Fantasy A Tide of Flames: a d20 Dungeons & Dragons adventure

IC: Celbrandir Silverwind

"I can think of nothing to tell the others that are one their way other then to hurry. See if you can give the babe to the innkeeper and have hime raise the alarm in the event that their are more of the goblin filth nearby. And I agree on those of us here save for you waiting on the others while you drop off the babe."

Tag: Advance group
-----------
Iniative: 17+4=21

 

IC: Corrath Marktos

The Moors on the path to the farm

Ariel shook her head, saying she had not found any other survivors. At Corrath's other statement, she shrugged her shoulders. "Ah...I would not suggest it. They will probably be on alert..if not moving already. And these are different. Well armed. I have the wound to prove it." Ariel flapped her wings; now Corrath could see the blood staining her thigh and back. "I will go fly and tell the others. Then head for the Inn. I cant fight holding her, and I am the fastest. I suggest you get off the road..and wait to see if anything else shows up, until the others catch up, or head back towards them."

Corrath couldn't resist a challenging grin. "I won't be seen."

"You wish me to tell the others anything else?" she asked before she took off flying.

"I can think of nothing to tell the others that are on their way other then to hurry," said the other elf. "See if you can give the babe to the innkeeper and have him raise the alarm in the event that their are more of the goblin filth nearby. And I agree on those of us here save for you waiting on the others while you drop off the babe."

Corrath nodded. Except for one thing - "I'm going ahead to take a look," she decided. The goblins on alert would just add to the challenge, and if she found anything of value ... well. "When the rest of you catch up, I'll find you," she added. Confidently, the half-elf rogue shouldered her pack and disappeared into the moors, heading to the farm.

TAG: DM, Ktala, Mitthy, Yuul


Assume a walking pace (or hustle, if I can do that quietly enough - does DnD penalize sneaking when moving faster?) and the Hide/Move Silently checks in my earlier post if needed. I guess.

 

Zanaek Grahorn

The Moor, on the path to farm

As the elves spoke amongst themselves as to what they were doing, the cleric stepped around to have a look at Ariel's injuries. Seeing that they were only minor and were not going to affect her ability to fly or fight he promised her before she left; "I can fix these up when you rejoin us if you believe they are hindering you, otherwise simple bandages will work sufficiently."

Once she was gone, he turned to the others and unstrapped his crossbow from his back and loaded it. "I suggest we ready ourselves now, elsewise we may not find the time to do so later in battle."

TAG: Ktala, Xan, Yuul, Saint

Initiative: 1d20+3 = 10

I'm so going last! Lol

 

Ariel
Back to the skies

"I can think of nothing to tell the others that are one their way other then to hurry. See if you can give the babe to the innkeeper and have hime raise the alarm in the event that their are more of the goblin filth nearby. And I agree on those of us here save for you waiting on the others while you drop off the babe."

Ariel nodded and wrapped the child once more within her cloak. Once she was sure no one had anything else to say, with a huge sweep of her wings, took to the skies once more, cuddling the babe close to her chest.

She flew as fast as possible, to catch up with the non-elven party. She could ask the Cleric to take a look at her wound, and put a bandage to it. She had a feeling she would be doing alot of flying this night. Ariel softly patted the child as she flew, looking for the others. Once she saw them, she would land immediately.


Tag: Other half of group

 

IC: Celbrandir Silverwind

As Ariel took to the skies once more and one of them went, perhaps foolishly, ahead to scout out the farm alone Celbrandir, agreeing with Zanaek, readied his own shortbow and made sure his spell componets were within easy reach.

He looked over to Zanaek as he did so, "The goblins have done horrible things this night, but if all goes well then they will pay for it in their own blood."

Tag: advance group

 

Skadi

Skadi was moving up the road with the rest of the adventurers from the inn when she looked up and saw the winged elf from earlier. It looked like she was in pain, and as the cleric looked closer she could see that she was carrying a bundle.

"Down here!" she called, waving to catch the elf's attention.

[TAG Ktala, the second half of the party]

OOC: I am right- she can see Ariel?

 

Ariel Elandinai
On the Moors, on the road to the Inn, Second half of the party

Holding the baby close once more, and thanking the Cleric who quickly put a bandange to her wounds, Ariel was flying once more, this time looking for the rest of the party. She knew speed and time was important, so she wasted no time. Very quickly she saw the other half of the party.

"Wait!" she called out quickly, as she made her way down quickly towards them. Once she landed she folded her wings, tucking them close to her body.

"It was a trap. It is not just a fire. Goblins set fire to the farmers barn." Ariel quickly explained. "I saw one body outside. Im guessing it was the farmers. I coudlnt check the house, and I found this..." Ariel opened up her cloak to show the child she was carrying. Ariel gently patted the child as she continued. She quickly explained the layout of the farm and its buildings. "I saw only six goblins. It might be more."

"The others are waiting for you to catch up. These goblin are unusual ... they are well armed and seemed trained. I'm heading back towards the Inn, to see if I can find someone to take the child. I cant fight holding her. I will drop her off, warn the people there, and hurry back as fast as I can."

Ariel tucked the child closely in her cloak once more, as she prepared to take off. "Is there anything else you wish me to do?" She asked them, as she flapped her wings gently. Airel took off her wineflask, and took a long drink of the cool water inside. She then held the wineskin up to the child, trying to see if she was thirsty.




TAG:Livi-Wan, others in second group

OOC: Even if you cant..SHE can see you!! Not like anyone is trying to hide.

 

Skadi

Skadi nodded as the elf quickly outlined the situation. So goblins were responsible for this. The cleric had been hoping that the fire was simply an unhappy accident. Quickly, her mind ran through the variables; the child meant family, and family meant that the group couldn't count on the body being the only one in danger, and fire spread fast. Clearly, the situation called for quick action.

"You have done all that can be asked." she assured the elf. "Make sure the child gets to the inn and then rejoin us, if you feel that you can. We will need to see that these goblins are brought to justice."

The cleric turned to the other members of the group.

"Time is of the essence here. We must get moving!"

[TAG Ktala, all]

 

DM OOG: Hi guys -- RL is interfering right at this moment, so I'll be next updating in the next 24 hours or so. Apologies.

 

DM OOG: Oh my God working with Dundjinni has been a task equivalent to cleansing the Augean stables. Not to mention difficult to run on Vista after multiple attempts. Still trying to work out how the Hades it works, but hopefully we'll have a map of the farm complex done soon...

Xan: Attempting to Hide while moving does penalise sneaking in that you have to move at half your normal speed and your own Spot checks take a -2. Having said that lowlight vision gives you some significant advantages in these conditions (i.e. vision as if in daylight under the moonlight.) In any event I've made the appropriate rolls.

Everyone: I have the initiative rolls thus far as follows:

DarthXan318: Corrath Marktos - 19
SephyCloneNo15: Simwar Saddlebrook - 8
Mitth: Zanaek Grahorn - 10

Livi-Wan, Yuul_Shamar, Tog, I'll need you to make initiative rolls for when things start to happen.

Ktala also advised me by PM what her proposed course was, so I've worked in with that.

Meanwhile...

Corrath Marktos

At the farm

The half-elf moved from shadow to shadow, with less than a whisper of movement in her train.

The approach on the farm went smoother than other such approaches she had made; Corrath's training was whispering to her the entire time, painstaking though it was. She didn't vary her course from the general path her companions would have had to take in any event; the fire of the barn was actually a decent cover for her movements, with the goblins' vision hopefully impeded by the presence of a bright illuminating source right in the area.

So the half-elf was actually able to steal across moonlit fields of blue and yellow flowers towards the source of the fire, and she penetrated much further than her fellows presumably would have. She finally found a spot in a convenient hollow of ground about 30 feet from the fiery tower of the barn, and took a second to get her bearings and a quick picture of the situation.

The most obvious thing was three goblins over by the farmhouse, which stood about 90 feet from her, across the cleared patch of ground and right across from the body of the human male in the rough centre of the cleared patch. Ariel had said she hadn't seen this form moving, and similarly the body was still splayed out on the cleared ground. The goblins, by contrast, were: they seemed to be moving in and out of the farmhouse, tossing things onto the ground, hanging onto some items, looking at others. They weren't nonchalant about it, though: every so often they'd throw a glance around them.

Corrath also saw the rest of the complex largely as Ariel had described it, briefly: a grazing field to the north, tallgrasses and grains to the south of the square, with a line of trees straggling from the south side of the farmhouse in the direction of the grain field. The hip-height wheat swayed suddenly in an unseen breeze, glinting silver in the moonlight.

TAG: DarthXan318


Simwar Saddlebrook, Zanaek Grahorn, Skadi, Radok Keghammer, Celbrandir Silverwind

A short distance from the farmhouse

Corrath had been gone several minutes, and whilst the remainder of her advance group stayed anxiously waiting for ... something, it did have one effect: the remainder of the group, being the dwarf and the cleric of Tyr, finally came jogging up over the moor and reunited the small band together once more.

It was time for plans to be formed, perhaps.

TAG: Everyone except Ktala and DarthXan318


Ariel Elandinai

Alqidar's Crossing

Ariel's flight over the moors was brief, and powered by a rising anger derived mainly from the tears of the child she held to her chest.

She was fortunate enough to spot the barkeep from the Dragon's Horn moving from house to house attempting to wake the folk of the hamlet. He'd had some success; about five or ten people were moving around in various states of undress, still in a state of confusion.

The landing of an armed Avariel in the middle of the street, wings

 

OOC: I rolled initiative at the very last post on the previous page.

 

IC: Simwar Saddlebrook
Near the farm

"So, there are Goblins, possibly causing further problems for the poor, trapped farmers," Simwar began, trying his best to sound altruistic, "Why are we not disemboweling the miserable little creatures?" He realized the irony, that he was smaller by every measurement than most full-grown goblins, but the point got across. After all, the sooner they handled the farm, whose owners would happily pay them -even if it was via an unofficial change to their wills and reappropriation of their salvageable possesions...- the pittances they had, the sooner they could move on to more lucrative adventures...

Tag: Everyone

 

Ariel Elandinai
Alqidar's Crossing

Ariel's flight over the moors was brief, but thankfully the child was pretty calm, considering. She was fortunate, in that she did indeed spot the barkeep from the Dragon's Horn moving from house to house attempting to wake the folk of the hamlet. He'd had some success; about five or ten people were moving around in various states of undress, still in a state of confusion.

As she landed, she suddenly found herself surrounded by the villagers, asking question. But they drew silent as she opened her cloak, and drew the child she had been carrying.

After she asked a few question, she found out that the the farmer Vitrus Mossgarde did have a sister in the village, who came forward moments later to take the baby from Ariel's hands with trembling hands. The child cooed calmly now. Ariel, for that was glad. The babe had been through enough this night.

Then the barkeep asked Ariel about what had happened. Ariel hesitated, but was interrupted by a grim-looking man who had the skin cast of a Tethyrian by origin. The man asked if Ariel knew anything of what had happened to Vitrus's wife and fourteen-year-old son, who were also living on the farm. It grew quiet around her.

Ariel sadly shook her head as she faced him. "I had flown over the farm, and I saw the goblins taking the child away, so I took the child from them. It looks as if they might have created the fire to draw the farmer out, for he lay still."

Ariel flapped her wings softly. "I saw no others, so hopefully, that means that the mother and son are safetly hidden. My group should be there now, and I will be returning to join them." Ariel knew that these people lived a hard life, but she felt as if she should not hide the truth from them. If there was danger, then they needed to be prepeared for it.

Ariel gave bow. "If they are there, then we will find them, one way or another." Ariel looked at the man who spoke. "Do you know if they had a storm shelter, or perhaps underground storage?"

Ariel waited until she received an response. The more she could learn the better. If there were more survivors, they needed to hurry. Once that was done, she would take to the skies once more, making her way back to her companions as quickly as possible.


TAG: GM

 

OOC: Hate to do this to you Saint, but I'll take your guys advice and go with the Mace instead of the longsword.

Zanaek Grahorn

The Moor, the path to farm

"Patients, my little friend," Zanaek said. "They may be goblins, but they can be a threat to even a small party as ours if we go in unprepared and eager for battle." The Torm cleric adjusted his steel shield on his arm. "First we need to get there. Come. We can discuss strategy along the way."

TAG: Everyone but Xan and Ktala

 

IC: Celbrandir Silverwind

"I agree we must be cautious, but we must not delay too long. The longer we wait the greater the chance they may leave to pillage other dwellings." Celbrandir looked around, the whole group save for two, Ariel who was back in town, and the one that had sneaked forward, was now gathered.

Tag

 

Yuul, I think you need to link to the roll as well.


IC: Corrath Marktos

At the farm

All else being equal, Corrath didn't like trying to sneak across open terrain. It made her feel exposed, vulnerable; she would have been much more comfortable if there were more buildings around. Still, she managed to steal across the field of flowers without being seen or heard and was now hidden in a convenient hollow not 30 feet from the burning barn.

As Ariel had described, there was a body splayed out in the middle of the square, a human male - the farmer perhaps. Three goblins were moving in and out of the farmhouse, tossing some things out, keeping others. Corrath frowned; this was a looting expedition? What could a farmer possibly own that goblins would want? And why did they burn the barn, anyway?

A grazing field lay to the left and tallgrasses and grains to the right, with a line of trees connecting it to the farmhouse on the far end. Hm. Every so often the goblins would throw a furtive glance around them, Ariel evidently having given them something to think about, but that line of trees looked promising. Perhaps - if she circled wide around the burning barn and snuck through the field, she ought to be able to use the trees as cover to get closer to the farmhouse.

Her decision made, Corrath began moving again, slower and more carefully this time since she was so close to the goblins. With any luck, their vision would be impeded by the brightly burning barn and they would miss her movements. She kept an eye out for more goblins as well: just because she could only see three didn't mean there were only three.

TAG: DM

*prays to not get killed this early in the game*

 

OOG: Sorry Yuul, but unless you're taking 10, we need you to roll where we can see it from now on. I'm sure you have your own dice and are nothing but completely trustworthy, but as a policy we need to be able to have rolls on record. So that means either use the roller or have Saintheart or myself roll for you (though if it's a completely secret roll, that's something Saintheart needs to do).

 

OOC: How do I use a roller and link it?

 

OOG: Go here, roll dice when necessary, entering your character's name and such. The roller will give you your results, along with a link. Copy link, put it in the game in your OOC comments

 

DM OOG: So here it is: your first map of the farm, courtesy of Dundjinni and MS Paint. Please try and keep the laughter to a minimum; I'm still learning how to use Dundjinni and this is a very quick and dirty version.

This is a direct link to the photo, which might be easier.

[image=http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc4/Borf_the_Dwarf/Mapatopening1.jpg]

The red dot is Corrath's original location (obviously.) The three goblins are in the three blue dots. The rectangle is where anyone from your party is going to "materialise" on the map 15 rounds from now, assuming you're all going in right this minute.

Corrath Marktos

The Mossgarde Farm

Corrath's stealth proved to be well-learned; it was a careful and shadowy movement, but she was able to get on the blind side of the burning barn and move quickly through the moonlight to the far end. Beyond the barn's northern edge, there were some barrels behind the place which seemed to have been broached -- presumably by the goblins. The ground, fortunately, was relatively open for the next 55 feet to the edge of the wheatfield.

Corrath was quite careful, and kept a wary eye on both the goblins off to the southwest of her position, who were still skulking around the entrance to the farmhouse, and kept her eyes open for other goblins as well.

Unfortunately, for her at least, she was neither perfect nor in possession of a Cloak of the Eye.

As she reached the southeastern corner of the wheat field, six javelins came whistling through the night air in her direction. Beyond the fact that none came from behind, she did not see their source. Two of the javelins pitched into the dirt. The third, though, was right on target, and thunked into Corrath's side, cracking a rib through the leather armour and sending sparks of pain blasting through her. The fourth, fifth, and sixth also were on target -- carving pieces of meat out of her right leg and left arm, though not as crucially as the third one.

It felt like Corrath was breathing fire as she desperately tried to get her bearings back...

TAG: DarthXan318


Corrath Marktos
HP: 8/19 - Seriously injured
AC: 15 (leather armour instead of studded)
Attack/Damage: -1 melee, +3 ranged
--Rapier 1d6-1 (18-20/x2+1d6)
--Shortbow 1d6-1 (20/x3+1d6)
--Dagger 1d4 (19-20/x2+1d6)
Saves: Fort - +1, Ref - +5, Will - 0
7 rounds passed: 8 more until remainder of walking party arrives)


Everyone except Corrath and Ariel

Minutes away from the farm

The group now hurried on the last way towards the farm, trying to keep as quiet as they could in spite of their speed.

TAG: All except Ktala and DarthXan318


Ariel Elandinai

Alqidar's Crossing

The villagers didn't take the news of the attack on Mossgarde's farm very well, muttering amongst themselves. But the man Ariel was talking to spoke up a few moments later: "No, Vitrus didn't have a storm shelter. Best he had was a crawlspace under the footings of his house. Maybe someone can be found there. We'll get the word out to the surrounding farms to ready themselves for goblin raiders."

TAG: Ktala

 

Ariel Elandinai
Alqidar's Crossing

The villagers didn't take the news of the attack on Mossgarde's farm very well, muttering amongst themselves. But at least they didnt panic either. That was good. Better to know the truth.

The man Ariel was talking to spoke up a few moments later: "No, Vitrus didn't have a storm shelter. Best he had was a crawlspace under the footings of his house. Maybe someone can be found there. We'll get the word out to the surrounding farms to ready themselves for goblin raiders."

Ariel nodded. "Then I go to join the others. And if the family had hidden there, I will find them."

Ariel took a few steps back, and with a flap of her wings, took to the air once more. As she did, she drew her bow. A child needed its mother. With determination, Ariel headed back to the others at best speed. She let her anger fuel her flight, eager to get back to the others, and rain down some fury upon those creatures, that had caused so much misery.

This time, she would be ready to fight.


TAG: GM, others?

 

Radok Keghammer

The dwarf ran as quiet as his heavy bulk, three axes, equipment, and half-plate would let him. "Would be easier if we would just run out and kill them..." The dwarf grumbled, anxiously waiting the coming fight against the goblins. Radok fingered his ax. "Lets get done with this, I be needin' a drink!

Tag: Gm, Others

Initiative Roll: 1d20+5 → [15,5] = (20)
Roll

 

I knew it was a bad idea to go Chaotic Neutral with low Wisdom, and then play it all the way to the hilt.


IC: Corrath Marktos

The Mossgarde Farm

It proved easy enough to skulk around the burning barn to its northern side. But now came the hard part - the fifty or so feet of clear ground until the edge of the wheat field. Offering up a silent prayer to Erevan Ilsere, Corrath took a deep breath and started across, making sure to keep a wary eye out for goblins.

Five feet... ten... she had nearly made it across when the sudden sound of ... things ... whistling through the air told her she was in trouble.

Corrath barely had time to register that the two items that had thudded into the dirt inches from her were javelins when a third slammed into her side, cracking a rib through her leathers and knocking the breath out of her. The half elf gasped and doubled over - and then three more slammed into her, carving chunks of meat out of her left arm and right leg.

Oh, she was definitely in trouble. It felt like she was breathing fire -

No time for that. She had to get under cover now - out here in the open she was a sitting duck, as the goblins had already proven. No way she could fight back or run back to the barn - even if she didn't have a leg injury, a burning building was incredibly bad cover anyway - which left her with only one option, lousy as it was. Gasping for breath, her right leg barely able to support her weight, Corrath took a few stumbling steps forward and tumbled into the hip-high wheat.

She could still make it out of this alive. With some luck, perhaps, or maybe even divine intervention, she could make it out alive. Corrath did her best to stay quiet, despite how pitiful she knew her cover was, despite the pain.

TAG: DM

Another Hide check? 23 - I bet there'll be penalties for trying to hide when they already know I'm there though.
If needed, Tumble = 21

 

DM OOG: DarthXan318: On the alignment issue -- character development can include a change of alignment based on events, y'know. Meanwhile...that was a righteous roll.

Ktala: even at top speed you'll reach the battle 10 rounds after the main "force" hits the battlefield, so you can make ready on that basis.


Corrath Marktos

The Mossgarde Farm

Pitiful though the cover was, concealment it offered nonetheless. But what truly saved Corrath's life was the half-elf's training in the arts of stealth that were part and parcel of her profession as rogue -- the slowing down of her breath; focusing on pain and compartmentalising it; muscle control such that even small movements were stilled.

The seconds ticked out, and even from this distance Corrath could hear something moving in the wheat. A light hss, hss, hss that was the movement of tallgrasses around a form.

There couldn't have been more than thirty feet from whatever it was to where she lay.

Then the Something spoke. Not in a loud voice, and it wasn't a language that she understood -- and it was joined by another. Guttural sounds; voices like they'd been dragged through the bottom of Silverymoon's sewer.
"Azhigg nakras?"
"Nizad."
"Kazzhiz Imizdha--"
"Nizad."

A pause. Then:
"Mazzha muerzho. Duiz jhavizza kotoka."
"Khazhit, hai. Kokella dimuzho trezha. Movzha."
"Wazhia zhimada?"
"Mizho remazha. Movzha."

More sounds: this time the wheat was hissing as if several forms were moving through it, but the sounds were fading off to the west rapidly. Except for one -- perhaps the closest. It seemed to be moving ... but not at a fast walk. No, this movement through the wheat had more of a stalking sound to it.

And it was no more than twenty feet from where she lay.

TAG: DarthXan318


Corrath Marktos
HP: 8/19 - Seriously injured
AC: 15 (leather armour instead of studded)
Attack/Damage: -1 melee, +3 ranged
--Rapier 1d6-1 (18-20/x2+1d6)
--Shortbow 1d6-1 (20/x3+1d6)
--Dagger 1d4 (19-20/x2+1d6)
Saves: Fort - +1, Ref - +5, Will - 0
14 rounds passed: 1 more until remainder of walking party arrives


DM OOG: Yes, I have sped things up by a few rounds; think of it as time stretching out for Corrath while she lies in a wheat field wondering if she's going to live or die. Which means we shortly start combat. You will all (except for Corrath and Ariel, of course) be starting in the red rectangle indicated on the map in the earlier post. I'll do an updated map once everyone's checked in -- and I'll try and put in a grid reference so people can say easily where they want to go. Which means, incidentally, that anyone who hasn't done an initiative roll yet really should -- because the order of action depends on how high your initiative is.

I'll indicate -- most GMs perhaps wouldn't -- where the goblins fall in that order once I've got everyone's roll in place.

At the moment the order of action is as follows:

Tog: Radok Keghammer - 20
DarthXan318: Corrath Marktos - 19
Ktala: Ariel Elandinai - 12 (she's not present right now, but this is where she'll be when she arrives.)
Mitth: Zanaek Grahorn - 10
SephyCloneNo15: Simwar Saddlebrook - 8

And that's the order people will have to post in to make a valid action (internal monologues for your character I can certainly accept as good roleplaying, of course!)

Saintheart's very quick guide to combat
For full details as to what you can and can't do in the course of combat, the page on combat "actions" is here.

The most basic things you can do in combat are these:
(1) Move (up to your maximum "move" distance) and attack.
(2) Move (up to x4 your "move", or x3 in heavy armour) in a straight line (and nothing else. You lose any DEX bonus to AC when you do this.)
(3) Fight defensively
(4) Just attack.
(5) Cast a spell (if you can.)

Attacks

 

OOC: You need to put a compass on your maps, Saint so we know which way is North.

Zanaek Grahorn

Edge of Farm

They really could not plan too much based on the knowledge that there were goblins and the barn was on fire. They needed to see the place for themselves and so ten or so minutes later they arrived on the edge of the farm looking inward. Ahead of them was a grazing field and the burning barn and beyond that was the farmhouse and a wheat field. Zanaek tried to spot the goblins and/or Corrath despite the darkness of the night. At least they had some better illumination other than the moonlight what with the barn burning and all.

"Our priority should be to find and evacuate survivors," the cleric informed the others. "But do not ignore the goblin threat. Should we come across them first, deal with them. We can start at the farmhouse."

The cleric glanced across the farm towards the house. "Stay in groups of two or more and do not engage the goblins alone. I only have so many healing spells so don't be a hero."

TAG: Forward Group

Spot Check: 1d20+6 = 14