(CSRHoD) Creamsteak's Red Hand of Doom II [IC]

Avril - Human Druid - AC 18 - hp 49/49 - Spot +13 - Listen +13
Mandla - Riding Dog - AC 25 - hp 45/45 - Spot +5 - Listen +5

Avril nodded sternly. "I agree with Warren. It's something we need to try." She didn't want to add that she didn't believe this city would stand. The horde was far too big. Brindol needed to be evacuated, there was no doubt in her mind about that.

"Thank you for letting us rest here this night. It's much needed. And as much as we would like to boost the morale of the soldiers, we cannot stay. Perhaps if they knew that what we were doing could lesson the coming horde, then they might find encouragement. I would suggest that we try to at least evacuate those that cannot stand in battle or assist in some way."

She looked at her companions. "We should leave the lords and lady to plan. We should rest. I fear that the Ghostlord might be a challenge that will be hard to bear." She rubbed Mandla's head to encourage herself, hoping that what she thought wouldn't turn out to be true.

[SBLOCK=OOC]OOC:

Spells and Abilities Active:

Spells Cast and Abilities/Items Used:

Spells Prepared (Normal 6/4/3/2/1, Wis 0/1/1/1/0):

Level 0 (6): Cure Minor Wounds (3), Detect Magic (2), Guidance
Level 1 (5): Cure Light Wounds, Enrage Animal, Faerie Fire, Obscuring Mist, Produce Flame
Level 2 (4): Barkskin (2), Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace
Level 3 (3): Call Lightning, Cure Moderate Wounds, Spike Growth
Level 4 (1): Flame Strike

Avril's Character Sheet [/SBLOCK]

Larian smiles and nods at Avril's suggestion. I understand your concerns, and I will willingly forgo the augury in the interests of speedy action. However, it might be wise for us to augment our supplies, if there is anything suitable to be found in the city.

[sblock=ooc] I'm fine moving on. I was just thinking it would be good to get the full support of the council. Regardless, I think shopping is in order. [/sblock]

I will try to fast-forward a bit sometime soon. Between board outages and a lost password I've been very annoyed trying to get to enworld lately.

Back into it, Chapter 2 Ending Summary...
Having destroyed the hatchery in the swamps, the group moved on to the city of Brindol. At Brindol, the group quickly ascertained the current state of affairs and began to collect information on the supposed position of the Red Hand Horde. With the aid of the high cleric Tredora Goldenbrow and the mage Immerstal the Red they were able to verify their belief that the item in their possession was the phylactery of the Ghostlord, a powerful druidic lich who had been forced into service by the Red Hand Horde.

Preparations begain for a swift trek to the far off wasteland known as the Thornwastes. The group purchased supplies and tried to ascertain the timeline they had to work with. The horde, by the estimates of the few reports that have trickled into the city, was not far off. The speartip of the horde's efforts was already more than half way accross the vale. Of course, without any sort of resistance, the faster forces of the horde were likely to be ahead of the bulk of the force. It would probably take some additional time for the horde to bring their full force to Brindol. The group had two weeks, give or take, to strike into the Thornwastes and then return to Brindol.

Pender was offered by the captain a reprieve from his punishments for leaving the guard, if he should continue to serve in the cities interests during the coming war.

Immerstal the Red offered to share his spellbooks with Larian, should he wish to spend the time to copy them. [Rary's telepathic bond, dimension door, fear, dispel magic, fireball, haste, flaming sphere, invisibility, mirror image, resist energy, web, charm person, expeditious retreat, mage armor, mount, shield]

Tredora Goldenbrow permits Siobhan to take staff of life from her personal effects to use should it become necessary. It has only seven charges remaining.

OOC: Level up, and purchase whatever supplies your group can afford with the wealth you've accrued so far. Now's the best time we've got to do so, as leveling up on the fly later may be more pressing. Keep your current xp scores however. You can purchase any DMG magic items at their list price (within some reasonable cost assumptions, no single huge magic item for example). I'm assuming you only stay in Bridol overnight, and leave at dawn.

To avoid the Horde, the group takes the southern road to travel west. They first pass by the cit of Prosser, which has been partially evacuated. Women and Children were removed to Denovar, while others stay to protect their belongings or prepare to travel to Brindol to aid in its defense.

A day or so later the group finds the small hamlet of Dauth to be completely evacuated. A sign depicts the population of the town at a meager 200, fewer even than Drellin's Ferry. While the horde scouts may have looted some of the outlying farms, it does not appear that they even bothered to burn the city proper.

A few days further down the road, just as the sun has set, everyone hears harsh shouts and crude laughter ahead through the trees. In a small clearing around a ruined farmhouse, a gang of hobgoblins and an ogre torment two men who have been tied up to trees. The victims hang listlessly from their bonds, their faces covered in blood.

Tyrla & Warren:
[sblock]The bodies on the tree don't look like they are alive.[/sblock]

The area has only shadowy illumination from the moonlight, so keep that in mind. Five hobgoblins and an ogre are roughly 100 feet away up a slight incline near a cherry tree by an old farmhouse. I assume everyone in the group that is mounted is mounted.

As per the usual you can start anywhere in the red outline.

Initiatives
Tyrla 22
Avril 21
Siobhan 20
Warren 13
Larian 13
Pender 8
Hobgoblin 8
Ogre 1

Tyrla reined her horse to a halt, and slid down to the ground- she knew better than to enter a battle mounted. "This has the look of a trap to me- I don't think those poor men are still living." Even as she spoke, the shadows around her seemed to swirl and deepen, spreading from her back like a cloak...

OOC: Dismount, then invoke Fell Flight. I don't see coordinates on the map, so Tyrla will start in the bottom/left square of those outlined.

"Keep quiet and let me get closer before you let 'em know we're here. I'm goin' to try killin' the ogre in one shot first." Warren says quietly, dismounting and sneaking over to a tree, beginning his approach. He stays low to the ground and twists the faint shadows cast by the starlight around him, sneaking closer.

[sblock=ooc]Dismounting and using Child of Shadow stance for 20% concealment just in case as he sneaks closer, using trees and any underbrush he can for cover. He'll only cover 15 feet this round while sneaking, since he had to dismount, and 30 feet next round. Starting from the upper-left corner of the red zone.

Since he was mounted, his backpack would be in Serren's saddlebags as usual, rather than weighing and slowing him down. Warren takes 10 on Hide and Move Silently for now, for totals of 28 each.[/sblock]

Avril - Human Druid - AC 21 - hp 55/55 - Spot +15 - Listen +15
Mandla - Riding Dog - AC 28 - hp 45/45 - Spot +5 - Listen +5

The sight that greeted her left a vile taste in Avril's mouth. She gripped Mandla's fur in anger, but at the same time whisepered to the dog to keep calm and quiet lest they give away their position. "Be quick," she whispered to Warren, "We'll be right here to back you up in an instant if something goes wrong." Removing a rod from her belt, she activated its magic while casting a spell, calling on the spirits of Nature to grant her and Mandla thicker and tougher skin. Then she nervously watched and waited to see if Warren would succeed.

[SBLOCK=OOC]OOC: Use her Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend to cast Barkskin which she'll share with Mandla.

Spells and Abilities Active:

Barkskin (Avril, Mandla, 160 minutes)

Spells Cast and Abilities/Items Used:

Barkskin
Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend (1 Used)

Level 0 (6): Cure Minor Wounds (3), Detect Magic (2), Guidance
Level 1 (5): Cure Light Wounds, Enrage Animal, Entangle, Faerie Fire, Produce Flame
Level 2 (4): Barkskin, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace
Level 3 (4): Call Lightning, Cure Moderate Wounds, Greater Magic Fang, Protectiong from Energy
Level 4 (3): Air Walk, Cure Serious Wounds, Flame Strike

Avril's Character Sheet [/SBLOCK]

Larian frowned at Warren's words, but settled in to wait. Never happy with the halfling's tendency to go solo, the elven wizard chose to do his best to prepare for the burst into action that would likely be necessary.

Warren starts to close with the enemy moving through the grass. Tyrla and the others only ready themselves (most of them simply dismounting).

The ogre pulls back a length of metal wire a few feet long and rips it across the chest of the victim. The hobgoblins seem less than enthusiastic, some even flinching at the sight as the body is hit by the crack of the makeshift whip. The body is limp and does not react to the whips strike beyond the physical damage that is incurred. It's quite clear the body is not concious, quite possibly even dead.

One of the hobgoblins points down the hill at the road where most of the group has assembled, yelling at its fellows in goblin. "Look down there!" The others react by gazing down the slope and yelling back and forth to each other. Their gaze meets that of the party, and they begin to reach for their weapons. The ogre doesn't react.