Honeymarsh Academy (D&D3.5) Chapter 2

Arvin can talk in hybrid form (if he wants to), but easily changes back to his human form.

Bartlin heals himself up to full.

You (seem to be deciding to) move on.

THE SCENE HAS CHANGED:

After an hour or so of continued travel through the jungle, your party breaks out into the open of the Wastecomb Hills. Bartlin can fly up a lot higher to get a better view, and easily finds the faint trail that the Redcap described.

It is now mid-early afternoon. The hills are overgrown and scrubby, and covered with giant sunflowers and strange hybrid-like flowers. There are a few sparse trees, and a lot of natural rock formations, mostly overgrown with moss and lichen. You pick your way along through the waste for a while until you reach an area overlooking a ditch, at the bottom of which is a winding hole going down (this is a very steep ramp- about 60 degrees down down a 20' drop). Wooden stakes have been pounded into the ground at intervals and there is a heavy length of chain with handloops at the very top, leading down.

How would you like to proceed?

Bartlin: Queens Knight 6

Bart lands Morninglight and sends his steed back to the Grand Hive. "I will be happy to go first but are is probably better options."

Arvin crouches down and examines the ramp.
[sblock]Arvin's going to Take 20 if possible and use Survival to look for tracks. Trying to determine what sort of critters have been moving in and out of this hole. Survival +8[/sblock]
"I'd be glad to take point and scout forward. Seeker looks quiet too, so odds are he'd be able to scout as well. Let's take a minute to examine the area before we charge down this hole though, OK?"

Your group is currently pretty well-hidden at the entrance.

Arvin drops down to examine the area for tracks and signs of habitation.

Arvin locates the obvious signs of humanoid habitation. He locates 'manmade' erosion, footprints and even handprints in the gully and along the way down into the ditch. (The way down is steep enough to require climbers to steady themselves along the dirt on the way down by hand).

Arvin locates footprints of creatures in both small, medium, and large sizes. The largish creature left prints that show large claws. Some of the creatures wear boots- and some wear their feet wrapped in rags. Arvin points out a few sharp obvious (small size) footprints. Ironshod boots... indicating redcaps, more than one.

There is a small patch littered with broken glass and ceramics on a stump at the top of the hill. Probably 6 or 7 wine-bottles and a couple of jugs were smashed up there. Possibly used for target practice.

"There are redcaps here. Several it looks like. Probably the rest of the gang our friend Invucuris Claid talked about. There's a load of other tracks too. some smaller, and at least one that's got ogre or troll written all over it."
Arvin pauses. He looks pensive for a moment, then grins.
"Should be fun! I'll go first!"
Arvin immediately slinks quietly down the ramp to scout ahead for the party.
[sblock]Move Silently +9, Hide +9. He has Darkvision 60' in case the lighting is bad. Arvin will just move out of sight of the party, then quietly move back and if the coast is clear, call the rest of the party down.[/sblock]

Arvin creeps silently down the ravine path and adjusts his vision to peer inside the cave. He hears noise and he can smell wood burning. It's impossible to see inside the cave without getting to the bottom of the ditch, though.

From a vantage point about 10' away he gets a good look down into the cave, and notes 3 small muscular humanoids clad in familiar looking red caps, ironshod boots and leather kilts. Their mouths are fanged and savage looking. A voice from the far end of the cave indicates a 4th presence. Three are chatting in low voices over a firepit. There are a few empty grog bottles scattered around the cave.

These seem a lot less formidable then the Redcap you fought in the potion shop. They seem younger and less bloody.

OOC: Arvin moves silently, for a total of 27. Thats really good, right?

Unfortunately, the redcaps made their listen check!! They rolled a 28!

Arvin distinctly hears one say "did you hear something?" in Sylvan. Another answers "I'll just go have a look..." Another voice says something like "bah, it's just the wind..."

Arvin hides, flattening himself against the wall.

Arvin gets a total of 14 for his hide check.

The redcap R4 picks up his scythe, and then approaches the cave entrance and looks around. A moment later he spots Arvin!. Their eyes meet. It isn't romantic. The redcap shouts in Sylvan. "**Intruders!**"

Down below, you can clearly see the Redcap come to the edge of he cave entrance, and discover Arvin hiding there. He begins shouting away...readying his scythe for battle.

OOC: Initiative is rolled. The redcaps are edgy and hostile and were supposed to be on guard, so there won't be much chance for negotiations. It will take one round of full move to negotiate down the ravine ditch for everyone but Arvin (who is already there). You can stay up on top and fire missile weapons, but the angle is such that you can only hit targets as far back in the cave as rows 10 ,11, 12, and 13. The other redcaps will take one round to grab their weapons. Only Arvin and the redcap R4 can act this round.

Arvin +7 : 25
Redcap +5 : 15
Kytheria +2 : 9
Alek +4 : 8
Seeker +0 : 7
Bartlin +3: 6
Yarin +3 : 6
Bahuman +1 : 4

Yarin walks carefully part way down the ramp, slipping his dagger out in the process. Yarin then carefully takes aim and throws at the redcap Ooh I hope there aren't many of them in there... I don't want to have to change again

OOC: Move however far I can down the ramp (to reduce the range, hopefully) and throw dagger.

Bahuman rapidly moves down to help Arvin. "Four of them! I hope they are not as strong as the last one we fought!" mutters the half-giant, ready with his axe to inflict more hurt.

---
OOC: Full move down the ravine.

Bartlin: Queens Knight 6

Bartlin scampers down the ravine as fast as he can with out breaking his neck in the process. Once down he will move as far as he can into the battle.

"There's four redcaps down here folks!" Arvin shouts while moving. "Feel free to come down and join the party!"

Arvin moves to C8, drawing his blades as he moves, then fires his breath weapon (DC 14) trying to catch R1, R2, and R3 in the cone.