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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 1180702" data-attributes="member: 8530">Game #3 - 10/19/03Chapter 8, “Strategies” September 13th, 1019, 9:30 A.M.As the creature gets closer there are no further suggestions of a frontal assault.   A thought strikes Cassie, who comments “If these creatures are actually from another world how do we even know they are evil.”  “The creature may not be, but it is commanded by gnolls!  Gnolls are evil!” Narg exclaims.   Cassie answers, “The gnolls of our world are, but these gnolls may not be.”  “It destroyed three settlements,” Pure interjects.  “Yeah, but in Kralt.  Who cares about that?” Mojo comments.  “I do!” Purge exclaims, raising his voice for the first time the party can remember. Mark adds, “And they also killed one of the Dragon Stalkers.”  “Okay, so they have one thing going in their favor,” Narg comments.   “The Dragon Stalkers are among the good guys,” Purge comments.   Cassie says, “Yes, but if one of them had to get killed at least it was that one.   That mage of theirs was an arrogant and useless twit.”   The party discusses various strategies focused on attacking the gnolls rather than the creature carrying them.   Narg says, “Why don’t we have Alton fly at them in wyvern form and use its breath weapon.”  “Wyvern’s don’t have breath weapons,” Cassie comments.   Narg replies, “No, I meant Alton’s breath.”   Mojo interjects, “No, we’d probably get in trouble for that.  His bad breath would be too lethal, nothing would ever grow on that site again.”Discussion goes back to fighting the creature.   Mojo suggests that Narg get below it and attack it from the bottom with his sword of sharpness, commenting about how crocodiles have less armored stomachs.    Narg says, “It would probably still be too thick to cut.  And even if that worked, if I killed it from below it would then fall on top of me.”  “I still don’t see a downside to this plan,” Mojo comments.   By the point the creature has reached a point between the two mountains at the entrance of the pass.   It then stops moving, giving the party a better opportunity to view the various buildings atop the creature.   Each building appears to be made of wood and are all round in shape, varying from fifteen to thirty feet in diameter and thirty to eighty feet in height.   Most have tapered tops, with crows nests atop manned by one or two gnoll archers.   Along the rear of the creature the party gets a better look at the two-story deck.   There are several gnoll running along the deck, which also has a crank-wheel manned by four draft horses, which appears to be how the large metal cage is raised and lowered.    The heads of a pair of wyvern peer out from a space between the top and bottom decks.  They then seen activity beneath the creature, as a pair of wagons, each drawn by a team of four horses, ride out from beneath the monster’s feet and fan out towards each side of cavern pass.  Each wagon has a gnoll driver and six gnoll archers in the back.   Each wagon is accompanied by a quartet of gnoll cavalry.   Another gnoll rider moves out in front of the monster, which now begins to move again.     The party sees the gnoll cavalry riding around boulders and rocks along both sides of the pass, acting as advanced scouts to flush out anyone who might be waiting in ambush, with each group supported by a wagonload of archers on each side of the riverbed.  Mark comments, “I guess that eliminates a ground assault.”  Mojo answers, “What are you talking about?  I’ve battled bigger groups just getting to the outhouse. They then see activity from the deck, as a trio of winged man-sized gray creatures takes to the air.   One takes up a position in the air in front of the creature, above the gnoll cavalry leader.  The other two fan out to the sides, and start to investigate caves and cliff tops.   As one of these starts to get closer they can see that it is a gargoyle, and is also moving towards them.   “Uh oh, time to go,” Mojo comments.   “Leaving. What a good idea,” Narg adds.   Staying low, they all quickly scamper bank over the mountain summit to the other side, where Alton is waiting.   This time the men climb into the Bag of Holding without complaint, as Cassie jumps onto the wagon.   She has Alton rapidly descend down the far side of the mountain, to keep him out of sight of the gargoyle.   He then flies as rapidly as his wings will carry him the four miles back to the narrow place in the pass where they had spent the night.   Cassie tells Alton, “We will probably try to board it from the cliff.   Why don’t you stay on the far side of the mountain until the gargoyles fly by.  Then follow from behind and wait for a signal from us if we need an emergency air pick-up.”  The others are let out of the bag, with Narg complaining, “Why did you bring us way back here?  It probably won’t reach this point for another half hour.”  “Exactly, we still need to plan,” Cassie states.    Purge comments, “Because of the width of that yoke it will have to get by this area right in the middle, and this outer cliff will then hang around thirty feet above the highest building.”  “Great, time for me to get out my grappling hook,” Narg comments.   Cassie comments, “Wouldn’t your magical Rope of Climbing work better?”  Narg answers, “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”  Mojo comments, “It’s about time you actually used that rope for something other than strangling people.” “Once we get on board, then what?” Mark asks.   “We try to find who is in charge and stop them,” Narg comments.  Cassie suggests, “You know.  If we could actually capture this creature it could be quite useful if we give it to Queen Jennifer.”   Mojo angrily mutters, “Who says we want to give her anything.”  “Huh, what’s with him?” Purge comments.   Narg says, “He’s angry at the Queen for reconciling with King Matthan.”   Mojo blurts out, “Well, Yeah, Damn It!  How can she do this to me?  Doesn’t she know anything about loyalty and commitment!  How could she leave me to go back to her husband!”   Cassie adds, “Ah, so that’s what this is really all about.  You want to impress her to win her back.”  Narg interjects, “Cut the crap, it’s time.”   The party looks up to see the gargoyles and gnoll ground forces have now reached a turn in the pass around a mile away.  Mojo says, “Cut!  That’s it.  Cassie, do you have a silver dagger?”   “Why?  What for?” the mage replies.   Mojo says, “I want to sacrifice Mark to the Gnoll god.”   Cassie replies, “I don’t want you dirtying my knife on that.”   Mark resents Mojo’s suggestion.   “You should really stop picking on him,” Purge suggests to Mojo.  The fighter replies, “Well, normally I wouldn’t, but we left Alton on the other side of the mountain.  What other choice do I have?”“They’ll be here soon.  What’s the real plan?” Cassie comments.   Narg says, “You guys get into  the bag and I use my rope to get on board.”   “Won’t the gargoyles see you?” Mark comments.  Cassie states, “It will see all of us in a few minutes if I don’t do something.  Everyone gather around and I’ll toss up an Invisibility Ten-foot Radius spell.Purge says, “That may keep the gargoyles from seeing us, but there’s another problem.   Gnolls are like giant humanoid dogs.  We may go in invisibly, but they’ll still us.”  Mojo adds, “Yeah, and if they’re dogs they’ll probably then stick their noses in our crotches.”    Cassie suggests that Narg use the Belt of Shape Change to polymorph into a gnoll.   “Won’t he still look a bit conspicuous wearing elvan chain mail and holding an artifact-like sword?” Mojo comments.   “It’ll have to work until I can obtain clothes from one of them,” Narg says.  He puts on his belt and activates the transformation.   Purge hands Narg a cloak, saying “Put this on.  It will hide most of your stuff.”  Cassie tosses up the invisibility spell as the gargoyles draw closer.  Narg says, “We’ll have to play the rest of this by ear.   Everyone but Cassie, get into the bag.   Here they come.”</blockquote>

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