The Unseen Servant forums

20th of Shining, 7:00 am

Wanting to get an early start, the lot of you stumble from your beds, break your fast on porridge and bacon, and ready your gear, then head for the gates of the keep. Just outside, you find the two hirelings procured by Henry waiting for you, their faces a mixture of eagerness and trepidation. Kal's tunic shows his brawny arms, and he wears a smith's hammer along with a long dagger at his belt. Kyle has a tough jerkin of horsehide, and also managed to pick up a wooden buckler from somewhere; he has a dagger and a hatchet. Both lads have smallish packs and bedrolls.

Anything last minute before you set out? Same course as before to the Caves, same plan for animals?

Old Sham Haddock is willing to take the lead with Cormac. He carries a broadsword at this belt, and is wearing a worn-looking suit of chainmail. He leads his donkey past the boys, and recognizing them from town, gives them a warning. "You boys watch yerselves. I don't relish the thought o' bringing yer lifeless bodies back to town. So be careful, y'hear?"

Ampersand Mxyzptlk Kerfuffle Humperdink Wongdoodle Biddleshaft the Third sings a song as the group sets out. His singing voice sounds better than it used to.

Eglistrum Paharis

Eglistrum joins the group after having a quick breakfast.

Brother Henry - Priest of Cybele

Henry cheerfully begins the march, leading Wilbur along, scratching him behind his ear as he goes. He walks past Kal and Kyle and passes each of them 5 GP (deducted) and says quietly "You lads will do just fine. Keep your wits about you and listen to us and this'll be a cakewalk. If you get hurt, I'll be here to help you out. Okay?"

Henry then finds Lardo and smiles at him saying quietly "My friend, do be careful, okay? I have said many prayers to Cybele for our group's safe return, so let's go collect these gruesome trophies and cleanse this place, eh?" Henry pats Lardo on the shoulder and starts to sing a hymn about good deeds, helping the poor, and the eternal reward of servitude to Cybele....

"Mind your own neck, Henry," Lardo replies. "Your Cybele does us no favors if you're hacked to bits by orcs."

He assumes the rear guard. When he thinks he's out of earshot, he uncinches the sack holding the orc chieftain's head and says, "Pipe down, Brutus. You're going home."

Geert leads Gal, his pony, and keeps Aggie close by during the journey and leashes her as the group approaches the caves more closely. He wears a grim face, lips tight, and does no more than spit and nod in greeting of his comrades. "Might be we should check the dog men again. The dwarf made a deal for a map, bless his hide. Mayhaps they'll be only too kind to sell out some gobs to save their own skins for the time being." He trudges along with his javelin used as a walking stick, spitting and ignoring the gnome's songs and the cleric's prayers, always a watchful eye to left and right and ahead on the road.


Whadya all think? Even worth pursuing the map idea? I'm torn, because if it goes south, we could end up only fighting kobolds this trip. But hey, that could be ok too. The gobs would keep, I guess.

21st of Shining, 10:30 am

The group makes their way through the woods once more, now more familiar with the route. By the time night draws nigh, they have located their old campsite; as it shows no signs of having been visited by humanoids since their last stay, they use it once more. The two lads from the keep seem much more subdued, camping out only miles from where vicious humanoids are said to lair, but everyone gets a reasonably good night's sleep.

The night passed without event.

The next morning, the party again proceeds with caution to the entrance to the chasm where the Caves of Chaos lie. Once more, they seem still and quiet as the grave. As they lay their plans, Geert mentions the previous encounter with the kobolds.

So what's the plan? Also, new marching order?

ragnboneshopper wrote:Whadya all think? Even worth pursuing the map idea? I'm torn, because if it goes south, we could end up only fighting kobolds this trip. But hey, that could be ok too. The gobs would keep, I guess.

ooc: Assuming the map isn't a trick, it would save us some trial and error trying to find the goblin lair. Do we have someone who can speak kobold to resume negotiations? We should probably keep our intentions pretty close to our vest.

As they enter the canyon, Lardo keeps a nervous eye on the entrance to the orc lair where they left their fallen. "Goblin ears aplenty, boys, but don't forget we have some unfinished business in there as well," he says.

OOC: I'm sure Lardo's new orc head may come in handy if we need to chat or bargain with anything in these caves....

Brother Henry - Cleric

Henry approves of the marching order. He also doesn't care which direction we go, but he does have a slim preference to settle the score with the orcs.

OOC: I'm fine with the marching order. Absent a PC who can speak kobold, I'm for going after the mooks we left in the orc lair, assuming they haven't fled. Maybe we can get one of them to squeal about the goblins' location.

Still, Lardo will peek into the entrance of the kobold lair to see if the dogmen have rebaited the trap with a fresh dummy.

21st of Shining, 10:45 am

The group considers the lonely canyon, weighing their options. Lardo stealthily makes his way over to the kobold cave and takes a careful glance in. He sees a lone koboldish figure slumped against the wall, apparently asleep at his post...just as the first time the group scouted.

Actions?

(I'm going to consider Sham's marching order the default, until/unless someone objects.)

Marching order seems fine to me. Just remember Geert is quite stealthy as long as we're outside. If you want a new cave scouted, he's a good bet.

Geert asks the gnome or anyone else if they've got parchment and a quill. He'll try to sketch the lay of the land as far as he knows it, with caves marked where we know them to be. He'll draw little dog men near the kobold cave and a fierce orc head near the orc cave. He draws a couple of goblins in a corner by themselves, then hands this to Lardo. "Mayhaps they'll fill in the rest if we call em out?"

"We know about the pit," says Ampersand Mxyzptlk Kerfuffle Humperdink Wongdoodle Biddleshaft the Third. "Why act like we're surprised by it? I can creep up all quiet here, and make the kobold die on my spear!"

Eglistrum Paharis

The mage will provide paper, a quill and ink for Geert's mapping project.

If you want to sneak around the pit and kill the kobold, I'm ok with that if everyone else is. I guess our fragile truce is finished?

Brother Henry - Cleric

Henry quietly says "we did tell them we wanted snap... and maybe if they saw the smelly ice head and see what we've done they might be more helpful."