Chapter 6: Into the Valley of the Caves of Chaos

[PyroArrow]

Dungeon Master:

Ok, the Adventure Party is now at the edge of the forest coming off the North Caravan Road that leads into the Cave of Chaos Valley.

Players state your actions here & what is being done about the horses & their barding & such, if you all proceed into the forest here,
which is very dense you will need to cut through it.

Also remember you will need to return to a spot after hopefully finding the Kmarties & or needing to retreat!

After that i will post the text which describes what you see when the party views the Caves of Chaos Valley for the first time!

[GreyWolfVT]

I think we might make camp here it is off the road with some woods to provide a cover of sorts. We could make a camp here and leave the horses here and hide the barding.

Mort & Kormak dismount and tie their horses off to some trees and let the horses feed.

[Nordbo]

Good idea

Lutha & Wolfram also dismount and tie their horses off to some trees and let the horses feed.

Lutha, to Tenebaum: "Is this the spot where you last saw my brother ?"

[PyroArrow]

Dungeon Master:

Fr. Tenebaum to Lutha Cee:

"Oh, No Son, it was inside the Orc cave we went into."

"We approached from the northern rim of the valley, climbed down & went right into the first nearest cave we saw, & that is the last place i saw Luna."

[Nordbo]

Lutha Cee to Tenebaum: "Thank you, father. Well, blood has nine lives...we can only hope"

Wolfram, to Father Tenebaum: "What uncle Lutha meant is 'a cat has nine lives' - although, I don't know why, as my uncle Luna is/was not technically a cat." and then starts practice throwing of axes against the nearest tree trunk, making sure that Maya sees him

[Pulpatoon]

Ewat sets about setting up camp with practiced hands, while Idonea consults with the others.

Idonea: "The brush looks pretty thick, up ahead. It'll take some work cutting through it, which might attract attention. We should make sure Ewat and the elves are on that duty as we approach closer to the Caves, as they are a little less likely to make a cacophony of themselves. Or we could follow Ewat's idea and track up the stream, instead, although I don't like the idea of everyone having wet feet before we head into the caves."

[Nordbo]

Lutha, to Idonea: "Do half-elves qualify too for that task ? This ol' sword has severed not a few pesky vines back home in the garden of Cee."

Wolfram, to Lutha: "Uncle, an ambush is a surprise attack from a concealed position on a moving or temporarily halted target. That thicket serves a foe better than it does us. Ewat's route is best; on horse, we might not even have to get our feet wet."

[GreyWolfVT]

Kormak "You all talk too much. Perhaps that is the problem stop thinking so damned hard about everything." he takes a few strong swings of his two-handed monster of a sword chopping a sapling down.

Borum the dwarf looks to Kormak "Bah it pains me to admit it but yer half-orc here might actually have a point." he thumps his warhammer against his shield "I'm doubting quite seriously that a pack of orcs from one of the furthest caves from our position is going to come ambushing us. Them dumb orcs don't even know we are coming or that there is a second group."

Mort smiles "Well it appears we have some that think all our planning and thinking is silly. Kormak hows that hangover?" he laughs a bit at Kormak. "Master dwarf I do think you might be on to something. But we have many caves here and who knows how many enemies in the area."

Borum "Oh you do have a point Mort. I can feel the evil in the area but that's why we're here this place needs a clensing. Bwahahaha!" the dwarf issues a stereotypical dwarf bellowing laugh.

[Nordbo]

Wolfram, to Kormak and Borum: "Who said anything about cave orcs ? Nope, 'the possibility of, at the least, Gnolls, Bandits, Wolf Spiders & Stirges, in the Borderlands Forest.' is what the priest said before we set off."

Lutha winces a bit at Wolfram's upstart snappiness

[GreyWolfVT]

Mort "Yes but did any of those things happen when they were in the woods or camped in a more open area?"

[Baramoor]

Seeing the party assemble to make for the forest and away from the bridge, Wexley rises and moves to recover his pack, slipping the gourd back inside as he does. Slinging the pack over his saddle's horn, he takes the leads in hand and follows the others to set about making camp and tending to the mount. The closer they get to the forest's edge, the more he looks about, trying to catch glimpse of any who may be watching.

When tying his horse to the tending line, he places his pack on the ground and his bow rests carefully at hand against it should the horse catch scent of something unpleasant.

Wexley is good setting the horses to a tending line, feeding them and if possible, proceeding on towards the caves. I would suggest we think of the wind (somethings catch scent) and also keep a scout out for sentries or watches that might expect a direct approach from the road/river....perhaps a slightly loop away from the road's direct and that of the keeps/towers? They may not expect such a direction and it would be likely less guarded.

[Nordbo]

Wolfram, to Mort, hesitating: "Ehm, well.. I wasn't there. But all these creatures are masters of concealment. We must deny them any advantage"

[PyroArrow]

Dungeon Master:

Fr. Tenebaum to Mort:

"Well actually, the Stirges attacked while we were in camp at night."

[GreyWolfVT]

Mort laughs a little "Sir I think you forget we have our own masters of concealment about the group."

Kormak "Ya I'm stealthy watch this." he tries to hide in the trees. Obviously you can see the tall half-orc.

Borum "Where did ya camp Father?"

[PyroArrow]

Dungeon Master:

Fr. Tenebaum to Borum:

"About 250 yards from the northern rim of the valley."

[GreyWolfVT]

Borum "Hmm well then ya were more in a valley than a concealed forest camp."

Mort "Yes that is what it sounds like a more open camp, did they have a fire or what exactly attracted the stirges?"

[PyroArrow]

Dungeon Master:

Fr. Tenebaum to Borum:

"We were in the forest camping, not the valley we are about to enter.

To Mort:

"Stirges are attracted to warm blooded creatures."

[GreyWolfVT]

Mort "Hmm well that is interesting.....what is a stirge exactly is it some sort of large mosquito?"

Borum "Oh sorry. I was just readin' too much in ta what you were sayin'."

Kormak comes back out of the trees and hacks at some more smaller trees.

[MonkeyWrench]

After tying up their horses as well Maya and Victor join the rest of the group. As they approach Victor can be heard, "I'm telling you! Horses are extremely ticklish, you just gotta know their soft spots!"

Maya gives him an incredulous look, "You sound like an idiot right now."

Victor, "Ah! You wound me! I speak nothing but the truths given to me from the mountain sages, you were there!"

Maya, "There were no sages, or mountains, you were hallucinating for half a day after eating those berries. You even knew what they were doing!"

Victor, "Haha! Those were good berries... you should have tried some too!"

As they rejoin the others talking about the first groups actions and where they were set up they hear the last of Morts question, Victor replies with a wide smile, "A stirge? It's like a big bug! Kind of like a mix between a mosquito and maybe some kind of bat! They usually have four wings. Nasty little creatures Haha"

[GreyWolfVT]

Mort laughs at Voctor but waits for more of the group to chime in.

Borum too waits for further interjections from the others before saying anything more.

Kormak "Hey Victor watch this." he swings his sword at a larger tree attempting to chop it down in a single swing. But it takes him a few swings. "Well that was not as cool as I was hoping for..." be says a bit upset. "Must be from the ride." he tries to come up with an excuse.
Two-Handed Sword[1d20 +1] = 7+1 = 8 Dmg[1d10 +2] = 1+2 = 3 Lrg Dmg[3d6 +2] = 14+2 = 16
Two-Handed Sword[1d20 +1] = 2+1 = 3 Dmg[1d10 +2] = 5+2 = 7 Lrg Dmg[3d6 +2] = 13+2 = 15
Two-Handed Sword[1d20 +1] = 19+1 = 20 Dmg[1d10 +2] = 2+2 = 4 Lrg Dmg[3d6 +2] = 11+2 = 13