[Adventure] Serpent's Skull: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv (DM: Mewness; Judge: THB)

[GROMkill]

OOC: I think I'll want to be an Ambusher. I doubt any hunters would want to get close to a campsite where a big, red dragonborn is present. Although maybe I'm wrong, they could judge him to be a huuuuuuuuge steak and be even more enticed. Unless anyone else objects, I'll be in group A.

 

[jbear]

OOC: I'd prefer to be in group B. I don't wear armour. I can appear unarmed and call my sword to me. And I can use cantrips if we want to make out as if one of us is badly wounded, enhancing the notion we are vulnerable. His stutter doesn't make him very intimidating either. And I can defend long enough for the big guys to get into the fight once the ambush is sprung.

 

[Mewness]

GM: Sorry about delays. I've been playing too much Heroes of Neverwinter on Facebook. I should have the encounter put together within the next couple of days. In the meantime, I suggest the following grouping: Group A: Castile, the Irregulars, Noriaki, Takahaan, and Pezock. Group B: Gelik, Hú Lí, and Kane. (Gelik and Hú Lí are Bluffers.) Pezock cautions that you don't want group B to look too helpless, because the hunting party might then choose to attack them immediately. So Kane should probably carry his weapon.

 

[Dekana]

OOC: Sounds good to me. Not that I'm any good at hiding or setting ambushes, but I'm sure Castile would give it a shot.

 

[Mewness]

As the group returns to the empty campsite, the daily rains are beginning. The adventurers take shelter and discuss their plans during the downpour. When it ends, it is time to get ready to be seen by the cannibal scouts.

GM: Skill Challenge: Ambush the Cannibals Objective: To induce the cannibals to attack the campsite with a war party during the night, and to be prepared to ambush them when they arrive. Method: The good guys are divided into two groups. Group A (Castile, the Irregulars, Noriaki, Takahaan, and Pezock) will attempt to remain hidden, observe the cannibals, find positions from which to attack them, etc. Group B (Hú Lí, Kane, and Gelik) will attempt to behave like normal shipwreck survivors. You will need to get 6 successes before you get 3 failures. Your successes must include the following checks: --At least one difficult (DC 20) Perception check (to spot the cannibals before they spot you). This check can be made by anyone. --At least one difficult (DC 20) Nature or Stealth check (to remain hidden from the cannibals). This check must be made by someone in Group A. --At least one moderate (DC 13) Bluff check (to convince the cannibals that nothing fishy is going on). This check must be made by someone in Group B. The other 3 successes are Players’ Choice. You can use any skill that you come up with an excuse for, provided that you are doing something helpful to the plan as laid out above. The DC will be moderate unless what you are trying to do seems especially farfetched, in which case it will be difficult. When you are coming up with actions, assume that the challenge takes place over several hours, and that things happen more or less as Pezock predicted (that is, a couple of cannibals try to sneak up to the campsite after the rain is over; they observe it for a while; they try to sneak away; and sometime late at night a war party appears). Any events that do not conform to Pezock’s predictions will be revealed as the challenge progresses. Aid Another: You can aid another as much as you like, but you can only aid someone in the same group. If you fail an Aid Another check by 5 or more, the person you are trying to help takes a -2 penalty to their check. Extra Effort: You can spend a healing surge prior to making a check in order to receive a +2 bonus on that check. You can do this more than once during the challenge, but only once for a particular check. NPCs: Each NPC can help out once, and once only, during the challenge. They can help in one of the following ways: --An NPC can use Aid Another on someone in the same group, automatically succeeding on the check. --An NPC can make a skill check to contribute to the challenge. (This isn’t a reroll, as in the previous challenge; it’s an independent action on the NPC’s part.) The NPC can spend a surge for Extra Effort, if desired, and other characters can attempt to Aid the NPC as normal. Gelik’s skills: Arcana +11, Bluff +7 Pezock’s skills: Bluff +11, Stealth +10 Time Limit: 2 rounds (i.e., each PC gets to act twice).

 

[BenBrown]

"And now," Hú Lí announces theatrically, "let us give them a show."

Taking her long knife from within her robes, she slices a large leaf from a nearby tree and places it on her head--for what reason, is unclear.
She bows low to Kane and Gelik, then disappears behind a large pile of brush, hidden from everybody.

A minute later, Hú Lí re-emerges, but to all appearances a very different Hú Lí. Gone are her fine robes, possibly disappeared into what appears to be a hastily-tied bundle on her back. Instead she is clad in worn, rain-stained clothes. Her armor is now visible, but appears to be tied on improperly, as if in great haste, and she shifts uncomfortably in it. A smaller bundle trails on a short length of rope behind her.

Her black hair is no longer tied up, but flows loosely, unkempt and windblown, lacking any sheen, and with a hint of gray.

Her face is haggard and drawn, tear-streaked and hollow-eyed. Her eyes are red from weeping, and stare vacantly into the distance when she's not looking at someone. The blade she wears but rarely uses is held in front of her, gripped tightly and nervously in both hands.

She approaches Kane and Gelik, stepping hesitantly. When she speaks, her voice is pitched lower than usual, without the sing-song pitch and rhythm that she commonly affects.

"Do... do you think anyone else survived?" she asks Kane, almost sobbing as she speaks. "There could have been others washed ashore, right? They're not..." her voice drops. "not all dead, right?"

She clenches her eyes shut and sniffles before continuing.

"I still can't believe it," she says. "The storm was so... so terrible. Then that horrible crack! The noise! I don't think I can ever forget it. My husband..." she sobs again. "He came to me. He got me all dressed, then he put me in the boat and told me to hold on tight. I begged him not to go back, but he... he was so brave! So brave! I can't believe I'll never see him again." Her tone grows more frantic. "He must have survived! Surely the gods wouldn't let someone that brave die! Surely..."

She trails off, sobbing heavily.[sblock=Roll]Hú Lí bluff roll to fool the cannibals: 15(1d20) +12 = 27[/sblock]

 

[jbear]

Allowing himself to be soaked in the heavy rain, following Hu Li's lead, using her appearance as a frame of reference, a dripping wet Kane begins to work his magic upon his and Gelik's own appearance. He adds in some blood stains to his right trouser leg just above the boot and after offering the 'distraught bard' a reassuring pat he limps to the edge of the camp and gathers a few logs of wood which he lights with a weak flame in the centre of the camp. He sits down nearby head and shoulders sunken, sword unsheathed across his lap,face distant and vacant as his mind maintains the the magical disguise, a trail of smoke rising into the air fromthe burning damp wood.

OOC: Actions: Kane uses Prestigitation to soil his and Gelik's appearance consistent with that of the bard's. He uses it to light the damp wood as well. I'm thinking it would make most sense to roll Arcana, rather than Bluff here as the illusion's strength is magical. Kane is not much of the actor so I'm hoping that the distant look as he concentrates will make him seem convincing as the survivor of a shipwreck.

 

[Mewness]

GM: 2 successes, 0 failures. The compulsory Bluff check has been dealt with.

 

[Pentius]

As the 'bait' get their performance underway, the Captain turns to Noriaki and Pezock. "Right then, time to do our share. I'll have you two take some of the troops to help scout out hiding places. Have them report to me what you find." At a quick gesture from their commanding officer, several of the Fitzpatricks line up on Pezock's shoulders. The Pict runs up to Noriaki and points to him, then off to the woods. With a sharp nod, Noriaki follows.

As the troops spread out, the Captain makes a birdcall, and soon a robin lands on a nearby branch and nods its head to indicate that it is at attention. The Captain whispers a summary of the days events and revelations into the bird's ear, along with their plans a warning to be careful. Then he sends the bird on its way.

OOC: Round 1: I would like to have Pezock and Noriaki use Aid Another to give The Irregulars a bonus to Stealth. Ideally, Castile and/or Takahaan could help as well, unless they have other plans, so I'll give a few hours to see if you guys want to. But here goes Nori's aid roll. 1d20+3=19 Yay! EDIT: also going to have the Irregulars use animal messenger to send word to Sasha, like we talked about

 

[GROMkill]

The dragonborn approaches the Captain. "Dartmoor. I wish to scout as well. Maybe we can find some jungle growth that I can effectively mask myself with. I'm... not the easiest person to hide, you see." He snorts, showing humor despite the difficulty with his reptilian features.

OOC: Aid Another for Irregulars' stealth check. 1d20=15 Success! The Irregulars' have a innate +9 to stealth, and now a +15 from Noriaki's, Takahaan's, and Pezock's Aid Another. Using a surge would give +17. If Castile uses a surge, she will have a +1 to her DC 10 Aid Another. If she makes that, The Irregulars' would have a +19 to the roll, making it an auto-success.