The party makes it back to the Ogre cave without incident; the rest of the day passes in tense silence, as the three of you wait it out in well-hidden positions. At one point, there is heightened activity just outside, near the mouth of the ravine. With three tribesmen missing, it is obvious that the others are becoming concerned.
| GM: | Search roll: (16); Party's counter-tracking roll to hide the bodies: (24) = Search fails. |
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Although there is a lot of movement and talking, no shouts of discovery or cries of alarm are heard. It's obvious that the three missing tribesmen are a problem, but without evidence of foul play, the others seem content to let the matter go. After a few hours, you hear the tribesmen's voices getting fainter, as they move up the ravine into their cave dwelling.
A few minutes after the tribesmen's voices have faded, you hear the distinct voices and guttural grunts and snorts of Humanoid speech. You suspect perhaps Orcs, or Hobgoblins, or maybe both. The sun has set at this point, and the twilight is quickly turning to night. The Humanoids, whoever they are, start milling around, talking, snorting, laughing, and making noises as if they were in the middle of performing mundane tasks. There are many copses of trees in the ravine, which serve to hide some of the cave entrances. Nimbar suggests that some of the noise might simply be related to the gathering of firewood.
As the night wears on, new voices are heard; these voices have a canine quality to them, almost Hyena-like; Hawke says that there can be no mistake: there are Gnolls about. Of the possible Humanoids one might encounter, Gnolls are among the most dangerous, second only to Bugbears. Gnolls are known for their ferocity and high morale. They are relentless, once they have the scent of prey.
Nimbar says. "Don't worry, as long as we're in this smelly, old Ogre cave, they won't catch our scent."
As the party continues to wait, they finally hear what they have been waiting for: small, screechy voices, speaking in Draconic! At one point, there is the sounds of scuffling and grunting, and angry Humanoid shouting. The shouting is answered by the small screeching:
Kobold #1 (In Draconic): "That's mine, you big oaf. I took it off the fat merchant we captured last week. If you don't keep your hands off it, I'm going to tell the Cave Mother!"
Kobold #2 (In Draconic): "He can't understand you. Speak in Goblin. Only the Gnolls and the Cave Mother can speak our language."
Kobold #1 utters something in a language that no one understands; there is more Humanoid grunting and sputtering, followed by the sound of receding footstomps. Apparently, whomever left, did so in a disgruntled fashion.
Kobold #2, Laughing: "I love the looks on their faces when we threaten them with the Cave Mother. They truly are scared of the old witch. She is a wise seer, and a skilled potion maker, but she is not powerful."
Kobold #1: "It's not her they fear, it's her son, Grendel. They say the reason for his strength is that she made a pact to share her bed with a devil. Come on, let's go finish laying the trap. Three of the tribesmen have gone missing without a trace. That means there's mercenaries about. Or maybe adventurers. Probably come to rescue to the merchant."
The two voices fade off to the north. Thinking back to rough sketch you drew of the ravine's cave locations, with the Ogre cave being #5, and the Goblin lair being #4, you think that the Kobolds must be headed toward what you labeled as Cave #1.
| GM: | Thread Page 1, Reply #17. |
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It appears that no scouting will be necessary. The real question seems to be whether or not there are still other Humanoids in the vicinity, and whether or not the party wants to risk trying to rescue the merchant that they now know to be held captive.
SPHYNX: What are your thoughts?
