talking to Ran alone if possible, Harp will comment as follows:
Sir, your plan has merit, though I am concerned with having you and our "little" friend alone inside the camp. While I am sure of Master Surins ability to get in and out with minimal notice, it will be more challenging for you, and likely even more difficult for Lady Rochelle. Should you encounter difficulty while inside, it will be nearly impossible for the rest of us to give you assistance. The goblins themselves do not overly concern me - while they breed like roaches, bereft of a unifying force, they will cut and run in the face of a few casualties. Our main concern will have to be this "leader" of theirs. Remove him from the picture, and I do not fear for our chances. May I suggest that we try to find a way for all of us to gain entrance to the camp. My god will grant me some small assistance in this, and maybe Salix can help us with that wooden palisade.
After seeing what he can do with living plants, I can only guess at what he can do with tree trunks. If we can find a way to gain entrance to the camp late at night when most of the goblins (and maybe the 1/2 orc) are asleep, we can rush up to the shack, make a diversion inside the camp but with us inside the camp, allowing us to assist you and Surin in case things go badly with the 1/2 orc. For all we know, I might be able to fool the sleeping goblins that I am their leader, if only for a few seconds.
OOC: Mark, if I cast no spells now, can I adjust my spell list, sleep again for 8 hours, and then be able to cast those spells?
From: Mark
Subject Plans
Yes
Planning continues
Subject Planning
Fal is also concerned about the two being in the enemy camp alone? Isn't there a way that we could set some kind of trap for them and lure them out of their camp? Fal admits that he doesn't know much about combat strategy, but is still worried about the proposed plan.
From: Karl
Subject Spell list
Speaking of spell lists, I'd like to modify mine. I was going to earlier, but the morning snuck up on me before I could update the sheet on Sakeriver.
From: Karl
Subject Spell list
Cancel that. In re-reading the spell descriptions, I think I'm better off with the line-up I have now.
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Harp will ask Surin to try and draw a diagram of the camp, focusing on how close the camp is to the woods at the rear and the layout of the shack.
After reviewing Surins diagram, Harp will continue discussing with Ran
"Sir, if we can get to the back of the fort, Surin can sneak in as before, and secret himself under the shack. At a given signal or time (Surin can determine which he would rather use), we see if Salix can find a way to affect the wood making up the back of the fort wall - if he can make a hole large enough for me, we can all sneak into the camp, our ranger freinds taking out any goblins sentrys if needed. We make a dash for the shack, three of us on a side. We can have Cai summon a creature such as that wolf she called up recently, or if any of the rest of us can do so, we summon an ally or creature that can wreak havoc in the camp. The noise of the attack should bring that 1/2 orc to the front of the shack.
We come at him from both sides, maybe having Fal grease him. When Surin hears the noise, he comes out from under the shack, pulls off some rear wall boards, grabs Rochelle, and makes his way back to the rear of the camp, out through our hole, and gets Rochelle back to where we have hobbled the horses. Wecan either continue to try to defeat the 1/2 orc, or we can retreat once we have our prize."
Harp will listen to any comments Ran has, and any suggestions any others might have.
From: Jason
Subject Planning
Cai finally speaks up:
"I like the idea in general, but I think there are a couple things we need to address. First, and no offense to Surin, who has already proven himself indispensable, but Rochelle is a human noblewoman. Are we sure that she'll just get up and follow an unknown halfling who crawls into the room through a hole in the floor and tells her she has to exit the same way?
Second, and this isn't necessarily a problem, but you should be aware that when I call a woodland ally to my aid, the reply is very short; something on the order of 10-15 seconds. While its possible that a wolf in the camp might be able to create the stir we're looking for in such a short time, it might not."
ooc: Sorry about the confusion, but do we generally keep the turns going over the weekend as well? I started during last weekend it seems, but this weekend was much quieter and so I didn't post anything. I'll try to post a few more constructive ideas tonight after my exam this evening.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
"I don't like the idea of Surin being alone in the building. If the leader of the fort does not react to the diversion as we plan, his other choice may be to simply kill Rochelle. This is especially true if he believes that the reason for the commotion is that the person who hired him has come to take her without giving the rest of the payment."
Ran pauses for a moment, Harps idea would require a lot more battle and after the beating they took the previous night he is not ready to commit to that if it can be avoided.
"I think that if everyone enters the fort, we will not be able to avoid fighting all of the creatures within it. If my plan works, we will be able to get away with a minimum of conflict. I know it is a long shot but I am pretty dextrous and I feel like I could probably get in with Surin leading the way. I believe that I can handle the 1/2 orc, at least long enough to allow Surin to get Rochelle out. I think that Rochelle will be more than willing to go with anyone who offers her freedom from these foul creatures. If we were well rested, and if it were not for the tragic loss of our brave companion Alatyr, I believe your idea would well suit our task. However, given the circumstances, I would like to avoid a full scale battle here."
At the mention of Alatyr, Rans voice falters slightly and his eyes look downward. He finishes his statement with confidence and then adds, "If there is one other among us who feels they could accompany Surin and I into the fort, I would accept the help." As he says this his eyes turn to Kal, the elf who saved his life.
From: Karl
Subject Planning
"I might be of help inside the fort", Salix says. "If I can get to the shack where Rochelle is being held, I might be able to help get her out. By the grace of Obad-Hai, I have some skill with wood. Perhaps I could make a hole in the back wall to get her out, or warp the door closed to keep the brute out of her room? This ability is limited, but I could probably warp two separate wooden objects and shape a third object once."
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Harp: "I don't like the idea of Surin being alone in the building.
If the leader of the fort does not react to the diversion as we plan, his other choice may be to simply kill Rochelle. This is especially true if he believes that the
reason for the commotion is that the person who hired him has come to take her without giving the rest of the payment."
Kal, who has been listening attentively up to this point, speaks up when Harp says this:
"Orcs are nasty, distrusting creatures with no honor. I fear that his human blood only serves to make our enemy more cunning, not less bloodthirsty. Harp here understands his primal thoughts in a way us elves can't. I agree with his analysis. It seems much too risky to leave the fate of the girl up to the self control of a half-orc who's on a power trip."
Kal, after saying that, goes back to listening until Ran speaks up.
Ran: "I know it is a long shot but I am pretty dexterous and I feel like I could probably get in with Surin leading the way. I believe that I can handle the 1/2 orc, at least long enough to allow Surin to get Rochelle out. I think that Rochelle will be more than willing to go with anyone who offers her freedom from these foul creatures."
Kal responds:
"It is my opinion that we should concentrate on killing their leader, as well as freeing Rochelle. This Half-orc is a menace as long as he is left alive. It would seem a shame to rescues Rochelle only to have this band pillage and rape an entire village in two weeks.
With that being the case, I would volunteer to join you inside the fort. I'm equipped with climbing gear and I could certainly move through their fort undetected. Once we get within the leader's hut, another warrior would be invaluable to you, Ran. I think the two of us could get the jump on the half-orc and slay him before help arrived.
If he proves to be too strong to kill quickly, we occupy him while Salin leads Rochelle to the wall, where the fourth member of our incursion team would be waiting to help get her over the well.
I can rig up a system with ropes that would make our exit much faster than climbing. We would need someone pulling on the other end, but the yet unnamed fourth person could assist Salin and Rochelle, and then Salin and the fourth assist us."
OOC: Mark -- I'm envisioning a simple system with pulleys and a couple of footholds tied in the rope that would allow us to just be lifted over the wall. Weight may be a problem -- if it is, I can rig up a double pulley system. That sound ok?
From: Randy
Subject Planning
"Salix, I think your abilities may be more helpful in creating the diversion. Perhaps you can get some of the opponents entangled near the front of the gate, or if it becomes apparent that we are in trouble, you may be able to get the rest of the party inside the fort."
"I think that Kal will acompany Surin and I into the fort and we will take out the leader while Surin frees Rochelle."
"Harp, will you and Salix plan out a diversion that you think will draw the greatest number of the enemy to the front of the gate? Surin, how much time will we need to get under the building? Harp will need to wait until that time has passed before he can begin his work as we don't want to get spotted by those rushing to the gate."
"If there are no further objections, I think that we will be able to pull this off."
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Ran, I am concerned with dividing our forces. Whether we have the diversion inside the compound or out, I would rather have our group within distance to assist if need. However, I will do as you instruct, though my heart tells me it is not wise.
Harp will then converse with the other party members -
Salix, if we have need to enter the fort, do you have a way for us to get through the gate? Any way to affect the wood of the gate? Is there any other way we can ask/use our natural surroundings to help us?
Fal, do you have any ability to create noises or lights that might confuse those inside into thinking we have a larger group than we do?
Surin, is there anything else you may be able to remember about the entrance to the camp - how is the gate secured - how stout does it look? How open is the terrain in the front of the camp - how close can we get to the gate without easily being seen?
Bel and Cai - can you think of anything extra you can do to help us? Cai, I know that you were able to bring the forest alive previously; that might be a good way to help even the odds should we need to enter the compound. Bel, can you think of any spells you might be able to employ that might help create confusion?
From: Karl
Subject Planning
"Wouldn't it be better to avoid alarming them altogether if at all possible?" Salix asks. "What if we sneak down to an unguarded part of the wall. I'm sure I can warp one of the timbers enough that even Harp could get through, if necessary. Then Surin and I could sneak to the shack. With my God's grace I could open a hole in back wall of Rochelle's cell, warp her cell door so the brute will be delayed if he tries to check on her, then we sneak her out the back. We only need risk arousing the camp if we're discovered. By then, the surprise will add to the confusion and we'd be dealing with a few groggy goblins rather than a whole camp that has been put on alert by a distraction at the gate."
He looks at the group to see what they think
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Harp is much more agreeable with this plan, especially since it allows the group easier access to the camp through the warped (or reshaped) timbers of the back wall.
From: Josh
Subject Planning
"I think killing the half-orc -- and as many goblins as posssible -- should be a priority as well. I know your mission is to save the girl, but I think it is also important to stop this band from causing any more trouble.
Do you think it would be possible to wait until the half orc is sleeping, and then kill him in his sleep while rescuing Rochelle?"
From: Karl
Subject Planning
The problem is that we do not know the half-orc's schedule. That and he is probably on higher alert now that he is expecting trouble, though not from us." Salix thinks for a moment. "Our first priority is to the lady. Until she is safe, nothing else matters. If we can get in and out without arousing anyone, all the better. I do not think it is wise to stir them up more than necessary until the Lady Rochelle is safely away."
"Also, this is a dark and evil land as I'm sure you've witnessed. This band is but a drop in the bucket of dangers here. It is not our place to ease the troubles of this land if it in any way risks our Lady. She is our only priority here," Salix says firmly. Then, as if realizing he has spoken out of turn, he looks somewhat appologetically at Ran.
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
Fal has a Pyrotechnic spell.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
Ran mulls over many options in his head. 'Will there be an unguarded part of the wall? If a battle ensues, how do we secure a safe exit for Lady Rochelle? Will making a hole in the wall make a lot of noise? Am I just being prideful and stubborn trying to stick with my plan?'
Finally he settles on a decision.
"Salix, I feel that your plan has a lot of merit. I have a concern though. Will opening a hole in the wall make much noise?"
If Salix answers that there will be almost no noise then Ran will respond with the following:
"Then we have a plan. You will open a hole in the wall of the fort. I will enter with Surin and Kal and we will make our way to the hut. We will dispose of the 1/2 orc and make our escape back through the hole in the fort. We won't need a hole opened in the wall of the hut as it sounds like we can get in through the floor boards and that will likely draw even less attention. If a commotion rises up while we are in the hut, you will need to move the conflict away from our escape route so that Surin can get Lady Rochelle to safety."
If Salix answers that it will be pretty loud then Ran will say:
"I do appreciate that there may be a way for us to get in and out without being spotted. I propose that we go with the plan as I have outlined, only instead of a diversion we have our feathered companions monitor the situation from above. If they report any problems to you, then you breach the wall and try to draw attention away from us. This way, we only fight if absolutely necessary. Kal, Surin, and I will take out the 1/2 orc on the inside and will try to do so without too much noise while we rescue Lady Rochelle. I think this is our best chance."
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
When the final plan is determined, Harp will remind the Rangers to refill their quivers with some of the arrows they had purchased back in Impact.
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Cai is a little disappointed that the group seems to be deciding on a plan that leaves most of the goblins alive and unharmed, but her head recognizes that it is the best plan.
She asks Surin "How easy was it to get in under the shack and come up through the floorboards? Not having seen it myself, it seems that it would certainly be much faster to have Salix let us in both the palisade and the shack."
She turns to Fal and asks "How long does your sleep spell last? And if you were to put the leader to sleep, would the goblins be able to wake him up?"
Finally she turns to Ran and says "If we are discovered, it occurrs to me that one possible diversion to help us get away is to set fire to various parts of the camp. Goblins are lazy and most likely have not fireproofed their tents. Most of the grass is probably long dead, but if not it will spread quickly, and if so the two of us might be able to light a few tents with burning arrows, though only if we prepare for that possbility beforehand."
ooc If we haven't headed in by tonight, I'll look over my spell list like the others are doing and I may change it.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
Ran listens attentively to Cai and responds, "Going through the floorboards gives us the advantage of not being out in the open at the side of the hut while a spell is cast. Unless Surin thinks otherwise, I prefer to approach it in this manner. I do like the idea of using fire as a diversion though. Please prepare for that possibility."
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
OOC: Mark, does the Pyrotechnic spell have to be aimed at an enemy, or could I shoot it into the air to draw the enemies out of their camp?
From: Jake
Subject planning
A grin breaks out unbidden on Surin's face. He likes this new member of the party. "I reckon there's some truth to what you're saying there, my friend. What do you think of this though--they're expecting people--half orcs, humans, they don't know what, just people--to show up with a pile of gold to trade for the girl. They've got to be a little nervous after Tiny's performance down there," he jerks his thumb toward the goblin camp, "that him as hired them'll be planning to just march in and take Rochelle off their hands, maybe lop off a few heads while he's at it.
Seems to me they'd be mighty relieved to see somebody claimin' to be from the boss ride up with a couple of sacks of gold. Now, we just happen to have more gold than we know what to do with right here, don't we? Might be Ran and a human or two could ride into their camp like they belong there an' bluff their way into a meeting with Tiny. Meanwhile, Kal here and me could sneak our way in and get into position. When we're all four ready, we could take him at once. He'd never know what hit him, and if we could do it quick enough in a spot his goblins couldn't see, it could be that the two'd be able to just ride on out of camp with her. What do you think ofthat?"
From: Jake
Subject Planning
I sent this not realizing that there were lots of email messages more recent than the one I was responding to. Nonetheless, I think the turn still fits.
From: Jake
Subject Planning
OOC: Karl, does Salix have to be able to see or touch the surface that he's warping?
"How easy was it to get in under the shack and come up through the floorboards? Not having seen it myself, it seems that it would certainly be much faster to have Salix let us in both the palisade and the shack."
"Easy enough, for me. You big folk might have a bit more trouble though. Long as you're not wearing a lot of armor I think you could do it though."
Surin starts laughing. "I just had a thought. Salix, could you open up a hole right underneath the half orc's feet? You and I could be under there, and as soon as the hole opened up and he fell through we could start hacking at his legs and feet. Maybe slice right through a couple of essential tendons. That'd surprise him! If you could shape the wood so he was trapped with his feet in the hole so much the better. We could keep sticking him, and he couldn't get at us, at least for a bit. Meanwhile Ran and this new fellow could be up above hacking him to bitty little bits while he was trapped.
From: Jason
Subject Planning
ooc: I was about to update my char sheet to reflect the arrows that you all bought for us before I joined, but I can't seem to find how many arrows you actually bought, much less how many were given to me. I saw mention of buying about 100 arrows, but nothing definite.
Thanks for the help!
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Kal smiles broadly. "I very much like this plan."
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
Fal is also concerned about the two being in the enemy camp alone? Isn't there a way that we could set some kind of trap for them and lure them out of their camp? Fal admits that he doesn't know much about combat strategy, but is still worried about the proposed plan.
From: Karl
Subject Spell list
Speaking of spell lists, I'd like to modify mine. I was going to earlier, but the morning snuck up on me before I could update the sheet on Sakeriver.
From: Karl
Subject Spell list
Cancel that. In re-reading the spell descriptions, I think I'm better off with the line-up I have now.
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Harp will ask Surin to try and draw a diagram of the camp, focusing on how close the camp is to the woods at the rear and the layout of the shack.
After reviewing Surins diagram, Harp will continue discussing with Ran
"Sir, if we can get to the back of the fort, Surin can sneak in as before, and secret himself under the shack. At a given signal or time (Surin can determine which he would rather use), we see if Salix can find a way to affect the wood making up the back of the fort wall - if he can make a hole large enough for me, we can all sneak into the camp, our ranger freinds taking out any goblins sentrys if needed. We make a dash for the shack, three of us on a side. We can have Cai summon a creature such as that wolf she called up recently, or if any of the rest of us can do so, we summon an ally or creature that can wreak havoc in the camp. The noise of the attack should bring that 1/2 orc to the front of the shack.
We come at him from both sides, maybe having Fal grease him. When Surin hears the noise, he comes out from under the shack, pulls off some rear wall boards, grabs Rochelle, and makes his way back to the rear of the camp, out through our hole, and gets Rochelle back to where we have hobbled the horses. Wecan either continue to try to defeat the 1/2 orc, or we can retreat once we have our prize."
Harp will listen to any comments Ran has, and any suggestions any others might have.
From: Jason
Subject Planning
Cai finally speaks up:
"I like the idea in general, but I think there are a couple things we need to address. First, and no offense to Surin, who has already proven himself indispensable, but Rochelle is a human noblewoman. Are we sure that she'll just get up and follow an unknown halfling who crawls into the room through a hole in the floor and tells her she has to exit the same way?
Second, and this isn't necessarily a problem, but you should be aware that when I call a woodland ally to my aid, the reply is very short; something on the order of 10-15 seconds. While its possible that a wolf in the camp might be able to create the stir we're looking for in such a short time, it might not."
ooc: Sorry about the confusion, but do we generally keep the turns going over the weekend as well? I started during last weekend it seems, but this weekend was much quieter and so I didn't post anything. I'll try to post a few more constructive ideas tonight after my exam this evening.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
"I don't like the idea of Surin being alone in the building. If the leader of the fort does not react to the diversion as we plan, his other choice may be to simply kill Rochelle. This is especially true if he believes that the reason for the commotion is that the person who hired him has come to take her without giving the rest of the payment."
Ran pauses for a moment, Harps idea would require a lot more battle and after the beating they took the previous night he is not ready to commit to that if it can be avoided.
"I think that if everyone enters the fort, we will not be able to avoid fighting all of the creatures within it. If my plan works, we will be able to get away with a minimum of conflict. I know it is a long shot but I am pretty dextrous and I feel like I could probably get in with Surin leading the way. I believe that I can handle the 1/2 orc, at least long enough to allow Surin to get Rochelle out. I think that Rochelle will be more than willing to go with anyone who offers her freedom from these foul creatures. If we were well rested, and if it were not for the tragic loss of our brave companion Alatyr, I believe your idea would well suit our task. However, given the circumstances, I would like to avoid a full scale battle here."
At the mention of Alatyr, Rans voice falters slightly and his eyes look downward. He finishes his statement with confidence and then adds, "If there is one other among us who feels they could accompany Surin and I into the fort, I would accept the help." As he says this his eyes turn to Kal, the elf who saved his life.
From: Karl
Subject Planning
"I might be of help inside the fort", Salix says. "If I can get to the shack where Rochelle is being held, I might be able to help get her out. By the grace of Obad-Hai, I have some skill with wood. Perhaps I could make a hole in the back wall to get her out, or warp the door closed to keep the brute out of her room? This ability is limited, but I could probably warp two separate wooden objects and shape a third object once."
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Harp: "I don't like the idea of Surin being alone in the building.
If the leader of the fort does not react to the diversion as we plan, his other choice may be to simply kill Rochelle. This is especially true if he believes that the
reason for the commotion is that the person who hired him has come to take her without giving the rest of the payment."
Kal, who has been listening attentively up to this point, speaks up when Harp says this:
"Orcs are nasty, distrusting creatures with no honor. I fear that his human blood only serves to make our enemy more cunning, not less bloodthirsty. Harp here understands his primal thoughts in a way us elves can't. I agree with his analysis. It seems much too risky to leave the fate of the girl up to the self control of a half-orc who's on a power trip."
Kal, after saying that, goes back to listening until Ran speaks up.
Ran: "I know it is a long shot but I am pretty dexterous and I feel like I could probably get in with Surin leading the way. I believe that I can handle the 1/2 orc, at least long enough to allow Surin to get Rochelle out. I think that Rochelle will be more than willing to go with anyone who offers her freedom from these foul creatures."
Kal responds:
"It is my opinion that we should concentrate on killing their leader, as well as freeing Rochelle. This Half-orc is a menace as long as he is left alive. It would seem a shame to rescues Rochelle only to have this band pillage and rape an entire village in two weeks.
With that being the case, I would volunteer to join you inside the fort. I'm equipped with climbing gear and I could certainly move through their fort undetected. Once we get within the leader's hut, another warrior would be invaluable to you, Ran. I think the two of us could get the jump on the half-orc and slay him before help arrived.
If he proves to be too strong to kill quickly, we occupy him while Salin leads Rochelle to the wall, where the fourth member of our incursion team would be waiting to help get her over the well.
I can rig up a system with ropes that would make our exit much faster than climbing. We would need someone pulling on the other end, but the yet unnamed fourth person could assist Salin and Rochelle, and then Salin and the fourth assist us."
OOC: Mark -- I'm envisioning a simple system with pulleys and a couple of footholds tied in the rope that would allow us to just be lifted over the wall. Weight may be a problem -- if it is, I can rig up a double pulley system. That sound ok?
From: Randy
Subject Planning
"Salix, I think your abilities may be more helpful in creating the diversion. Perhaps you can get some of the opponents entangled near the front of the gate, or if it becomes apparent that we are in trouble, you may be able to get the rest of the party inside the fort."
"I think that Kal will acompany Surin and I into the fort and we will take out the leader while Surin frees Rochelle."
"Harp, will you and Salix plan out a diversion that you think will draw the greatest number of the enemy to the front of the gate? Surin, how much time will we need to get under the building? Harp will need to wait until that time has passed before he can begin his work as we don't want to get spotted by those rushing to the gate."
"If there are no further objections, I think that we will be able to pull this off."
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Ran, I am concerned with dividing our forces. Whether we have the diversion inside the compound or out, I would rather have our group within distance to assist if need. However, I will do as you instruct, though my heart tells me it is not wise.
Harp will then converse with the other party members -
Salix, if we have need to enter the fort, do you have a way for us to get through the gate? Any way to affect the wood of the gate? Is there any other way we can ask/use our natural surroundings to help us?
Fal, do you have any ability to create noises or lights that might confuse those inside into thinking we have a larger group than we do?
Surin, is there anything else you may be able to remember about the entrance to the camp - how is the gate secured - how stout does it look? How open is the terrain in the front of the camp - how close can we get to the gate without easily being seen?
Bel and Cai - can you think of anything extra you can do to help us? Cai, I know that you were able to bring the forest alive previously; that might be a good way to help even the odds should we need to enter the compound. Bel, can you think of any spells you might be able to employ that might help create confusion?
From: Karl
Subject Planning
"Wouldn't it be better to avoid alarming them altogether if at all possible?" Salix asks. "What if we sneak down to an unguarded part of the wall. I'm sure I can warp one of the timbers enough that even Harp could get through, if necessary. Then Surin and I could sneak to the shack. With my God's grace I could open a hole in back wall of Rochelle's cell, warp her cell door so the brute will be delayed if he tries to check on her, then we sneak her out the back. We only need risk arousing the camp if we're discovered. By then, the surprise will add to the confusion and we'd be dealing with a few groggy goblins rather than a whole camp that has been put on alert by a distraction at the gate."
He looks at the group to see what they think
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Harp is much more agreeable with this plan, especially since it allows the group easier access to the camp through the warped (or reshaped) timbers of the back wall.
From: Josh
Subject Planning
"I think killing the half-orc -- and as many goblins as posssible -- should be a priority as well. I know your mission is to save the girl, but I think it is also important to stop this band from causing any more trouble.
Do you think it would be possible to wait until the half orc is sleeping, and then kill him in his sleep while rescuing Rochelle?"
From: Karl
Subject Planning
The problem is that we do not know the half-orc's schedule. That and he is probably on higher alert now that he is expecting trouble, though not from us." Salix thinks for a moment. "Our first priority is to the lady. Until she is safe, nothing else matters. If we can get in and out without arousing anyone, all the better. I do not think it is wise to stir them up more than necessary until the Lady Rochelle is safely away."
"Also, this is a dark and evil land as I'm sure you've witnessed. This band is but a drop in the bucket of dangers here. It is not our place to ease the troubles of this land if it in any way risks our Lady. She is our only priority here," Salix says firmly. Then, as if realizing he has spoken out of turn, he looks somewhat appologetically at Ran.
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
Fal has a Pyrotechnic spell.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
Ran mulls over many options in his head. 'Will there be an unguarded part of the wall? If a battle ensues, how do we secure a safe exit for Lady Rochelle? Will making a hole in the wall make a lot of noise? Am I just being prideful and stubborn trying to stick with my plan?'
Finally he settles on a decision.
"Salix, I feel that your plan has a lot of merit. I have a concern though. Will opening a hole in the wall make much noise?"
If Salix answers that there will be almost no noise then Ran will respond with the following:
"Then we have a plan. You will open a hole in the wall of the fort. I will enter with Surin and Kal and we will make our way to the hut. We will dispose of the 1/2 orc and make our escape back through the hole in the fort. We won't need a hole opened in the wall of the hut as it sounds like we can get in through the floor boards and that will likely draw even less attention. If a commotion rises up while we are in the hut, you will need to move the conflict away from our escape route so that Surin can get Lady Rochelle to safety."
If Salix answers that it will be pretty loud then Ran will say:
"I do appreciate that there may be a way for us to get in and out without being spotted. I propose that we go with the plan as I have outlined, only instead of a diversion we have our feathered companions monitor the situation from above. If they report any problems to you, then you breach the wall and try to draw attention away from us. This way, we only fight if absolutely necessary. Kal, Surin, and I will take out the 1/2 orc on the inside and will try to do so without too much noise while we rescue Lady Rochelle. I think this is our best chance."
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
When the final plan is determined, Harp will remind the Rangers to refill their quivers with some of the arrows they had purchased back in Impact.
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Cai is a little disappointed that the group seems to be deciding on a plan that leaves most of the goblins alive and unharmed, but her head recognizes that it is the best plan.
She asks Surin "How easy was it to get in under the shack and come up through the floorboards? Not having seen it myself, it seems that it would certainly be much faster to have Salix let us in both the palisade and the shack."
She turns to Fal and asks "How long does your sleep spell last? And if you were to put the leader to sleep, would the goblins be able to wake him up?"
Finally she turns to Ran and says "If we are discovered, it occurrs to me that one possible diversion to help us get away is to set fire to various parts of the camp. Goblins are lazy and most likely have not fireproofed their tents. Most of the grass is probably long dead, but if not it will spread quickly, and if so the two of us might be able to light a few tents with burning arrows, though only if we prepare for that possbility beforehand."
ooc If we haven't headed in by tonight, I'll look over my spell list like the others are doing and I may change it.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
Ran listens attentively to Cai and responds, "Going through the floorboards gives us the advantage of not being out in the open at the side of the hut while a spell is cast. Unless Surin thinks otherwise, I prefer to approach it in this manner. I do like the idea of using fire as a diversion though. Please prepare for that possibility."
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
OOC: Mark, does the Pyrotechnic spell have to be aimed at an enemy, or could I shoot it into the air to draw the enemies out of their camp?
From: Jake
Subject planning
A grin breaks out unbidden on Surin's face. He likes this new member of the party. "I reckon there's some truth to what you're saying there, my friend. What do you think of this though--they're expecting people--half orcs, humans, they don't know what, just people--to show up with a pile of gold to trade for the girl. They've got to be a little nervous after Tiny's performance down there," he jerks his thumb toward the goblin camp, "that him as hired them'll be planning to just march in and take Rochelle off their hands, maybe lop off a few heads while he's at it.
Seems to me they'd be mighty relieved to see somebody claimin' to be from the boss ride up with a couple of sacks of gold. Now, we just happen to have more gold than we know what to do with right here, don't we? Might be Ran and a human or two could ride into their camp like they belong there an' bluff their way into a meeting with Tiny. Meanwhile, Kal here and me could sneak our way in and get into position. When we're all four ready, we could take him at once. He'd never know what hit him, and if we could do it quick enough in a spot his goblins couldn't see, it could be that the two'd be able to just ride on out of camp with her. What do you think ofthat?"
From: Jake
Subject Planning
I sent this not realizing that there were lots of email messages more recent than the one I was responding to. Nonetheless, I think the turn still fits.
From: Jake
Subject Planning
OOC: Karl, does Salix have to be able to see or touch the surface that he's warping?
"How easy was it to get in under the shack and come up through the floorboards? Not having seen it myself, it seems that it would certainly be much faster to have Salix let us in both the palisade and the shack."
"Easy enough, for me. You big folk might have a bit more trouble though. Long as you're not wearing a lot of armor I think you could do it though."
Surin starts laughing. "I just had a thought. Salix, could you open up a hole right underneath the half orc's feet? You and I could be under there, and as soon as the hole opened up and he fell through we could start hacking at his legs and feet. Maybe slice right through a couple of essential tendons. That'd surprise him! If you could shape the wood so he was trapped with his feet in the hole so much the better. We could keep sticking him, and he couldn't get at us, at least for a bit. Meanwhile Ran and this new fellow could be up above hacking him to bitty little bits while he was trapped.
From: Jason
Subject Planning
ooc: I was about to update my char sheet to reflect the arrows that you all bought for us before I joined, but I can't seem to find how many arrows you actually bought, much less how many were given to me. I saw mention of buying about 100 arrows, but nothing definite.
Thanks for the help!
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Kal smiles broadly. "I very much like this plan."
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
Fal is also concerned about the two being in the enemy camp alone? Isn't there a way that we could set some kind of trap for them and lure them out of their camp? Fal admits that he doesn't know much about combat strategy, but is still worried about the proposed plan.
From: Karl
Subject Spell list
Speaking of spell lists, I'd like to modify mine. I was going to earlier, but the morning snuck up on me before I could update the sheet on Sakeriver.
From: Karl
Subject Spell list
Cancel that. In re-reading the spell descriptions, I think I'm better off with the line-up I have now.
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Harp will ask Surin to try and draw a diagram of the camp, focusing on how close the camp is to the woods at the rear and the layout of the shack.
After reviewing Surins diagram, Harp will continue discussing with Ran
"Sir, if we can get to the back of the fort, Surin can sneak in as before, and secret himself under the shack. At a given signal or time (Surin can determine which he would rather use), we see if Salix can find a way to affect the wood making up the back of the fort wall - if he can make a hole large enough for me, we can all sneak into the camp, our ranger freinds taking out any goblins sentrys if needed. We make a dash for the shack, three of us on a side. We can have Cai summon a creature such as that wolf she called up recently, or if any of the rest of us can do so, we summon an ally or creature that can wreak havoc in the camp. The noise of the attack should bring that 1/2 orc to the front of the shack.
We come at him from both sides, maybe having Fal grease him. When Surin hears the noise, he comes out from under the shack, pulls off some rear wall boards, grabs Rochelle, and makes his way back to the rear of the camp, out through our hole, and gets Rochelle back to where we have hobbled the horses. Wecan either continue to try to defeat the 1/2 orc, or we can retreat once we have our prize."
Harp will listen to any comments Ran has, and any suggestions any others might have.
From: Jason
Subject Planning
Cai finally speaks up:
"I like the idea in general, but I think there are a couple things we need to address. First, and no offense to Surin, who has already proven himself indispensable, but Rochelle is a human noblewoman. Are we sure that she'll just get up and follow an unknown halfling who crawls into the room through a hole in the floor and tells her she has to exit the same way?
Second, and this isn't necessarily a problem, but you should be aware that when I call a woodland ally to my aid, the reply is very short; something on the order of 10-15 seconds. While its possible that a wolf in the camp might be able to create the stir we're looking for in such a short time, it might not."
ooc: Sorry about the confusion, but do we generally keep the turns going over the weekend as well? I started during last weekend it seems, but this weekend was much quieter and so I didn't post anything. I'll try to post a few more constructive ideas tonight after my exam this evening.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
"I don't like the idea of Surin being alone in the building. If the leader of the fort does not react to the diversion as we plan, his other choice may be to simply kill Rochelle. This is especially true if he believes that the reason for the commotion is that the person who hired him has come to take her without giving the rest of the payment."
Ran pauses for a moment, Harps idea would require a lot more battle and after the beating they took the previous night he is not ready to commit to that if it can be avoided.
"I think that if everyone enters the fort, we will not be able to avoid fighting all of the creatures within it. If my plan works, we will be able to get away with a minimum of conflict. I know it is a long shot but I am pretty dextrous and I feel like I could probably get in with Surin leading the way. I believe that I can handle the 1/2 orc, at least long enough to allow Surin to get Rochelle out. I think that Rochelle will be more than willing to go with anyone who offers her freedom from these foul creatures. If we were well rested, and if it were not for the tragic loss of our brave companion Alatyr, I believe your idea would well suit our task. However, given the circumstances, I would like to avoid a full scale battle here."
At the mention of Alatyr, Rans voice falters slightly and his eyes look downward. He finishes his statement with confidence and then adds, "If there is one other among us who feels they could accompany Surin and I into the fort, I would accept the help." As he says this his eyes turn to Kal, the elf who saved his life.
From: Karl
Subject Planning
"I might be of help inside the fort", Salix says. "If I can get to the shack where Rochelle is being held, I might be able to help get her out. By the grace of Obad-Hai, I have some skill with wood. Perhaps I could make a hole in the back wall to get her out, or warp the door closed to keep the brute out of her room? This ability is limited, but I could probably warp two separate wooden objects and shape a third object once."
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Harp: "I don't like the idea of Surin being alone in the building.
If the leader of the fort does not react to the diversion as we plan, his other choice may be to simply kill Rochelle. This is especially true if he believes that the
reason for the commotion is that the person who hired him has come to take her without giving the rest of the payment."
Kal, who has been listening attentively up to this point, speaks up when Harp says this:
"Orcs are nasty, distrusting creatures with no honor. I fear that his human blood only serves to make our enemy more cunning, not less bloodthirsty. Harp here understands his primal thoughts in a way us elves can't. I agree with his analysis. It seems much too risky to leave the fate of the girl up to the self control of a half-orc who's on a power trip."
Kal, after saying that, goes back to listening until Ran speaks up.
Ran: "I know it is a long shot but I am pretty dexterous and I feel like I could probably get in with Surin leading the way. I believe that I can handle the 1/2 orc, at least long enough to allow Surin to get Rochelle out. I think that Rochelle will be more than willing to go with anyone who offers her freedom from these foul creatures."
Kal responds:
"It is my opinion that we should concentrate on killing their leader, as well as freeing Rochelle. This Half-orc is a menace as long as he is left alive. It would seem a shame to rescues Rochelle only to have this band pillage and rape an entire village in two weeks.
With that being the case, I would volunteer to join you inside the fort. I'm equipped with climbing gear and I could certainly move through their fort undetected. Once we get within the leader's hut, another warrior would be invaluable to you, Ran. I think the two of us could get the jump on the half-orc and slay him before help arrived.
If he proves to be too strong to kill quickly, we occupy him while Salin leads Rochelle to the wall, where the fourth member of our incursion team would be waiting to help get her over the well.
I can rig up a system with ropes that would make our exit much faster than climbing. We would need someone pulling on the other end, but the yet unnamed fourth person could assist Salin and Rochelle, and then Salin and the fourth assist us."
OOC: Mark -- I'm envisioning a simple system with pulleys and a couple of footholds tied in the rope that would allow us to just be lifted over the wall. Weight may be a problem -- if it is, I can rig up a double pulley system. That sound ok?
From: Randy
Subject Planning
"Salix, I think your abilities may be more helpful in creating the diversion. Perhaps you can get some of the opponents entangled near the front of the gate, or if it becomes apparent that we are in trouble, you may be able to get the rest of the party inside the fort."
"I think that Kal will acompany Surin and I into the fort and we will take out the leader while Surin frees Rochelle."
"Harp, will you and Salix plan out a diversion that you think will draw the greatest number of the enemy to the front of the gate? Surin, how much time will we need to get under the building? Harp will need to wait until that time has passed before he can begin his work as we don't want to get spotted by those rushing to the gate."
"If there are no further objections, I think that we will be able to pull this off."
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Ran, I am concerned with dividing our forces. Whether we have the diversion inside the compound or out, I would rather have our group within distance to assist if need. However, I will do as you instruct, though my heart tells me it is not wise.
Harp will then converse with the other party members -
Salix, if we have need to enter the fort, do you have a way for us to get through the gate? Any way to affect the wood of the gate? Is there any other way we can ask/use our natural surroundings to help us?
Fal, do you have any ability to create noises or lights that might confuse those inside into thinking we have a larger group than we do?
Surin, is there anything else you may be able to remember about the entrance to the camp - how is the gate secured - how stout does it look? How open is the terrain in the front of the camp - how close can we get to the gate without easily being seen?
Bel and Cai - can you think of anything extra you can do to help us? Cai, I know that you were able to bring the forest alive previously; that might be a good way to help even the odds should we need to enter the compound. Bel, can you think of any spells you might be able to employ that might help create confusion?
From: Karl
Subject Planning
"Wouldn't it be better to avoid alarming them altogether if at all possible?" Salix asks. "What if we sneak down to an unguarded part of the wall. I'm sure I can warp one of the timbers enough that even Harp could get through, if necessary. Then Surin and I could sneak to the shack. With my God's grace I could open a hole in back wall of Rochelle's cell, warp her cell door so the brute will be delayed if he tries to check on her, then we sneak her out the back. We only need risk arousing the camp if we're discovered. By then, the surprise will add to the confusion and we'd be dealing with a few groggy goblins rather than a whole camp that has been put on alert by a distraction at the gate."
He looks at the group to see what they think
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Harp is much more agreeable with this plan, especially since it allows the group easier access to the camp through the warped (or reshaped) timbers of the back wall.
From: Josh
Subject Planning
"I think killing the half-orc -- and as many goblins as posssible -- should be a priority as well. I know your mission is to save the girl, but I think it is also important to stop this band from causing any more trouble.
Do you think it would be possible to wait until the half orc is sleeping, and then kill him in his sleep while rescuing Rochelle?"
From: Karl
Subject Planning
The problem is that we do not know the half-orc's schedule. That and he is probably on higher alert now that he is expecting trouble, though not from us." Salix thinks for a moment. "Our first priority is to the lady. Until she is safe, nothing else matters. If we can get in and out without arousing anyone, all the better. I do not think it is wise to stir them up more than necessary until the Lady Rochelle is safely away."
"Also, this is a dark and evil land as I'm sure you've witnessed. This band is but a drop in the bucket of dangers here. It is not our place to ease the troubles of this land if it in any way risks our Lady. She is our only priority here," Salix says firmly. Then, as if realizing he has spoken out of turn, he looks somewhat appologetically at Ran.
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
Fal has a Pyrotechnic spell.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
Ran mulls over many options in his head. 'Will there be an unguarded part of the wall? If a battle ensues, how do we secure a safe exit for Lady Rochelle? Will making a hole in the wall make a lot of noise? Am I just being prideful and stubborn trying to stick with my plan?'
Finally he settles on a decision.
"Salix, I feel that your plan has a lot of merit. I have a concern though. Will opening a hole in the wall make much noise?"
If Salix answers that there will be almost no noise then Ran will respond with the following:
"Then we have a plan. You will open a hole in the wall of the fort. I will enter with Surin and Kal and we will make our way to the hut. We will dispose of the 1/2 orc and make our escape back through the hole in the fort. We won't need a hole opened in the wall of the hut as it sounds like we can get in through the floor boards and that will likely draw even less attention. If a commotion rises up while we are in the hut, you will need to move the conflict away from our escape route so that Surin can get Lady Rochelle to safety."
If Salix answers that it will be pretty loud then Ran will say:
"I do appreciate that there may be a way for us to get in and out without being spotted. I propose that we go with the plan as I have outlined, only instead of a diversion we have our feathered companions monitor the situation from above. If they report any problems to you, then you breach the wall and try to draw attention away from us. This way, we only fight if absolutely necessary. Kal, Surin, and I will take out the 1/2 orc on the inside and will try to do so without too much noise while we rescue Lady Rochelle. I think this is our best chance."
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
When the final plan is determined, Harp will remind the Rangers to refill their quivers with some of the arrows they had purchased back in Impact.
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Cai is a little disappointed that the group seems to be deciding on a plan that leaves most of the goblins alive and unharmed, but her head recognizes that it is the best plan.
She asks Surin "How easy was it to get in under the shack and come up through the floorboards? Not having seen it myself, it seems that it would certainly be much faster to have Salix let us in both the palisade and the shack."
She turns to Fal and asks "How long does your sleep spell last? And if you were to put the leader to sleep, would the goblins be able to wake him up?"
Finally she turns to Ran and says "If we are discovered, it occurrs to me that one possible diversion to help us get away is to set fire to various parts of the camp. Goblins are lazy and most likely have not fireproofed their tents. Most of the grass is probably long dead, but if not it will spread quickly, and if so the two of us might be able to light a few tents with burning arrows, though only if we prepare for that possbility beforehand."
ooc If we haven't headed in by tonight, I'll look over my spell list like the others are doing and I may change it.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
Ran listens attentively to Cai and responds, "Going through the floorboards gives us the advantage of not being out in the open at the side of the hut while a spell is cast. Unless Surin thinks otherwise, I prefer to approach it in this manner. I do like the idea of using fire as a diversion though. Please prepare for that possibility."
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
OOC: Mark, does the Pyrotechnic spell have to be aimed at an enemy, or could I shoot it into the air to draw the enemies out of their camp?
From: Jake
Subject planning
A grin breaks out unbidden on Surin's face. He likes this new member of the party. "I reckon there's some truth to what you're saying there, my friend. What do you think of this though--they're expecting people--half orcs, humans, they don't know what, just people--to show up with a pile of gold to trade for the girl. They've got to be a little nervous after Tiny's performance down there," he jerks his thumb toward the goblin camp, "that him as hired them'll be planning to just march in and take Rochelle off their hands, maybe lop off a few heads while he's at it.
Seems to me they'd be mighty relieved to see somebody claimin' to be from the boss ride up with a couple of sacks of gold. Now, we just happen to have more gold than we know what to do with right here, don't we? Might be Ran and a human or two could ride into their camp like they belong there an' bluff their way into a meeting with Tiny. Meanwhile, Kal here and me could sneak our way in and get into position. When we're all four ready, we could take him at once. He'd never know what hit him, and if we could do it quick enough in a spot his goblins couldn't see, it could be that the two'd be able to just ride on out of camp with her. What do you think ofthat?"
From: Jake
Subject Planning
I sent this not realizing that there were lots of email messages more recent than the one I was responding to. Nonetheless, I think the turn still fits.
From: Jake
Subject Planning
OOC: Karl, does Salix have to be able to see or touch the surface that he's warping?
"How easy was it to get in under the shack and come up through the floorboards? Not having seen it myself, it seems that it would certainly be much faster to have Salix let us in both the palisade and the shack."
"Easy enough, for me. You big folk might have a bit more trouble though. Long as you're not wearing a lot of armor I think you could do it though."
Surin starts laughing. "I just had a thought. Salix, could you open up a hole right underneath the half orc's feet? You and I could be under there, and as soon as the hole opened up and he fell through we could start hacking at his legs and feet. Maybe slice right through a couple of essential tendons. That'd surprise him! If you could shape the wood so he was trapped with his feet in the hole so much the better. We could keep sticking him, and he couldn't get at us, at least for a bit. Meanwhile Ran and this new fellow could be up above hacking him to bitty little bits while he was trapped.
From: Jason
Subject Planning
ooc: I was about to update my char sheet to reflect the arrows that you all bought for us before I joined, but I can't seem to find how many arrows you actually bought, much less how many were given to me. I saw mention of buying about 100 arrows, but nothing definite.
Thanks for the help!
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Kal smiles broadly. "I very much like this plan."
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
Fal is also concerned about the two being in the enemy camp alone? Isn't there a way that we could set some kind of trap for them and lure them out of their camp? Fal admits that he doesn't know much about combat strategy, but is still worried about the proposed plan.
From: Karl
Subject Spell list
Speaking of spell lists, I'd like to modify mine. I was going to earlier, but the morning snuck up on me before I could update the sheet on Sakeriver.
From: Karl
Subject Spell list
Cancel that. In re-reading the spell descriptions, I think I'm better off with the line-up I have now.
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Harp will ask Surin to try and draw a diagram of the camp, focusing on how close the camp is to the woods at the rear and the layout of the shack.
After reviewing Surins diagram, Harp will continue discussing with Ran
"Sir, if we can get to the back of the fort, Surin can sneak in as before, and secret himself under the shack. At a given signal or time (Surin can determine which he would rather use), we see if Salix can find a way to affect the wood making up the back of the fort wall - if he can make a hole large enough for me, we can all sneak into the camp, our ranger freinds taking out any goblins sentrys if needed. We make a dash for the shack, three of us on a side. We can have Cai summon a creature such as that wolf she called up recently, or if any of the rest of us can do so, we summon an ally or creature that can wreak havoc in the camp. The noise of the attack should bring that 1/2 orc to the front of the shack.
We come at him from both sides, maybe having Fal grease him. When Surin hears the noise, he comes out from under the shack, pulls off some rear wall boards, grabs Rochelle, and makes his way back to the rear of the camp, out through our hole, and gets Rochelle back to where we have hobbled the horses. Wecan either continue to try to defeat the 1/2 orc, or we can retreat once we have our prize."
Harp will listen to any comments Ran has, and any suggestions any others might have.
From: Jason
Subject Planning
Cai finally speaks up:
"I like the idea in general, but I think there are a couple things we need to address. First, and no offense to Surin, who has already proven himself indispensable, but Rochelle is a human noblewoman. Are we sure that she'll just get up and follow an unknown halfling who crawls into the room through a hole in the floor and tells her she has to exit the same way?
Second, and this isn't necessarily a problem, but you should be aware that when I call a woodland ally to my aid, the reply is very short; something on the order of 10-15 seconds. While its possible that a wolf in the camp might be able to create the stir we're looking for in such a short time, it might not."
ooc: Sorry about the confusion, but do we generally keep the turns going over the weekend as well? I started during last weekend it seems, but this weekend was much quieter and so I didn't post anything. I'll try to post a few more constructive ideas tonight after my exam this evening.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
"I don't like the idea of Surin being alone in the building. If the leader of the fort does not react to the diversion as we plan, his other choice may be to simply kill Rochelle. This is especially true if he believes that the reason for the commotion is that the person who hired him has come to take her without giving the rest of the payment."
Ran pauses for a moment, Harps idea would require a lot more battle and after the beating they took the previous night he is not ready to commit to that if it can be avoided.
"I think that if everyone enters the fort, we will not be able to avoid fighting all of the creatures within it. If my plan works, we will be able to get away with a minimum of conflict. I know it is a long shot but I am pretty dextrous and I feel like I could probably get in with Surin leading the way. I believe that I can handle the 1/2 orc, at least long enough to allow Surin to get Rochelle out. I think that Rochelle will be more than willing to go with anyone who offers her freedom from these foul creatures. If we were well rested, and if it were not for the tragic loss of our brave companion Alatyr, I believe your idea would well suit our task. However, given the circumstances, I would like to avoid a full scale battle here."
At the mention of Alatyr, Rans voice falters slightly and his eyes look downward. He finishes his statement with confidence and then adds, "If there is one other among us who feels they could accompany Surin and I into the fort, I would accept the help." As he says this his eyes turn to Kal, the elf who saved his life.
From: Karl
Subject Planning
"I might be of help inside the fort", Salix says. "If I can get to the shack where Rochelle is being held, I might be able to help get her out. By the grace of Obad-Hai, I have some skill with wood. Perhaps I could make a hole in the back wall to get her out, or warp the door closed to keep the brute out of her room? This ability is limited, but I could probably warp two separate wooden objects and shape a third object once."
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Harp: "I don't like the idea of Surin being alone in the building.
If the leader of the fort does not react to the diversion as we plan, his other choice may be to simply kill Rochelle. This is especially true if he believes that the
reason for the commotion is that the person who hired him has come to take her without giving the rest of the payment."
Kal, who has been listening attentively up to this point, speaks up when Harp says this:
"Orcs are nasty, distrusting creatures with no honor. I fear that his human blood only serves to make our enemy more cunning, not less bloodthirsty. Harp here understands his primal thoughts in a way us elves can't. I agree with his analysis. It seems much too risky to leave the fate of the girl up to the self control of a half-orc who's on a power trip."
Kal, after saying that, goes back to listening until Ran speaks up.
Ran: "I know it is a long shot but I am pretty dexterous and I feel like I could probably get in with Surin leading the way. I believe that I can handle the 1/2 orc, at least long enough to allow Surin to get Rochelle out. I think that Rochelle will be more than willing to go with anyone who offers her freedom from these foul creatures."
Kal responds:
"It is my opinion that we should concentrate on killing their leader, as well as freeing Rochelle. This Half-orc is a menace as long as he is left alive. It would seem a shame to rescues Rochelle only to have this band pillage and rape an entire village in two weeks.
With that being the case, I would volunteer to join you inside the fort. I'm equipped with climbing gear and I could certainly move through their fort undetected. Once we get within the leader's hut, another warrior would be invaluable to you, Ran. I think the two of us could get the jump on the half-orc and slay him before help arrived.
If he proves to be too strong to kill quickly, we occupy him while Salin leads Rochelle to the wall, where the fourth member of our incursion team would be waiting to help get her over the well.
I can rig up a system with ropes that would make our exit much faster than climbing. We would need someone pulling on the other end, but the yet unnamed fourth person could assist Salin and Rochelle, and then Salin and the fourth assist us."
OOC: Mark -- I'm envisioning a simple system with pulleys and a couple of footholds tied in the rope that would allow us to just be lifted over the wall. Weight may be a problem -- if it is, I can rig up a double pulley system. That sound ok?
From: Randy
Subject Planning
"Salix, I think your abilities may be more helpful in creating the diversion. Perhaps you can get some of the opponents entangled near the front of the gate, or if it becomes apparent that we are in trouble, you may be able to get the rest of the party inside the fort."
"I think that Kal will acompany Surin and I into the fort and we will take out the leader while Surin frees Rochelle."
"Harp, will you and Salix plan out a diversion that you think will draw the greatest number of the enemy to the front of the gate? Surin, how much time will we need to get under the building? Harp will need to wait until that time has passed before he can begin his work as we don't want to get spotted by those rushing to the gate."
"If there are no further objections, I think that we will be able to pull this off."
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Ran, I am concerned with dividing our forces. Whether we have the diversion inside the compound or out, I would rather have our group within distance to assist if need. However, I will do as you instruct, though my heart tells me it is not wise.
Harp will then converse with the other party members -
Salix, if we have need to enter the fort, do you have a way for us to get through the gate? Any way to affect the wood of the gate? Is there any other way we can ask/use our natural surroundings to help us?
Fal, do you have any ability to create noises or lights that might confuse those inside into thinking we have a larger group than we do?
Surin, is there anything else you may be able to remember about the entrance to the camp - how is the gate secured - how stout does it look? How open is the terrain in the front of the camp - how close can we get to the gate without easily being seen?
Bel and Cai - can you think of anything extra you can do to help us? Cai, I know that you were able to bring the forest alive previously; that might be a good way to help even the odds should we need to enter the compound. Bel, can you think of any spells you might be able to employ that might help create confusion?
From: Karl
Subject Planning
"Wouldn't it be better to avoid alarming them altogether if at all possible?" Salix asks. "What if we sneak down to an unguarded part of the wall. I'm sure I can warp one of the timbers enough that even Harp could get through, if necessary. Then Surin and I could sneak to the shack. With my God's grace I could open a hole in back wall of Rochelle's cell, warp her cell door so the brute will be delayed if he tries to check on her, then we sneak her out the back. We only need risk arousing the camp if we're discovered. By then, the surprise will add to the confusion and we'd be dealing with a few groggy goblins rather than a whole camp that has been put on alert by a distraction at the gate."
He looks at the group to see what they think
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
Harp is much more agreeable with this plan, especially since it allows the group easier access to the camp through the warped (or reshaped) timbers of the back wall.
From: Josh
Subject Planning
"I think killing the half-orc -- and as many goblins as posssible -- should be a priority as well. I know your mission is to save the girl, but I think it is also important to stop this band from causing any more trouble.
Do you think it would be possible to wait until the half orc is sleeping, and then kill him in his sleep while rescuing Rochelle?"
From: Karl
Subject Planning
The problem is that we do not know the half-orc's schedule. That and he is probably on higher alert now that he is expecting trouble, though not from us." Salix thinks for a moment. "Our first priority is to the lady. Until she is safe, nothing else matters. If we can get in and out without arousing anyone, all the better. I do not think it is wise to stir them up more than necessary until the Lady Rochelle is safely away."
"Also, this is a dark and evil land as I'm sure you've witnessed. This band is but a drop in the bucket of dangers here. It is not our place to ease the troubles of this land if it in any way risks our Lady. She is our only priority here," Salix says firmly. Then, as if realizing he has spoken out of turn, he looks somewhat appologetically at Ran.
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
Fal has a Pyrotechnic spell.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
Ran mulls over many options in his head. 'Will there be an unguarded part of the wall? If a battle ensues, how do we secure a safe exit for Lady Rochelle? Will making a hole in the wall make a lot of noise? Am I just being prideful and stubborn trying to stick with my plan?'
Finally he settles on a decision.
"Salix, I feel that your plan has a lot of merit. I have a concern though. Will opening a hole in the wall make much noise?"
If Salix answers that there will be almost no noise then Ran will respond with the following:
"Then we have a plan. You will open a hole in the wall of the fort. I will enter with Surin and Kal and we will make our way to the hut. We will dispose of the 1/2 orc and make our escape back through the hole in the fort. We won't need a hole opened in the wall of the hut as it sounds like we can get in through the floor boards and that will likely draw even less attention. If a commotion rises up while we are in the hut, you will need to move the conflict away from our escape route so that Surin can get Lady Rochelle to safety."
If Salix answers that it will be pretty loud then Ran will say:
"I do appreciate that there may be a way for us to get in and out without being spotted. I propose that we go with the plan as I have outlined, only instead of a diversion we have our feathered companions monitor the situation from above. If they report any problems to you, then you breach the wall and try to draw attention away from us. This way, we only fight if absolutely necessary. Kal, Surin, and I will take out the 1/2 orc on the inside and will try to do so without too much noise while we rescue Lady Rochelle. I think this is our best chance."
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
When the final plan is determined, Harp will remind the Rangers to refill their quivers with some of the arrows they had purchased back in Impact.
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Cai is a little disappointed that the group seems to be deciding on a plan that leaves most of the goblins alive and unharmed, but her head recognizes that it is the best plan.
She asks Surin "How easy was it to get in under the shack and come up through the floorboards? Not having seen it myself, it seems that it would certainly be much faster to have Salix let us in both the palisade and the shack."
She turns to Fal and asks "How long does your sleep spell last? And if you were to put the leader to sleep, would the goblins be able to wake him up?"
Finally she turns to Ran and says "If we are discovered, it occurrs to me that one possible diversion to help us get away is to set fire to various parts of the camp. Goblins are lazy and most likely have not fireproofed their tents. Most of the grass is probably long dead, but if not it will spread quickly, and if so the two of us might be able to light a few tents with burning arrows, though only if we prepare for that possbility beforehand."
ooc If we haven't headed in by tonight, I'll look over my spell list like the others are doing and I may change it.
From: Randy
Subject Planning
Ran listens attentively to Cai and responds, "Going through the floorboards gives us the advantage of not being out in the open at the side of the hut while a spell is cast. Unless Surin thinks otherwise, I prefer to approach it in this manner. I do like the idea of using fire as a diversion though. Please prepare for that possibility."
From: Derrell
Subject Planning
OOC: Mark, does the Pyrotechnic spell have to be aimed at an enemy, or could I shoot it into the air to draw the enemies out of their camp?
From: Jake
Subject planning
A grin breaks out unbidden on Surin's face. He likes this new member of the party. "I reckon there's some truth to what you're saying there, my friend. What do you think of this though--they're expecting people--half orcs, humans, they don't know what, just people--to show up with a pile of gold to trade for the girl. They've got to be a little nervous after Tiny's performance down there," he jerks his thumb toward the goblin camp, "that him as hired them'll be planning to just march in and take Rochelle off their hands, maybe lop off a few heads while he's at it.
Seems to me they'd be mighty relieved to see somebody claimin' to be from the boss ride up with a couple of sacks of gold. Now, we just happen to have more gold than we know what to do with right here, don't we? Might be Ran and a human or two could ride into their camp like they belong there an' bluff their way into a meeting with Tiny. Meanwhile, Kal here and me could sneak our way in and get into position. When we're all four ready, we could take him at once. He'd never know what hit him, and if we could do it quick enough in a spot his goblins couldn't see, it could be that the two'd be able to just ride on out of camp with her. What do you think ofthat?"
From: Jake
Subject Planning
I sent this not realizing that there were lots of email messages more recent than the one I was responding to. Nonetheless, I think the turn still fits.
From: Jake
Subject Planning
OOC: Karl, does Salix have to be able to see or touch the surface that he's warping?
"How easy was it to get in under the shack and come up through the floorboards? Not having seen it myself, it seems that it would certainly be much faster to have Salix let us in both the palisade and the shack."
"Easy enough, for me. You big folk might have a bit more trouble though. Long as you're not wearing a lot of armor I think you could do it though."
Surin starts laughing. "I just had a thought. Salix, could you open up a hole right underneath the half orc's feet? You and I could be under there, and as soon as the hole opened up and he fell through we could start hacking at his legs and feet. Maybe slice right through a couple of essential tendons. That'd surprise him! If you could shape the wood so he was trapped with his feet in the hole so much the better. We could keep sticking him, and he couldn't get at us, at least for a bit. Meanwhile Ran and this new fellow could be up above hacking him to bitty little bits while he was trapped.
From: Jason
Subject Planning
ooc: I was about to update my char sheet to reflect the arrows that you all bought for us before I joined, but I can't seem to find how many arrows you actually bought, much less how many were given to me. I saw mention of buying about 100 arrows, but nothing definite.
Thanks for the help!
From: Josh
Subject Planning
Kal smiles broadly. "I very much like this plan."
A busy day planning
Subject Spells
Mark? How much noise would "Warp Wood" make?
If Salix uses "Wood Shape" to open a hole in the back of Rochelle's cell, he would probably shape the wood into a single large panel with handles which he could grasp, removing the panel quietly and setting it aside.
From: Karl
Subject Plan
"Back of hut or floor of hut makes no difference to me. However, the noise you are bound to make smashing up through floorboards is going to negate any advantage you get from being beneath the hut. You will alert anyone in the front room of the hut and will likely call in a melee right on top of our Lady." Salix turns to Surin. "How much room is beneath the hut? Is it an area large enough for the Lady to escape through easily? If you're under there when a row starts will you be able to defend yourselves? It doesn't sound like a very convenient place from which to swing a sword."
From: Karl
Subject Plan
Salix would smile at the image, if it weren't for his mounting frustration. "We might get some good licks in, then we'll be easy pickings for a very angry brute who just needs to smash a fist through the floor and splinter our skulls. And how will Ran get in if I've wasted Obad-Hai's gift on vengeance toward the brute instead of rescue of the Lady?"
From: Kevin
Subject Plan
Harp listens to Surin's plan, but grows concerned as he hears more details.
"Friend Surin, I do not doubt your ability to pull this off were it to be only you going in. However, while I might pass on first glance as a follower of a darker path, I doubt that the others would be so successful. Try as they might, they will be hard pressed to hide their elven heritage from these goblins. Now, while there might be the lone renegade elf out there, having a group of 4-5 elves and or half elf types walking into a camp where they are already suspicious I think is taking to large of a risk. I vote for staying with Salix's plan.
You sneak in ahead of the rest of the group and reconoiter. Maybe pass a note through the floorboards to Rochelle to let he know a rescue is coming, so she is prepared. Through the grace of my god, I can obscure our movements at the back of the fort for a few minutes, at least enough for Salix to create an opening in the fort wall. Ran and Kal and Salix can make a quick dash to the shack, create an opening at the back of the shack, get Rochelle out, and all of you hightail it back here. In the mean time, the rangers, Fal and I will keep an eye out for any guards and be ready to create a distraction should someone notice you.
I am with Salix in that our main mission is to save Rochelle, and it will be more difficult to do that with the camp alert to our presence.
From: Kevin
Subject Plan
Listening to Ran and Salix discuss how to best get Rochelle out, Harp suggests
"Ran, it might be best to have Surin under the shack to confirm where Rochelle is, then when you Kal and Salix approach, he can guide you to which part to go to. I agree with Salix that at this point, trying to have 2 or 3 of you, and one of them being a helpless damsel in distress, will put you at a great disadvantage. We could start the distraction prior to your letting her out - have Bel and Cai fire a few fire arrows toward the front of the camp - the shouting will cover the noise you might make, it will make it harder for anyone who might see us to be heard, and if we really get lucky, the 1/2 orc may be drawn to that activity instead of hearing ours."
From: Mark
Subject Map and updated info
The rescue, parts 1 and 2
Subject Planning
OOC: I think the attack is tonight. The night right after Surin came back/the attack. Also, my understanding was that Harp would be right at the hole that Salix opens up. Bel, Cai, and Fal as well. Only if they need to come in a little ways to do their work then they will.
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
OOC: I agree with Randy. The idea was to go in tonight since we still have 1 day until the big, bad guys shows up to pay the 1/2 orc for kidnapping Rochelle. Harp realizes he is still hurt, so is willing to stay back aways with the others, useing his spells to help the others as needed (Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith, etc.) on Ran and Kal before then enter the camp. If things go badly, he can run up and help with the fight.
From: Kevin
Subject Planning
OOC:I think the idea was for Surin to confirm IF the 1/2 orc was in the room and to confirm that Rochelle is where we think she is when we go in. If for some reason the 1/2 orc stays with her the whole night, then maybe we have to postpone. Not a great option, but better than Rochelle getting cut in half. Surin can come out from under the shack before we get the rescue fully going (i.e. as Ran, Salix and Kal are heading to the shack). At least we know where she is now. We will have to wait and see what Mark creates for us.
From: Mark
Subject Goblins
There would be the normal goblins, who are not really all that sociable.
From: Mark
Subject Spells
Wood shap is not noisy. It is magic.
From: Mark
Subject Scale
10 feet in this case.
From: Mark
Subject The rescue begins
As Harp falls asleep, Salix gets the healer's kit and works on Harp's wounds. Salix is amazed that Harp does not awaken while Salix works. Salix applies a few healing herbs to the wounds and makes a poultice out of some of the supplies. He even stitches up one of the gashes on Harp's arm. The ? orc's only response is a brief grunt. When he is done, Salix heads off for his own rest. (Heal check, DC15, 14+9=23, 8 hours sleep heal 8 HP.)
The night passes with no other surprises. At noon Ran wakes Harp and the party eats. While eating they get into a heated discussion about how to rescue Rochelle. Several times they ask Surin to clarify some aspect of the story he had told the night before. Eventually a plan is hammered out. A large portion of the party heads back to sleep so as to be rested for the next day. Kal and Fal spend a lot of time on watch as they need no sleep, just the meditation time the elves use instead of sleep. Just after lunch, while the other are preparing for the afternoon Surin suggests that he go and scout out the area of the woods where they will be making their approach. ?I don't want any surprises tonight so I might as well familiarize myself with the terrain now, while it is light. And don't worry Ran, no one will see me.? And like that the halfling is off.
A few hours later Surin pops back up in camp, startling Fal and Kal. They had both been on watch and paying attention but still had not heard or seen a thing. Surin laughs. ?We little people have to have some advantages to you big ones.? He then climbs into his bed roll and falls asleep. It seems like just minutes later Ran is nudging him with his foot, telling him to wake up. Surin grumbles a bit, but then remembers what is at stake and rolls out of bed.
It is about an hour after sunset. The party takes it's time packing everything up. Supplies are distributed so that everyone can move as fast as possible. The pack horse has some room made on it so that a small human might be able to ride on it. With a nod, Ran motions to Surin to lead the way. The halfling leads them off into the woods, leading them slowly but quietly. Salix has already done what he could to calm the horses so that they will not create a racket. Over the next two hours the halfling leads the party deeper into the woods and then south. Everyone, except the rangers, are feeling pretty lost when Surin whispers ?Here we are. The west wall of the encampment is about 500-600 feet east from here. I don't think we can get any closer than this with out there being a chance of them hearing us or the horses. Salix, do you have the note for Rochelle??
Salix nods and hands a small note. It reads ?R, A sent us to rescue you. Be ready.? Surin folds it and sticks it in a small pocket. The halfling then asks ?Ok which bird is going to be watching?? Salix points to Ebon. ?He is the smartest of the birds and with his coloring should be the hardest for anyone else to see. I have instructed him to sit in a nearby tree and keep an eye out for you. When you wave your hands over your head three times he will come to us and we will move into position.?
Before he goes Surin goes to Harp and asks for a section of rope. ?You never know when you might need some rope.? Harp cuts him a 25 foot length and Surin drops it into his back pack. With that the little halfling is off into the night. It is just past midnight.
Surin makes it to the same place he had used last night, between the south and the west tower... He finds his same hand holds and starts to climb. (DC15, 14+2=16, success.) He quietly drops down to behind the tents there and takes stock of the surroundings. He sees that most of the camp is asleep. He hears the snoring of goblins and the occasional grunt as one changes position. Many of the tents have no sound coming from them. He works his way towards the shack in the middle, remembering where Rochelle was kept.
When he gets there he quickly slides under the shack and takes a quick breath. Now is when it can get dicey. He takes out his dagger and gently slides in through the gaps in the floorboards. Slowly sliding it along the cracks, Surin is able to find a spot on the floor where there is a mattress or something covering the floor. It is on the floor near the outside east wall. Surin then scoots himself towards the other back room. When he gets there he can hear the snoring sounds of someone. They are very loud and continuous. ?Well the brute is asleep, at least for now? Surin thinks. He works his way back to the other room, trying to think of a way to get the note to Rochelle.
He slides from under the shack on the east side, next to the wall that Rochelle is probably sleeping against. Inspecting the boards he thinks he can pry one away enough so that he can slip the paper through. He takes his dagger and starts to pry the board away from the support. As he is doing this he hears a quite voice ?Whose there?? The voice is soft and lilting. Surin quickly whispers ?Shhh, I am a friend. Here take this? and hands the note through the gap in the boards. He waits a few seconds for her to reply. She does. ?I can not read this. It is dark in here.? Curses, they should have thought of that. The girl was human. She could not see in the dark. Of course he could not see in the dark, but he had the moonlight and the fire light. Putting his mouth to the gap he whispers ?Lay back down with your head to the SE corner. I will talk to you from under the building.? With that, Surin scoots back beneath the shack.
He listens as the girl shifts position. He puts his mouth to the small gaps between the floor boards again and whispers ?Can you hear me?? ?Yes, who are you? she replies. ?I am part of a group that has been sent to rescue you. Anglewing sent us. Be ready to go at a moments notice. We will be back with in the hour to get you out. Do you understand?? She breaths ?Yes? and goes quiet. Good girl.
Now the hard part Surin thinks. He needed to take out the guards. While Ran might have said to only take out the one, he felt it was better to take out the guards on the North, West and South towers. Since the South tower was closest, he would do that one first. He works his was over towards where the ladder is that goes up to the platform is. He can hear the goblin guard about 12 feet above him. Putting his dagger between his teeth, he slowly moves up the ladder. As he gets to the top he can see the goblin, outlined in the moonlight, looking out over the wall, his back to the ladder. As Surin gets to the top of the ladder he takes the dagger from his mouth and throws it at the goblin.(AC14, 17+11=28, hit, sneak attack, damage 13) The dagger smashes into the back of the goblins head and it is dead before it hits the floor of the platform.
The halfling, feeling a little sick at the ease at which he was able to kill, moves onto the platform and carefully pulls his dagger from the back of the goblins head. He cleans it on the goblins clothes and re-sheathes it. One down two to go.
OODM: I will do more tonight.
From: Karl
Subject The rescue begins
OOOOOOH the suspense!
From: Derrell
Subject Spells
I can also use the pyrotechnic spell to generate a smoke screen which would hinder their dark vision. I have a choice of either fireworks or the smoke screen.
From: Derrell
Subject Spells
That smokescreen only works in a fairly limited area though, whereas the fireworks would probably attract attention from all over camp.
From: Mark
Subject The rescue, part 2
After he catches his breath, Surin slides off his back pack and cuts off a 5 foot piece of rope. He uses this to tie the goblin body to the watch tower so that it looks like it is still standing up. Of course it will not stand up to close scrutiny, but it should do for a passing glance. He then puts his backpack back on and climbs down the ladder. Figuring he will save the West guard for last he starts to make his way across the compound.
Even though it is only 150 feet it take Surin almost 5 minutes to cross that distance. His path is not a straight one. It bends east because for some reason there is less noise coming from that side. As he goes, he starts checking the occasional tent, just in case he needs a place to duck into. In particular he notices that most of the tent near the two fires closest to the front gate have almost no one living in them. Once he has to duck into an empty tent when a goblin comes out of another tent near one of the fires(F1) and adds some logs to the fire. The goblin then turns around, and mumbling to itself, goes back into the tent.
As the halfling approaches the North tower he sees that it is just like the South one, a ladder leading up to a platform that can look over the top of the palisade. He puts his dagger between his teeth again and readies for the climb. He almost gags as he realizes that there is a tang to the metal that was not there when he started this. Gritting his teeth on the metal, he climbs slowly up the ladder. He sees basically the same thing as before, a goblin leaning against the wall, looking out over the edge. Again he throws his dagger at the back of the goblin, a twinge of guilt pulling at him for attacking from behind and from the dark.(AC14, 9+11=20, hit, surprise attack, damage 14) He watches again as his dagger strikes at the base of the skull and in beds itself there. The goblin slumps over the wall with out a sound..
Surin quickly finishes his climb and pulls the rope and cuts another section to tie the goblin up with. As he is trussing the corpse up he notices a ring on the finger of the goblin. It glints in the moonlight and draws his attention to it. He recognizes what it is. A halfling marriage ring. They were given when a halfling couple pledged themselves to each other and were never taken off. There was only one way a goblin could have gotten one. Suddenly Surin did not feel as bad.
Two down and one to go. It seems like it had been hours since he left the party, but from the position of the moon it has been less than an hour, closer to ?. He goes down the ladder and starts moving to the last guard tower. This time it takes him only a couple of minutes. He hears a lot more snoring noises from this part of the camp. It seems as if the goblins were trying to stay as far from the gate as possible. When he gets to the bottom of the West tower Surin takes a minute to collect himself before going on.
He looks at the third ladder with a bit of dread. ?Will this one be any easier?? What appalled him the most, he thought, was how good he was at this. He shook off the feeling and got to work. People were counting on him, not the least was an innocent young girl. With his dagger between his teeth again, he quietly climbs up the ladder. This time the sentry is walking back and forth on the platform. Just when the goblin is past Surin takes the last couple of steps and throw his dagger at the goblins back. The sentry turns just as the knife leaves Surin's hand and looks down as the weapons appears from his chest like it was magic.(AC14, 6+11+17, hit, damage 3) The creature has a stunned look but does not fall to the ground.
(Initiative:Surin 25, Goblin 9)
OODM: Jake what do you want to do? You still have your melee dagger at your waist.
From: Jake
Subject The rescue
Surin meets the goblin's eyes for a moment, then with a fluid motion draws one of his throwing axes and sends it whirling toward the goblin.
The rescue part 3
Subject The rescue
Damn disobedient halfling. Gonna get us all killed now. ;)
From: Karl
Subject Spells
Actually, the fireworks only blind over a limited area, too, right? The difference might be if you are assuming goblins too far away to be blinded will run toward the fireworks. I think in our case it is just as likely they will flee away from the fireworks. I might be better in the long run, if either is necessary, to use the smokescreen unless the whole camp is already after us.
From: Mark
Subject Rescue
I am going out of town today, at noon, and will not be back until late Sunday. I do not know if I will get anything out before I leave. I might try and resolve Surin's little conflict.
See you all Monday.
From: Mark
Subject The rescue
Cursing himself for pushing his luck, Surin grabs the throwing axe at his belt, cocks it behind his head and throws it through the hole in the bottom of the platform. (AC14, 11+11=22, hit, Damage 4) This time he gets a solid hit and the axe buries itself in the goblins forehead. The goblin starts to topple over and Surin has to rush to grab him before he falls on the tents below. His breath coming in gasps, the halfling takes a few minutes to calm himself. He then ties the goblin into place just like he did the other three and removes his axe and his throwing knife.
Looking over the edge of the wall he decides to try something. He quickly ties the rope to one of the tree trunks and tosses the other end over and down.(Use rope, DC10, 17+12=29, success) He then waves his hands over his head three times and sees a dark shape high up in one of the trees take flight. Surin then climbs over the wall and lowers himself down. He has to drop the last 5 feet but that is no problem. He starts moving towards where the party was hiding. He meets up with them about 200 feet from the compound. ?I think we may want to change our plans a bit? he tells Ran as he walks up.
OODM: Jake, if you and Randy and anyone else want to take it from here you can.
From: Jake
Subject Spells
Yeah, I was assuming they'd run toward them, but you have a good point.
The plan revised
Subject New plan
OOC: Does anyone get the idea that our fearless DM is trying to guide us in a different direction? I hate suggest that we may want to consider throwing away a voluminous 2 days of planning e-mails, but when I see comments such as there seem to be fewer goblins by the front gate, many of the tents seem empty toward the eastern gate, Rochelle is located in the eastern side of the shack, even I start to see a picture being drawn here. What if Mr. Ugly inside the shack is of substantially higher level than we think - he did cut a guardsman in half with one swing. Maybe we should ask Surin if he has a better idea of how to do this.
Just a thought.
From: Jake
Subject New plan
Wouldn't opening the gate be likely to attract attention though? And isn't the plan just for everybody to pile in the back way anyway?
I do want to give them more info, but I'm going to have to leave for work here in a minute, so it'll have to wait until tonight unfortunately. I may go ahead and come home early today, though, in which case I'll get some RPing in while everybody else is still at work.
From: Jake
Subject New plan
:) Heh, actually, he also just sent me an email mentioning how easy it would be for Surin to open the gate, so either he loves us and wants to protect us, or he hates us and has decided that he wants us all to die a horrible death at the hands of goblin hordes in order to get out of DMing any more. Somehow I'm betting on the former.
No time to write up a turn before work, but I'll be doing one (at least) tonight.
From: Kevin
Subject The DM
OOC: Knowing him the way that I do, I find it hard to believe that he really loves us and wants to protect us. However, he does want to continue to show off the world he created years ago, and if we all die here, he will not be able to do that. Which leaves us with a miserable choice - take his suggestions and continue to dance like a puppet at the end of his strings, or go on with our plans and meet a grisly death here in this camp. Boy, I love Monday mornings. Well, I guess we can play along with him a little while longer and then commit mass suicide when and where we choose.
From: Mark
Subject Goblins
Here is what the MM says about goblins. This is something that both rangers would know since golbins are thier favored enemy.
Being bullied by bigger, stronger creatures has taught goblins to exploit what few advantages they have: sheer numbers and malicious ingenuity. The concept of a fair fight is meaningless in their society. They favor ambushes, overwhelming odds, dirty tricks, and any other edge they can devise.
Goblins have a poor grasp of strategy and are cowardly by nature, tending to flee the field if a battle turns against them. With proper supervision, though, they can implement reasonably complex plans, and in such circumstances their numbers can be a deadly advantage.
The population of this goblin camp has been decimated. The grown male poplulation went from around 100-125 to under 30.(Now three less thanks to Surin).
However, the 1/2 orc was able to force his will on the entire male population.
From: Randy
Subject The DM
OOC: I really hate role playing based on what the DM tells me as a player rather than based on what my character knows and the attitude of my character. My inclination is to ignore everything the DM tells me. That being said, I don't really want to cause the death of all of our characters. Ran isn't dead set on killing the 1/2 orc anyway. I am really annoyed that we spent all that back and forth time emailing about the plan though. I probably won't cave in again.
From: Randy
Subject New plan
Ran speaks to Surin in hushed tones.
"What's changed Surin?"
From: Mark
Subject The DM
I am sorry if this is not going the way people had envisioned. I tried something that looks like it may not have worked out the way I had planned. I tried giving the player of several characters some information for them to share with the group, hoping that as a group it would all be put together. It didn't turn out that way.
I am new to this PBEM Dm'ing and will hopefully learn. Please bear with me.
From: Randy
Subject The DM
I'm mostly just poking fun, though I admit a little is my stubborn nature showing through.
You are doing fine as far as I am concerned. I am actually really enjoying the game so far and I really don't want us to get killed. I think that it seemed like some of the information I received was not stuff that Ran would have been aware of (ie the new map showing a clear path at the front entrance). If this had been conveyed in a different manner, such as somehow we sent one of the more intelligent birds to scout things out and it reported back, then Ran would have had that information to act on. Surin can now share that info with Ran and we can alter our plan accordingly. This is actually a good thing, imho, for roleplaying as we got ourselves into a bit of trouble and we now have the opportunity to possibly change tact.
I don't think there is any problem with the way things have worked out here and I probably spoke a little too quickly in my last email. I think we are all learning a little as we go.
From: Josh
Subject New plan
OOC: Alright, this is sort of my fault. You guys were all set on a good plan to get the girl and get out. I thought to myself "well Kal here is a newcomer, he's pretty green behind the ears, and this guy is an evil half-orc. Kal's gonna wanna kill him to prove himself."
Mark sent me and email essentially saying "An attack is probably a bad idea", i replied that I was just roleplaying, and that I figured you guys would dismiss my not-so-great idea, and that Kal would accept the will of the party.
Instead, all you bloodthirsty mongrels jumped on my half-cocked plan. :-D
BTW: I agree with Randy. I think we should throw ourselves at the half-orc out of principle. :)
From: Josh
Subject The DM
I've only been here for a week or two mark, but I'm having a ball.
From: Mark
Subject The DM
I have enjoyed it as well.
Ignore the half orc's voice. He spoke to God's mechanic a week or two and the mechaninc talked too much.
For you new guys, Kevin is my brother and I like to torment him. My 13 y/o son is my game mechanic. I come up with the ideas and he works out the details. He loves being a rules geek and it gives him something to do in his spare time. However, he occasionally works for Kevin on the weekends and has a hard time keeping his mouth closed about my plans. :)
From: Kevin
Subject The DM
What Mark fails to mention is that he is my evil twin brother "Skippy", who has been tormenting me since we were conceived. You guys think you have it bad, you try spending 19 years with this guy as a roommate. You are lucky I am as sane as I am. I mean, I did found the Ted Bundy fan club - I can't understand why it isn't growing faster.
I guess I just never thought of trying to sneak into an armed camp to recover a kidnapping victim.
From: Jake
Subject The DM
OOC: Yeah, I prefer to play based on what the character knows, and what the character would do too. The act of really getting into the character and having them do things that surprise you is one of the cooler aspects of playing a RPG, for me. I'm actually kind of inclined to go ahead with our plans, and if we die we die, but I can completely understand if the rest of the party feels differently.
From: Jake
Subject The DM
Seriously Mark, it's no problem. DMing a PBEM game is a fairly daunting task--I discovered that when I was putting together my defunct (for the moment) game, and I can only imagine that there would have been further lessons in that down the road for me.
From: Kevin
Subject New plan
Here's an idea - lets let Surin propose his new plan, see what we all think, and if we decide to, we can still go with our original plan. Who's to say that we will not survive with what we have planned.
Quoting a favorite movie "Do you want to live forever?".
From: Jake
Subject New plan
His voice pitched low, Surin replies. "I'm not so sure we picked the best spot to come in--looks like most of the goblins are camped down there. We make any noise coming through--and believe me, this lot's all manner of brave, but they ain't terribly sneaky, so you can bet there'll be noise--we'll get swarmed, like as not. I'm thinkin' it might be a better bet to come in by the front gate.
I could definitely take out one of the guards, but I'm a bit worried that the other one'll see his friend drop. Might be we could have an archer or two--three maybe, to be on the safe side--waiting to pick the other one off before he can sound the alarm. 'Fore we get started on the guards, though, I reckon I should check the tents in this area. Most of 'em are empty, but it might be a good idea to clear he rest," he gulps at the euphamism, sickened for a moment before the halfling ring glints in his mind's eye.
"So, I take care of anybody in the tents, then we take care of the guards together? Without the guards to man it the gate'll be a cinch to open. "
From: Randy
Subject New plan
"Sounds good. Cai, Bel, and I will be at the ready to take out the other guard once we see the first one fall. I hate to change plans at the last minute, but you are the only one who has seen the layout. Once the second guard falls, the rest of the plan will go ahead. Salix, Kal, and I will go in, rescue Rochelle, and dispatch the 1/2 orc (OOC: Ran will stick to this part of the plan if the others don't object). We will then leave the way we came in."
From: Jason
Subject New plan
Cai smiles inwardly at the chance to take out a hated enemy, but forces herself to speak up. She whispers "While I'm more than willing to take out the other goblin, it occurs to me that our arrows are not as... precise... as our friend Surin. What I mean to say is, while I have no doubt as to our ability to kill this goblin, there exists a reasonable possibility of him crying out and alerting the rest if we shoot him. Might it not be better to have Fal put them to sleep? If he puts them both to sleep, Surin can simply let us in. If one falls asleep, he can take care of the other, and if neither falls, well we haven't lost much. We can still try shooting it.
"In case we do have to shoot the one, however, how will we know at what time we should fire?"
From: Jake
Subject New plan
"Now that's a good idea Cai. I was a little worried about him getting a chance to shout before he was finished. Sounds like a little magic'll be just the thing. How long'll they stay out, d'you reckon? And how asleep will they be? Don't want to have them wake up just as we're leaving."
Into the frying pan
Subjet: Turn
Ok I will let you guys have until noon on Tuesday to figure out what you are going to do next. Then I will write up the next turn.
In particular, I need to know where every one will be, in relationship to the front gate and what they will be doing I also need to know where the horses will be.
From: Rob
Subject Rescue
Bel says " I am sure they will be asleep long enough for us to take care of them. We can't have them waking up on us and sounding the alarm, can we?".
From: Derrell
Subject Rescue
Fal is intrigued by this new plan. He's not much of a military strategist, but is all for anything that would minimize the chance of us getting slaughtered. He doesn't want to compromise the mission either. Fal wants to hear what the others think of the newly suggested plan. He'll go with whatever plan will best insure the safety of Rochelle.
OOC: Mark, I think you're doing a great job as DM. You've been a lot of help to me.
From: Kevin
Subject Rescue
Harp, upon hearing the new plan, says: Surin, while I trust in your abilities to get in and out quietly, does this not seem too easy? Walking in the front gate of an enemy compound? But, you have been inside the camp, and I have not. I will bend to your suggestion, though I am concerned that there is something there waiting that we have not seen.
Ran, since I am not still fully healed from our earlier fight, I will go back to where the horses are and leade them around the to the front of the camp as best I can. I don't imagine that we will want to run around the camp and through the woods to get to them.
OOC: Mark, can I take a 10 on controlling the horses if I take my time getting from where we hobbled them to a safe place on the eastern side of the camp (or even a point up the road toward where we came from? In order to help the planning, how long would you expect it to take me to get to that point? I do not have a good idea of the surrounding terrain, but Harp would at least have an idea of where he could meet them.
From: Mark
Subject spells
Fal knows that that the range on his sleep spell is about 140 feet. At his skill level it will last for 4 minutes. It is a 10 foot radius area of affect, which means it is 20 feet in diameter. According to the map that should be enough range to cover both the guards.
From: Mark
Subject Horses
Since you are not riding them and unless something attacks you, you should be able to lead the horses with no problem. Keeping enough room between you and the compound will take some time, upwards of 1/2 an hour.
I don't know if most of you have looked at the world map but the fastest way home is due east/south east from here. The next country over to the east is Camlost. If you follow the edge of the mountains that direction you will get to Camlost.
Or you can run back through the pass and then turn east/SE.
The terrrain on this side of the camp is light forrest with it getting denser the further west you go. The camp is right on the wood line so to the east is grassy plain. Low light vision people can see as well on a moon lite night as they can during the day. That means the elves, half elves and the goblins all can see as well as a normal day, since it is just past a full moon.
There is a spot about a quarter mile from the camp, on the east side, where you can hobble the horses.
It has been about 15-20 minutes since Surin talked to Rochelle.
From: Kevin
Subject Horses
OOC: Assuming that we come up with a "final" plan, Harp will move back to the horses and lead them out of earshot around the north side of the camp to that spot you mentioned. He will also make sure that the others know where he will be.
From: Karl
Subject Plan
I must have missed an email. What is this "new plan"? The past 6 or 8 emails have thoroughly confused me. Before that the last email I got was the one where Surin put the axe in the watchman he didn't kill with his dagger.
From: Mark
Subject Plan
Look at the 4/22/05 archives. Also there were alot of e-mails yesterday about the new plan.
I will put those up at the archives today.
From: Mark
Subject Plan
Ok Harp is going to lead the horses to a staging spot on the east side of the camp, far enough away that they will not be seen or heard.
Fal is going to cast sleep on the guards.
Surin is going to take care of the guards and any goblins near the front of the camp.
Salix, Ran, Kal and Surin are then going to go in and resuce Rochelle.
A couple of questions.
What are Bel and Cai going to do and where are they going to be?
Are you planning on attacking the 1/2 orc no matter what or is that only if he wakes up and comes after you?
From: Karl
Subject 1/2 orc
Salix thinks we should let sleeping 1/2 orcs lie. If he wakes up and comes after us, though, he's all for sicking a hypogriff or sumpin on 'im.
From: Kevin
Subject 1/2 orc
OOC: While Harp is not going to be up close with the rest of the guys, he agrees that unless they can get in a good sneak attack while the beast is sleeping, let him go. Our mission is to rescue Rochelle and waking the beast will imperil that mission. If he wakes up due to noise, then all bets are off.
As far as Bel and Cai, I will defer to Randy if he responds prior to your cutoff. If he does not, as second in command, I would suggest that they place themselves at either side of the gate, so they can see the rest of the camp and anyone who may be roused. They will also be able to give some cover should the group heading to the shack have to make a run for it.
But this is only if Randy does not want them somewhere else.
From: Randy
Subject 1/2 orc
Ran agrees that we should only fight the 1/2 orc if it is necessary. The mission is what is important. Bel and Cai can do just as Harp suggests and only enter the fort if they sense that we are in danger.
From: Mark
Subject The rescue continues
?What is the problem?? Ran asks Surin.
His voice pitched low, Surin replies. "I'm not so sure we picked the best spot to come in--looks like most of the goblins are camped down there. We make any noise coming through--and believe me, this lot's all manner of brave, but they ain't terribly sneaky, so you can bet there'll be noise--we'll get swarmed, like as not. I'm thinkin' it might be a better bet to come in by the front gate.
I could definitely take out one of the guards, but I'm a bit worried that the other one'll see his friend drop. Might be we could have an archer or two--three maybe, to be on the safe side--waiting to pick the other one off before he can sound the alarm. 'Fore we get started on the guards, though, I reckon I should check the tents in this area. Most of 'em are empty, but it might be a good idea to clear he rest," he gulps at the euphemism, sickened for a moment before the halfling ring glints in his mind's eye. "So, I take care of anybody in the tents, then we take care of the guards together? Without the guards to man it the gate'll be a cinch to open. " Ran thinks for a minute and replies. "Sounds good. Cai, Bel, and I will be at the ready to take out the other guard once we see the first one fall.
I hate to change plans at the last minute, but you are the only one who has seen the layout. Once the second guard falls, the rest of the plan will go ahead. Salix, Kal, and I will go in, rescue Rochelle, and dispatch the 1/2 orc.
Cai pipes up. "While I'm more than willing to take out the other goblin, it occurs to me that our arrows are not as... precise... as our friend Surin. What I mean to say is, while I have no doubt as to our ability to kill this goblin, there exists a reasonable possibility of him crying out and alerting the rest if we shoot him. Might it not be better to have Fal put them to sleep? If he puts them both to sleep, Surin can simply let us in. If one falls asleep, he can take care of the other, and if neither falls, well we haven't lost much. We can still try shooting it. "In case we do have to shoot the one, however, how will we know at what time we should fire?" Surin nods at the elf's comments. "Now that's a good idea Cai. I was a little worried about him getting a chance to shout before he was finished. Sounds like a little magic'll be just the thing. How long'll they stay out, d'you reckon? And how asleep will they be? Don't want to have them wake up just as we're leaving."
Bel says "I am sure they will be asleep long enough for us to take care of them. We can't have them waking up on us and sounding the alarm, can we?" He has a grim look on his face as he says this.
Fal swallows a bit, realizing how much will depend on his spell casting. ?They should sleep for several minutes and no normal noise should wake them. If they are shaken for a short period of time, they can be roused. However, if the goblins can see as well as I can in the night, we might have a problem. I will need to be within 140 feet or so my spell to be effective. Surin thinks about this for a few seconds. ?How about before I go back in I find a nice place on the north side of the camp for you. Well into the woods so you will not be heard, but close enough for your spell. When you are done casting, you can start moving towards where Harp is keeping the horses. I am sure we will catch up with you, unless things go wrong. At least you will be able to report back to Angelwing and Quarion what happened.? ?You can have Lenore sit on the compound wall on the north side. I will signal her when I am ready for you to sleep them. Can she handle that?? Fal nods, gratified to be useful in this situation.
Lenore can handle it. Let me tell her what to do.? And with that he starts talking to the bird.
Harp and Ran quickly decide that due to his injuries, Harp should lead the horses to a spot on the east side of the camp and wait there for the rest of the party members. He is to keep an eye out for members and guide them in if needed. Harp nods and leads the horses in a circumspect route around the camp and out onto the plain. He is easily able to accomplish this in the ? hour Ran has given him.
Ran confers with the rest of the party. ?Surin goes in and clears out the tents near the gate. He signals to Lenore who notifies Fal. Fal sleeps the guards and Surin finishes the job. He then opens the gate and the four of us? he points to Surin, Salix, Kal and myself will go rescue Rochelle. Cai and Bel you stay at the gate and provide cover if needed. If we get her out with out notice we beat a hasty retreat to where Harp is with the horses.? He looks at the other people and they nod in agreement.
Since they have a little time to spare, Surin leads Fal to a spot north of the camp. He can clearly see the two watch goblins standing in their towers. He had not realized how far apart they were. The spell should be able to get both of them, as long as he aims it between the two. He claps the halfling gently on the back, nods, and sends Lenore off to sit on the wall.
Surin makes it back to the rest of the party. ?Let me take you to a place where you can get to the gate quickly, once the goblins are down.? He leads them through the forest to the south. He notices how well the rangers move but is glad that he did not have to sneak Ran and Salix into the camp. He thinks to himself ?You think a druid would move quieter than that.? He shrugs and remembers how the forest came alive at Salix's command when the orcs had attacked. That might come in useful. He finally finds them a spot in the woods about 100 feet from the gate.
When Ran, Salix, Kal and the two rangers are in place, Surin makes his way back to the west part of the camp. He climbs the rope and is quickly inside. Tying the rope back up and putting it in his backpack, he then climbs down and starts moving towards the shack. When he gets there he slides under the shack at the corner where Rochelle is. Placing his mouth right on the boards he whispers ?My Lady, are you ready?? He hears her reply ?I thought you had forgotten me, but yes I am ready.? ?A few more minutes, my Lady, while we take out the guards. My companions will soon be here to free you.? With that, Surin slips back out from under the building and starts his grim work.
He only finds 4 tents near the gate that have anyone in them. One has an old male goblin in it and two others have females. The last tent has a female and a child. He watches them sleep and can not bring himself to kill the child or the female. Instead, he places his hand over the mouth of the child and raps the female on the head hard with the hilt of his dagger. Her eyes flicker and then close again. Knowing that this is the lesser of the two evils, he then cracks the child on the head as well, knocking the goblin child unconscious. Hoping that they would be out long enough for the party to get away he slides back out of the tent and looks for Lenore.
He sees a dark shape on the north wall and waves his hand over his head, once. The bird takes wing and Surin turns to watch the guards.
Fal is standing in the woods, in the spot that Surin picked out for him. The bugs are chewing on his leg. He thinks ?I need to develop a spell that keeps away the little critters.? The time seems to drag while he waits for Lenore to give him the signal. All of a sudden he sees Lenore take wing. Breathing quickly to himself he concentrates on the location he has picked out and chants the words he had memorized. He points his finger and feels the energy flow from it towards the spot he picked. He does not even wait to see the effects of the spell. It went off according to plan. He starts on his way to where Harp has the horses.
Surin watches as the two guard's slump over. He is up the southern most ladder in a flash. Quickly taking care of the guard, he waves his hands over his head a couple of times and then climbs back down the ladder. He runs over to the other tower and finishes the job with the guard there. He is a bit disgusted with how easy this has become. It was one thing to kill in battle and another in the dark.
By the time he has the two guards taken care of the other party members are at the gate. Surin goes to the log that the goblins use to close the gate and lifts it. He is able to slide it to one side so that one of the doors opens slightly. There is a small creaking sound, but it is not all that loud. The 6 party members look at each other. Ran says ?OK let's do this.?
OODM: I will write more tonight.
From: Jason
Subject The gate
Before they seperate, Cai whispers to Salix "If you're discovered and we are forced to run, you might consider casting your wood-shaping spell on the gate in such a way that the goblins inside cannot open it. That might buy us a few precious minutes on the way out. Good luck."
From: Mark
Subject The gate
:)
From: Karl
Subject The Gate
"I don't cast 'spells'," Salix responds. "All I do is by the grace of Obad-hai." He touches the oak-leaf and acorn insignia in his leather armor reverently. "But good idea. I'll keep that in mind."
From: Mark
Subject Saves
I just realized that I forgot to list the saves for the goblins against the sleep spell.
DC15, 10-1=9, fail, 13-1=12, fail, both slept.
From: Jake
Subject Spells
OOC: Recognizing that there are a lot of turns yet to read, and that it may be a moot point now, I've got to say that if Surin finds out that the spell will only last 4 minutes he's going to be killing a couple of sleeping goblins.
From: Jake
Subject 1/2 orc
OOC: Again, knowing that it's probably too late for my post to mean anything game-wise, I vote for only attacking him if we have to. If at all possible I'd like to leave him completely alone.
Out of the pan and on the run
Subject Turn
Sorry I was not able to get more out last night. My dial up connection at home was having problem last night. I will try and get something out at lunch today.
From: Mark
Subject Out of the pan
As Surin opens the gate the 5 other party members step through. As Salix passes by Cai, the ranger whispers to the druid ?If we are forced to run, one of your wood shaping spells cast on the gate might gain us needed time to make our escape.? Salix looks slightly disgusted but nods. ?I don't cast 'spells?, Salix responds. ?All I do is by the grace of Obad-Hai.? He touches the oak-leaf and acorn insignia in his leather armor reverently. ?But, good idea. I'll keep that in mind.? Ran gestures at Cai and Bel and the two rangers climb the two towers and take up posts on either side of the door, bows ready. Their eyes scan the camp, looking for any movement or sound
Ran, Surin, Kal, and Salix start to creep towards the shack. Ran has his shield slung across his back and his crossbow in hand. Salix has his trusty scimitar and Kal his ever present rapier. Surin cringes as Salix and Ran follow behind, glad that all the goblins in the area are dead or unconscious.(Move Silent, Ran 8, Surin 2+13=15, Kal 18+5=23, Salix 10+1=11. They get about 20 feet in and Surin motions for Ran to stay where he is. Ran looks about ready to argue but gives in to the halfling's instructions. His eyes sweeping the compound for any movement, Ran keeps his crossbow at waist level.
Kal, Surin and Salix continue slowly towards the shack. (Move Silent, Surin 7+13=20, Kal 12+5=17, Salix 12+1=13.) Surin keeps wishing that his friend did not make so much noise when he moved. He does have some respect for the elf. He has shown an amazing ability to be quite. They are now over half of the way towards the shack. Again Surin stops the party and listens. (Surin 8+11=19, Kal 10+2=12, Salix 18+6=24) All Surin and Salix hear are the snores of the goblins and the extremely loud snores of the ? orc.
Surin motions the two others to continue. (Move silent, Surin, 19+13=32, Kal, 9+5=14, Salix 9+1=10) Salix steps on a small twig and to Surin it sounds like some one cracked a tree limb. Surin goes to Salix and whispers ?I am sorry my friend but you make so much noise when you move. Let me see if I can get Rochelle out with out needing your prayers.? Feeling what Ran felt, Salix reluctantly agrees to wait where he is. Nodding for Kal to accompany him, Surin moves closer to the target. (Move silent, Surin 14+13=27, Kal 5+5=10) Surin grimaces again when Kal makes some noise when he steps on some gravel. Stopping and listening (Listen check, 7+11=18) Surin does not hear anything. They are now about 25 feet from the shack.
Signaling that it is ok to proceed, the two move forward again. (Move silent, Surin, 5+13=18, Kal 15+5=20) ?Just a few more seconds? Surin thinks to himself. (Move Silent, Surin 20+13=33, Kal 14+5=19) Surin is satisfied that they were completely quiet in their final approach. Motioning for Kal to keep watch, Surin leans down and puts his mouth to the wall. ?My Lady, we are ready. Don't move or make a sound.? Surin then bends to the boards and inspects them. He takes out his dagger and starts to gently pry the sideboards away from the building. He takes his time, slowly prying the boards away from the support. (Move silent, 8+13=21, 12+13=25) The first board pops off, leaving a hole about 9 inches across and 4 feet high. Too narrow for the human but a good start. Surin starts working on the next.
As Surin pries the board from its support, a nail makes a loud squeaking noise. Even Bel and Cai hear it. (Move silent, 1+13=14, 3+13=16) Surin stops, sure that the camp would be awakened, but still hears nothing but sleeping noises from the camp. Repositioning his dagger, he tries again, and this time there is no noise. (Move silent, 19+13=32, 16+13=29) A second board pops off into the halfling's hand and now the hole is big enough for some one to squeeze through. He reaches a hand through and feels the young girls hand take his. ?Come on?he whispers, ?We are pushing our luck as it is.?
Right then, several things seem to happen at once. Rochelle worms her way out of the hole in the wall. Bel and Cai both spot a goblin walking up the south side of the compound. Both rangers let fly. Bel's shoot flies wide but Cai's hits dead on.(AC13, Bel 4+7=11, miss, Cai 10+7=17, hit, Damage 8) The arrow buries itself in the chest of the goblin and it falls to the ground, but the loud twang of a longbow is impossible to hide. Grabbing Rochelle by the hand, Surin starts running towards the gate, Kal following close behind. Knowing that the other members of the party can see in the dark better than he, Surin waves his other hand at them, signaling them to move.
OODM: Any thing any one wants to do in particular let me know. Other wise I will try and write more up tonight.
From: Karl
Subject Spells
Well, it looks like we're going to be retreating, so Salix will definitely take advantage of Cai's advice. He will try to warp the gate closed once they are outside.
From: Josh
Subject The escape
Kal is going to run close behind Salix and Rochelle. If any enemy (including the half orc) approaches us, Kal'll yell to them to keep running, he'll engage the enemy until they escape or make it far enough away.
From: Randy
Subject The escape
Ran will wait until the others have retreated past where he is before he starts moving towards the gate. He will offer cover to everyone else, especially Rochelle, as they retreat. Once he is sure everyone else is out he will exit the gate.
From: Mark
Subject Speeds
Ok since this might be important in the next couple of days coming up I thought I would cover this so that everyone is clear on the rules.
Your normal move speed is listed in your profile. Most members of the party have a base speed of 30 feet. This means in a move action you can move 30 feet. You can do two move action in a round, instead of a standard action and a move action. This will allow you to move 60 feet. Depending on your armor and load,you can do a run as a full round action which will allow you to run X4 your base speed or 120 feet. However, if you run you loose your DEX bonus to AC.
If you have the run feat you keep your DEX bonus and move at X5 your speed, depending on your armor and load.
Surin's base speed is 20 feet. So a double move is 40' and a run is 80' and loose the DEX bonus to AC.
Harp is about 1,320 feet away. Fal is almost half way there since he started running as soon as his sleep spell went off. He actually had further to go but he has had all the time it took the party to get into the camp and the time it took to get to the shack and the time it took to get the boards off to move. It took Surin 6 rounds to get to the shack, 3 rounds to remove the boards and at least a round or two to get people in the camp.
Any questions let me know.
From: Jason
Subject The escape
Cai sees Surin emerge from behind the shack with a young woman in tow, motioning that everyone should leave quickly. She quickly climbs down from the tower and runs to the woods, where she turns to face the gate with an arrow nocked. She decides she will keep the gate in sight until everyone has emerged, and be ready to shoot anything green that comes into sight.
Once everyone is out, she will keep pace with Surin (or whoever is slowest) as she (and Bel) are best prepared to take out any one goblin or small group that might respond quickly without having to close with them. (Unless Ran indicates otherwise.)
She smiles at the thought of the half-orc possibly driving the goblins towards them, giving her plenty of opportunities to convince them of their folly.
From: Kevin
Subject Speed
Mark, even at worse, the whole group should be able to "run" out of the camp in 2 turns or less if they need to, right? They will not be trying to be silent or anything, but if they need to turn and go if they hear anything, they are not a long distance from the gate. Even at worse, Surin was 80' or so from the gate, and he has moved slightly back that way, right?
From: Mark
Subject Speed
Probably yes. I just wanted every one to have the information in case a chase starts.
From: Rob
Subject The escape
Since Bel has Shield running, he will withdraw stragically, shooing at the goblins as he withdraws...unless he can get a shot off at the half-orc, which he will do if he can.
For the first round, if he can get a shot at the leader, he will stop, shoot twice, and then withdraw.
After the first round, he will take one shot then move.
From: Mark
Subject Spells
Ok so you had shield running before you went in?
I just need to know so I can keep track of time. The spell only lasts for two mintues and it has been about 1 minute since your group entered the compound. Of course as a sorcerer you can cast shield several times today.
From: Mark
Subject info
Ok here is what the characters know.
Rochelle is free but a goblin has been killed. The sound of the two bows was quite clear. The gate is open and there is a clear path out of the camp. The alarm has not been raised yet, but most every one in the party figures it is just a matter of time.
As I said before, Harp is 1/4 mile away, due east. No one in the party knows exactly where, but they figure that between the birds and Harp looking for them they will be able to find him with minimal effort.
Surin is the slowest member of the 7 people in the camp, the six party members and Rochelle.
If there are any othe questions let me know.
From: Mark
Subject Map
I just rechecked my map and Surin, Kal and Rochelle are 60 feet from the gate, right next to the shack. Salix is about 30 feet from the gate and Ran is about 15 feet from the gate.
I have attached a map.
From: Mark
Subject Out of the camp and on the run
As Bel sees Rochelle exit from the tent he figures that this is the best time to cast his shield spell on himself and speaks the words he knows. A shimmering shield of force shows up at his side.
The thrum of the bow strings resonates in Surin's ears. ?Well that's done it.? he thinks to himself. Speed was their only real ally at this time. A good sneak knew when it was time to cut and run, and the time was now. Grabbing Rochelle's hand he pulls her behind him as he makes a bee-line for the gate, motioning the others to move as he does. Rochelle quickly gets the idea and starts running for her life. She quickly out paces the halfling.
As Surin starts his dash to the gate, Kal follows behind, bringing up the rear. Salix is already heading towards the gate, starting to prepare his mind to ask Obad-Hai for his blessing. All four pass Ran and he starts back peddling, keeping an eye on the camp. Off to the right he sees a form poke it's head out of a tent. He swings his crossbow around and lets a bolt fly almost before he has a chance to see much of his target. (AC11, 15+8=23, Hit, damage 2) The bolt drives home and Ran sees that it was a female he had shot at. The creature lets out a scream of pain and falls to the ground. Ran keeps backing towards the gate.
Salix, running at full speed easily makes it through the gate, followed by Surin, Kal and Rochelle. She stops for a second and looks questioningly at the halfling. He runs by her at full speed saying ?East. We have friends due east, with horses.? She nods and starts off in that direction. Ran figures that it is time to make the escape and clips his crossbow to his waist and starts a hustle through the gate. As he goes through he hears two more bow shots as Bel and Cai both take shots at goblins coming out of tents. (AC13, Bel 10+7=17, hit, Cai 3+7=10, miss, Damage 5) Cai's arrow flies wide this time but Bel's slams a goblin off it feet and nails it to the compound wall. Both rangers slide down the ladders and move out of the gate, each one pulling their half close behind them.
As Cai and Bel shut the gate Salix says ?Go protect the others, I will be with you in a second. He then touches the symbol on his armor and chants the prayer to Obad-Hai. At his his touch the logs of the gate warp out of shape, jamming the door. With a grin Salix turns to catch up with the group. He quickly catches up with them since most of them are not running at full speed. The party continues on this way for about 30 seconds. They are about 400 feet from the camp when they hear a huge roar and yelling. The rangers understand the language. It is goblin. Bel turns to the party as they jog along and says ?The big guy is up and he does not sound happy. He wants to know what is going on. The goblins are shouting that ghosts have killed the guards and escaped through the gate.?
The party continues on its way, all of them hustling except for Surin, who is running his legs off. ?Go on, leave me, I will catch up!? he yells at them, but the rest of the party ignores him. All of a sudden there is another yell and Cai puffs out ?He knows Rochelle is missing. Our time just ran out.? As they are moving each of the rearguard keeps glancing back trying to see what is happening at the camp. They have been running for almost a minute when they see a large form appear at the top of the wall and jump down. The brute starts heading in their direction. They are just a little over half way to where Harp should be.
OODM: Any instructions?
From: Jason
Subject on the run
Cai figures that so far so good, but she wonders how fast the half-orc can run. She decides that she'll stay rear-guard, since she is having no trouble at this pace. She does note that Surin is having a bit of trouble keeping up. Halflings just weren't made for this sort of thing, she decides. (Assuming that at the moderate speed they are traveling short conversations are still possible,) she says "If the half-orc begins to catch us, perhaps Surin should break off and go his own way. The brute will almost certainly follow Rochelle, and Surin stands a better chance hiding on his own. I can come back with a horse after we get Rochelle on her way."
On the run
Subject On the run
As we run, I'll reposition myself behind Rochelle. I'll keep pace with Salix and let him lead us out.
From: Josh
Subject on the run
Kal quickly speaks "We should retreat to an area where we can surround him. Any open area will do. I think all of us can take on one half-orc without too much trouble."
When we find the open area, Kal will have Rochelle(or anyone else) spread his caltrops in the most likely spot the half-orc would approach from. Meanwhile he'll cast alarm in the area so we know when the half-orc is near. When the half-orc gets within range, Kal will cast Magic Missle. If there is no one else stepping in for close melee with the Half-Orc, Kal will, otherwise he'll hang back in order to cast scorching ray.
From: Rob
Subject On the run
I was wondering...how far of a lead do we have from the boss at this point? In Bel's assesment, would he have time to plant and fire two arrows at the boss, and then run away without falling too far behind the others.. in other words, would the boss be able to catch up if he did so?
If Bel thinks he can take two shots at the boss and still stay ahead of the half-orc, he will...if not then he will fire one...once again if he thinks he can safely.
If not he runs ahead to Harp at full speed, ahead of the others, and helps Harp ready the horses.
From: Karl
Subject On the run
Well that's certainly exciting. I'd love to actually see the film of that scene that was playing in my mind as I read it.
From: Kevin
Subject On the run
OOC: Mark, I think some response to when we wer exiting the camp got mixed in with action after we left the camp. Here is how I see things right now.
The group, at least roughly, is about 600-700 feet east of the camp, most of them hustling, Surin running his little legs off. The 1/2 orc boss just vaulted the wall of the camp and has just started running toward us. We still have another 600-700 feet to get to where the horses are.
Right?
Guys, when and if Mark confirms this, Surin will have a suggestion to help give us some space.
From: Mark
Subject On the run
At this point the party is approximatly 720 feet from the camp where the 1/2 orc just landed outside of the gate. Bel would have time to plant and take a full round action to shoot twice. However, I am going to send out an e-mail with some info on ranges. Then you can make your decision.
From: Mark
Subject On the run.
Correct. The party is 720 feet to the east of the camp. The have been running/hustling for 9 rounds. The 1/2 orc just jumped down from the watch tower and is starting to move your way.
From: Mark
Subject Ranges
Ok a small primer on ranges.
All missile weapons have range increments. Bows and crossbows can shoot up to a max of 10 X the range increment. For a normal longbow with a range increment of 100 feet that means that they can shoot up to 1000 feet. For every 100 feet past the first the get a cumulative -2 to hit, so at the max range they are -20 to hit.
The same basic math applies to all ranged weapons. Light crossbows with an increment of 80 can shoot up to 800 feet, but at -20.
Both Cai and Bel have the Far shot feat which means that their range increments are 50% longer than the standard for their weapon.
Bel uses the standard long bow but with his feat his range increment is 150 feet. He can fire upto 1500 feet at -20. Cai has an even longer range since she has a composite longbow.
Hand propelled missile weapons, such as thrown daggers, axes and slings, only get 5 range increments.
The half orc is just at 5 range increments for Cai, so she would be at -10 to hit. The same applies for Bel. He is at 9 increments for Ran with his crossbow, so he would be -18.
My assumption is that any one who is trained in a missile weapon would know all about the ranges they can reach and how such ranges affect their chances to hit. The characters would not know the specific numbers, but they would know that at over 700 feet their chance to hit is reduced dramatically.
From: Kevin
Subject On the run
Surin will keep running as fast as he can but trying to stay close to Salix. When and if he hears something from one of the others that the 1/2 orc is following them, he will say to Salix, panting as he does so "Salix, d'ya think Obad-Hai might heed a hasty request to help slow that beast down? He don't seem none to happy with us and I'm guessin' that he might want his "property" back. If you could bring these here plants alive and have them hold him, like ye did back with them orcs, I would be mighty appreciative"
From: Derrell
Subject Spell
Fal can use his Grease spell to slow up the pursuer.
OOC: Can the spell be cast while moving, or would i have to stop?
From: Mark
Subject spell
You can, but do you.
You would have to stop to cast. The range is 35 feet.
From: Karl
Subject Spell
Salix, still running, roles his eyes. Why does everyone think me a tool to be used as they best see fit, he thinks to himself. Have I not proven that I know my own abilities and can decide how best to serve the group without being told each step I should take? "There are many manifestations of the powers of Obad-Hai, my friend," he says in response. "I'm sure we'll see more than one this evening."
From: Mark
Subject On the run
This is the start of round 10. Initiative(Surin 24, Fal 20, Bel 18, Ran 16, ? Orc 16, Harp 16, Cai 13, Kal 12, Rochelle 11, Salix 4). I am going to be doing several rounds in a row. As the pursuit progresses I will stop and let players decide what to do.
Surin continues to run towards the east. As he runs he sees the shadowy form of Ebon swoop down and veer a little to the left. ?The hawk my Lady. Follow the hawk, he knows the way to the horses.? Rochelle looks at the halfling but nods and adjusts her course.
Fal huffs as he runs. All of a sudden Lenore appears in front of him and swoops a bit to the left. Fal, trusting his familiar, changes course to follow the bird. Up ahead he can see a group of horses.
?I am going to go ahead and help Harp get the horses ready? Bel says to Ran. At Ran's nod he heads off at full speed.
Ran thinks about what Bel said and yells over to Cai and Salix. ?You two should go ahead with Rochelle and Bel and get the horses ready. Kal and I will stay with Surin.? As Ran hustles along he is able to get another bold loaded into his crossbow.
The ? orc runs with amazing speed. He seems to fly over the ground, covering what looks like twice the distance the party did in the same amount of time.
Harp sees Fal only a couple of hundred feet away and the rest of the party about half way to where he is. He starts to get the horses ready. His crossbow is loaded at his side.
At Ran's command Cai, Salix and Rochelle dash forward at full speed.
Kal stays with Surin and Ran.
Round 11
Surin continues running his little legs into the ground.
Fal sees Harp in the moonlight getting the horses ready. He shouts ?They should be right behind me if everything went well.?
Bel, Cai, Salix and Rochelle continue following Ebon towards where the horses are, running at full speed.
Ran and Kal keep up with Surin, silently wishing the little halfling could run just a little faster. As they are moving they keep looking over their shoulders, watching the progress of the ? orc.
The ? orc continues speeding towards the party. In the moonlight they can see some type of weapon in his hand. It looks small in his grasp, until they realize that the brute is close to 7? tall. Ran mutters under his breath ?Look how fast he moves.?
Harp hears Fal's shouts and continues untying the horses from the tree they were hitched to.
Round 12
Taking a quick glance back over his shoulder, Surin sees that the ? orc has made considerable progress to where the horses are. He hopes they can make it there before the brute catches them.
Fal runs up to where Harp. Harp says ?Here you get the horses loose. I am going to see if I can slow that brute down some.? With that Harp steps away from the tree a bit and pulls up his crossbow.
Bel, Cai, Salix and Rochelle keep running towards the horses. They can see Fal already there and Harp standing with his crossbow aimed almost at a 45 degree angle. As the run Salix tells Rochelle ?My Lady, when we get to the horses, you need to ride. We will join you if we can, but you must get away. Head east until you get to Camlost. You can probably find help there.?
Kal and Ran keep pace with Surin. Ran watches as the ? orc seems to speed along, gaining quickly. ?Damn, I hope we get there in time.? He is trying to figure out if they will make it, and if not what type of defense they can set up.
The ? orc makes more progress towards the party. They hear shouting from the brute. ?Bring back my prize. Dargrak will chop you all to little pieces. You tell god-man that he not take girl without pay.?
Harp sites down his crossbow and lets fly. He watches as his bolt sails over the head's of his friends and fall about 10 yards short of the ? orc. He curses himself for forgetting how far he could shoot and loads another bolt.
Round 13
Surin turns back to watch where he is going. Luckily the night is bright and the plain is fairly smooth. Not much place to hide out here he thinks.
Fal has most of the horses untied and just loosely tethered to the tree. A quick pull on the reins and a person could mount. He looks at the party running towards him and at how fast the ? orc is gaining. He decides to follow Harp's lead and shoot at the brute. He grabs at the crossbow at his side and starts to raise it and pulls the trigger as he does. The bolt smashes into the ground at his feet.(AC11, 2-13= -11, miss). Cursing his clumsiness he reloads.
Bel, Cai, Salix and Rochelle continue their run. Bel puffs out ?We will be there in a few seconds.?
Ran and Kal continue shadowing Surin. They both are keeping an eye on the ? orc, noting it progress towards them.
Harp takes aim again and lets another bolt fly.(AC11, 1-13 = -12, miss) His bolt flies over the head of Dargrak. He quickly reloads.
Round 14
Surin sees Harp up ahead and hope burns in his chest. At least if they get caught the brute will be out numbered.
Fal gets off a shot this time. However the range does him and and the bolt fall's short. (AC11, 12-9=3, miss) He grabs another bolt from his belt quiver and reloads.
Bel, Cai,Salix and Rochelle run up to where the horses are. ?Salix, would you please get the Lady mounted and on her way. Cai and I will do what we can to slow this Dargrak.? With that both rangers turn and prepare to shoot at the ? orc.
Ran sees Rochelle and the rangers reach the horses and breaths a little sigh of relief. At least she should be able to get away. Now he would need to make sure of it.
Kal keeps pace with Ran and Surin, thinking what magic he knew that could aid them
Dargrak keeps running. He seems to fly over the plain. The large two headed axe is clearly visible in his hand..
Harp sights again and takes another shot. Again the range causes problems and the bolt falls short.(AC11,11-9=2, miss) He reloads again.
Round 15
Surin can see the horses just ahead. He keeps moving as fast as he can.
Fal takes another shot, and this shot comes close to hitting but seems to bounce off the brute as well.(AC11, 11-1=10, miss) Fal reloads, murmuring to himself, ?Just a little closer and I'll show you a real missile.?
Bel takes aim, trying to adjust for the range. He releases two quick shots. The first strikes home.(AC11, 20+1=21,hit, critical threat, Critical threat roll, 18+1=19, critical hit. Damage 12) The arrow passes through the arm of the brute, but he hardly slows down. The second arrow seems to bounce of his chest, doing no damage.(AC11, 9+1=10,miss)
Ran sees the four party members shooting behind him and hopes a few of them connect. Maybe he will slow down once he has a few arrows in him.
Dargrak howls in rage at the arrow hit and continues running after the party, shouting obscenities and curses as he goes.
Harp lets go with another bolt.(AC9, 12-1=11, hit, damage 2) The bolt flies by the brute, barely grazing him. Grinning that he finally hit something, Harp reloads
Cai also makes two quick shots. The first goes wide(AC9, 1+1=2, miss) but the second hits(AC9, 10+1=11, hit, damage 4) The arrow put a small cut on the arm of the ? orc but does no serious damage.
Kal keeps up with Ran and Surin, trying to decide which spell to use first.
Salix starts to help Rochelle mount the horse that is closest to her. ?I know how to ride, help your companions.? With that she swings herself into the saddle.
Salix grins at the feisty girl and turns to see what is happening.
OODM: Ok I think I have progressed it enough. Salix, Harp, Fal, Cai and Bel are all at the horses. Ran, Kal and Surin are about 120 feet away. The ? orc is still over 350 feet away but moving fast.
From: Josh
Subject On the run
Kal will get keep running toward everyone else, staying pace with Surin. As he's running he asks Ran: "Fight or run?"
If we're gonna fight, Kal will slow down as he reaches a good battle ground ( any wide open space where they can surround the half orc ) and quickly spread the caltrops behind him. He'll continue forward another 20 or 30 feet (whatever the area allows), draw his rapier, and prepare to cast scorching ray.
If we're running Kal will just hop on his horse and get out of there.
From: Derrell
Subject spell
If the enemy is a considerable distance behind us, I'm not going to stop and wait for him to catch up. If he gets within range of my Grease spell, I'll cast it.
From: Jason
Subject On the run
Cai admires the woman's strength of character, thinking to herself that it was good that despite her station, Rochelle had managed to learn some useful skills and take care of herself. Despite that, she wonders if it wouldn't be best if at least one member of their company were accompanying her. Shrugging off the thought and deciding to let Ran decide, she will at least have Grey follow her (assuming Grey is awake, which I'm not quite sure of actually.)
She wonders if they will stay to confront the brute, or if they will follow quickly after Rochelle. For now, she'll continue to fire as quickly as possible. If the other members of the party close with the orc, she will summon a wolf to aid them, trying to place it so that it will block the orcs path, if this is necessary, or flank it if he stops to fight.
Why halflings aren't distance runners
Subject The pursuit
Bel shouts " Ran, I think we need to get Rochelle out of here!"
He then takes aim and shoots two more arrows at Dargrak, then runs for his horse.....
If Ran agrees, then he mounts and follows Rochelle out of there...if Ran thinks it is time for a stand, then he will continue to fire arrows at Dargrak
From: Karl
Subject The pursuit
Salix will try what I emailed you yesterday, Mark, but will wait until the brute is closer.
I'm away from the computer until Sunday evening.
From: Kevin
Subject The pursuit
Surin will keep running, with the intent of getting to his pony. He realizes there will be little he can do to help fight this beast. As he sees the 1/2 orc progress so quickly, he becomes concerned that his pony might not be able to outdistance this beast.
Harp will move forward slightly, trying to get as many of the group in range. When the largest number of possible combatants are within range, he will call upon the power of Heironious to protect and support his companions (bless spell). OOC: Mark, I will focus more on those who might end up fighting the 1/2 orc. If Bel and Rochelle need to be out of range so I can include Ran, Surin and Kal, so be it. I want my movement to put me in a place where I can do that. I would normal say do a 2x move toward them, but given the initative count, if they are running toward me I might not have to (Ran is ahead of me in the initiative, Surin is ahead, Kal is behind). If I do not have to move too far, i.e they have moved toward me enough, I will take another shot at the beast. Priorities are making sure I am in range for the bless spell, then shooting at the 1/2 orc if I can.
From: Mark
Subject Turn
Since I left most of my game stuff at home today and becuase Karl is going to be away until late this weekend I am not going to do a turn today. However, if you guys want to discuss what the party is going to do go ahead. I will probably write something up on Sunday.
From: Randy
Subject Pursuit
"I do not believe this brute will stop his pursuit. We must make a stand and give Rochelle a chance to get away." Ran replies to Kal.
Looking ahead Ran calls out "Surin, get on your pony and follow the Lady, Bel, go on with Rochelle and Surin. We will catch up when we can."
Ran will make sure to stop with enough time to draw his sword to engage Dargrak in battle.