Expedition: Baxtaw - Seeking Scatha's Lair - 23 July 2021

[Jernau35]

Piers is most in favour of a return to Gaul. 'I believe that that would be the obvious place to fairly divide up our prize, without, as Lug says, the dwarves claiming everything the moment it comes out of the sack."

"I do feel a little guilty for the death of Dorbeck, though it was not directly my fault. Perhaps we could set a separate share aside as compensation for his brave sacrifice. And of course, I shall return this fine trophy to them". Piers looks, a little sadly, at the Smithing Hammer of Balthnoc.


EDit: Piers hands out 4 rations and eats one himself. 5 deducted.

[Zhym]

Relevant to our plans: are the armorers in Gaul capable of turning dragon hide into armor, or is that a job for dwarves?

[Rusty Tincanne]

I was under the impression that Bremen had not submitted himself to Archduke, swearing fealty as a lesser lord. I was laying things out with him being an independent sovereign with his own appointment by Divine Right.

Is that incorrect?

See my private thread for an answer to that. It was a long response and would only clog this thread up.

[Zhym]

Now you've got me curious.

[Rusty Tincanne]

It's just me groveling to Marullus again.

But I didn't understand the rules! Honest!

Didn't you say that the last five times, though?

Stuff like that.

We have 1,120 lbs of treasure. Plus 9 people with 60lbs of gear each. That is 1660lbs.
Each of the nine party members can carry 40lbs and move at 120'. That is 1660-360 = 800lbs for the horses.
Each warhorse can move 120' with 400lbs. 800/400 = 2 horses

That leaves six men mounted for patrolling and fighting. The rest of us could walk, all of us at 120'.

Also, rations were deducted from Stantz, Clauson and Bremen. Each have 5 days rations left, so we have plenty to share between us all for a day or two.

Bremen thanks Baxtaw and Lug for supplying his men with food. It was foolish of them to leave the food outside where the goblins could steal it, but two days without eating will have taught them each a lesson. Justice enough, I guess.

After some calculating, Bremen reveals his plan for transporting goods out of the mountain. Two of the warhorses will be loaded with about 400 pounds. Each of us will carry 40 pounds of gear, as well. That allows us and the two horses to move at the same speed. And six men remain mounted to patrol for us. We will make good time, safely. But we have a mountain to move around, then 32 miles back to Gaul. So let's not burn any more daylight.

Bremen moves down the steps to tell the men his plan. He acknowledges the stress they were under. That's a frightful tale, stone giants and dragons... And we had our own issues with goblins in the depths of the mountain. At any rate, I guess you've all learned something from the experience, and no man or horse died, so Baudh and Baudhil must have deemed us all worthy.

So let's be shut of this place for now. Get back to the Yoldessi Plains with the gold, dragon parts, and a handful of tales about fantastic beasts for all the others at the White Tower. He reassures them that he can provide more food for the trek back toward Gaul (or Idmi D'dum), and explains that they will need to take turns patrolling on the way back, as two horses are needed to carry treasure so they can make the best time possible. Can't be helped, I'm afraid.

[Dram]

Baxtaw- I say we stop in Gaul resupply our rations then we can head to Bremen's keep. There we can divvy up our shares of the treasure there. If Dorbek has a family they shall receive his share if that is agreeable with all of you. If he does not possibly Bremen will let us build a statue of him along side his Dragon. Then turns to Bremen. We shall proceed back to the plains as you instructed. Have your scouts look for dragon and dwarf. I would like to have at least warning they are near.

[Rusty Tincanne]

After some clarifying discussion with Marullus, I realize I misunderstood the situation with Bremen. (Poor Bremen.)

Bremen gives a little cough and a rare, nervous look. Sure. Let's get to Gaul then. But as much as I would like to return to the White Tower, I believe we need to go to Idmi D'dum before heading to the White Tower, as they are the only craftspeople capable of making good armor from this hide. And they will likely take issue if we with hold the information about Dorbeck. He looks to Baxtaw, then the rest. I am willing to deliver that information alone, if you all would prefer to not deal with that. I will, of course, give sure credit too each of you when I received that the mountain is dragon-free. Well, Scatha-free, at any rate.

[Zhym]

"Hey, I'm all for visiting the dwarves," says Lug, "especially if they're the ones who can turn this dragon skin into armor. I just don't want the dwarves claiming all this stuff before we even get a chance to count it."

"Off to Gaul!"

[Rusty Tincanne]

A bit of retconning, but could Clauson please have tended to the Lord Commander and Stantz prior to sleeping the night? Piers might have tended to others, too.

Resuming his command, Bremen passes out 2 days rations to each of his men, and one each to Baxtaw and Lug (bringing them to two, I believe). He and his men use bedrolls (and whatever else they have) to package the dragon parts and load up the horses. Sacks of gold, gems and jewelry jingle joyfully on the warhorse flanks. Bremen makes sure his men have short bows and full quivers from the gallery of dead goblins beyond the portcullis. He also has his men make careful maps of the back entrance to the mines.

He gives the stairs careful consideration, wondering if the party could take the horses down them, exciting on the other side of the mines.

If it is possible, we might want one more pass through for more treasure... And it will put distance between us and the White dragon.

[Jernau35]

Piers used up all his CLWs on Crowager. He memorises new spells overnight.

I like the idea of going back through to avoid the other dragon. (We offered not to kill them if they let us go. We didn't say we wouldn't come back )But we don't have any torches do we?

And we'd really just get more bogged down here for weeks and never make it back to Gaul.

[Zhym]

I think Marullus has been pretty clear that that way is closed to us now and that we've gotten all the treasure we're going to get, unless we want to fight our way through. And maybe not even then. Getting meta for a moment: As sub-DM of this realm, I now have all the maps of the mountain. I don't see Marullus letting us back in with that being the case.

Let's just move on so that Marullus can close out this thread before Christmas.

[Marullus]

A bit of retconning, but could Clauson please have tended to the Lord Commander and Stantz prior to sleeping the night? Piers might have tended to others, too.

Bremen ordered Clauson to expend all his CLW before the goblin fight. He has none that night.

If it is possible, we might want one more pass through for more treasure... And it will put distance between us and the White dragon.

Nope. Horses and Warhorses don't do eight stories of circular staircase.

We didn't say we wouldn't come back )

Actually, you did.

[Marullus]

Waking in the morning, Father Clauson heals his liege, ensuring Lord Commander Bremen is fully restored before his triumphant return to Gaul.

With four mounted outriders, Bremen and Stantz on their own horses, and two soldiers walking with treasure and dragon-vicera laden horses, the group of fifteen men hauls their bounty back to Gaul. With nobody encumbered and all emphasis on speed for the journey, they push hard to make good time (Forced March, 1.5x speed) and arrive at the South Gates of Gaul by twilight that night. Securing rooms at the tavern, the group gathers in the stables to address their spoils....

Expedition and Loot summaries pending.

Date: 9:00pm, 28 July 2021
Light: Twilight
Effects: None
Injuries: Baxtaw (minorly wounded), Clouson (minor wound), Lug (minor wound), Stantz (minor wound)

Clauson CLW [1d6+1] = 6+1 = 7[1d6+1] = 1+1 = 2[1d6+1] = 2+1 = 3[1d6+1] = 2+1 = 3

[Marullus]

Expedition Summary:
Encounter: For those about to Roc...
Encounter: Wolf Pack welcome
Location: The Trapped Stairway
Encounter: The Upper Goblin Warband's Barricade
Encounter: The Upper Goblin Warband's Barricade - Second Attempt
Encounter: Spider Silks in the Clothing Racks
Encounter: Goblins Investigate the Spider Commotion
Encounter: Goblin Reinforcements by the Clothing-rack Fire
Location: The Portcullis Trap (Death of Dorbeck)
Encounter: Goblin Portcullis Ambush
Encounter: The Battle of Scatha
Encounter: Goblins trigger the traps themselves
Encounter: The goblin after-party, with ballistae!

Sub-total: 34,865
5 PCs, 4 NPCs

Baxtaw, Lug, Piers, Osuna, Bremen (each): 59,448 character xp / 4,981 item xp

Rowine, Crowgar, Stantz, Clouson (each): 29,724 character xp / 2,490 item xp



Gathering in the barn, Clauson casts Detect Magic to confirm what items are magical for the group....

TREASURE:

21 cp from cocooned goblin corpses
55 ep from dead goblins
49 ep from dead goblins
** dwarven hand axe (from goblin leader) [+1, 4001xp]

Dragonhide: Dwarves will trade for all the heirloom jewelry, or 10,000gp each..
They provide:
** Suit of red dragon plate (AC 1, +3 save v fire)
** Suit of red dragon plate (AC 1, +3 save v fire)
** Suit of red dragon leather (AC 3, +3 save v fire)
** Suit of red dragon leather (AC 3, +3 save v fire)

Dragon Innards (value as platinum)
200lbs = 20,000gp (Merchants offer 25% now, rest in three months)

80 jewelry (21 top-tier, in display cases. 69 scattered on floor; none less than 100gp)
- 21 heirloom items, 2000gp each from dwarves = 42,000gp (Dwarves offer 40% now, rest in three months)
- 69 normal jewelry, object d'art 500 each = 34,500gp (Merchants offer 25% now, rest in three months)

90 gems (40 diamonds (1000gp), 25 rubies (750gp), 25 emeralds (500gp)) (total 71,250gp)

9 sacks (600gp each) of gold coins (total 5,400gp)

**Scrolls of Selduffin:
- Ward vs Undead
- Ward vs Undead
- Dwarven Clerical scroll: (Level 7: Holy Word)

** The Beer of Guldarim: A gold-stoppered jug of polished stone, smells like strong beer
** Smithing Hammer of Balthnoc

**human-sized black silk robes
**A 16 inch wand of basilisk bone

** 40lb Marble cylinder with dwarf runes

[Zhym]

Baxtaw, Lug, Piers, Osuna, Bremen (each): 59,448 character xp / 4,981 item xp

Almost 60,000 XP . . . each?

[Rusty Tincanne]

woot!

[Marullus]

Treasure = XP... you got a stupid amount of treasure.

[Zhym]

I'll post a proposed treasure split soon. In the meantime, we're all rich, rich, fabulously rich. So I'd suggest giving the heirlooms to the dwarves either for the extra armor or for the goodwill. Or we could split the heirlooms as loot and let each person decide, as I originally suggested. But with as much money as we have, Lug is feeling generous.

Should I cut in a share for Dorbeck's heirs?

Do Rowine, Crowgar, Stantz, and Clouson get half shares of treasure? I mean, obviously they get shares of treasure, but I don't know if any are supposed to get full shares.

Edit: Clouson, as an NPC cleric of Baudh, demands a full share. Rowaine, Crowgar, Stantz, and Dorbeck's estate would get half shares, I think. Which is still going to be a lot.

[Marullus]

I modified the armor. I can only justify four suits from a single hide.

[Zhym]

Seems sensible.

BTW, would Clauson rather have gold than gems? What do the NPCs think of gold in 3 months vs. gold today?