(IC) Against the Giants PBP Group 2

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: It's really not clear to me where we as a group stand at this point. The Colonel wants to attack, and has said so; Kahru has attacked (?) at night (?) supported by Doc (?) but not the Colonel (?). I think every PC who has voiced an opinion is pro-early attack, but we're not working as a group. Getting the houndmaster early would have been good. I think we should at least try to get him with the reinfocements now, striking as far away from the fort as we can. The Colonel can go by himself, or with others, unless Kahru and Doc (without the Colonel) needs to be resolved first.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

OOC: @Kobold Stew My understanding is that we mostly voted to attack, but Donnell and Gimlak didn't want to go the same day because of the whole "We won't attack you." You abided those wishes, and Doc abided your decision. Working with that assumption, Kahru wrote that he would sneak off to attack that night, and Doc chose to follow him to help. Fitz then wound up back to the day to describe the action- so we are now observing the steading, and Kahru and Doc haven't yet snuck off to attack. Make sense?

 

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: The Colonel's position: "If half of us or more want to go today, I will go. If we want to wait, I won't object, though I think we risk losing tactical advantage." Kahru, Doc, Donnell and the Colonel have spoken. If two are leaving the Colonel wants to go along. Donnell can come or stay.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OOC: I expected probably everyone to go along with Kahru, once we get to that point. There were just a few points to resolve first: 1) Stopping Lord Faldur's men from showing up at noon (done by Gimlak); 2) Spotting any changes that occur between 7am and 9pm (dark); and 3) Retconning in anything you want to do about those things. I don't mind a little retcon, but I would prefer if we eventually arrive at Kahru leading an attack after dark. (If only because I have already done some prep-work on that). So - additive posts are most welcome, subtractive ones less so. Does that make sense?

 

[Tonguez]

OOC: so my vote is (pre)cast and I’ll be doing a night attack. But I suppose a day attack against the houndmaster and any patrols outside the steading would still be possible for other PCs that want to? Maybe some of Lord Faldurs men could be spotted by the giants and thus need saving

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OOC: Okay, there seems to be some desire to insert a scene, which would be somewhere around 4pm, of ambushing the houndmaster and his new 'recruits' on their way back to the steading. It would be a 'few hills' north of the Steading, where you can find a spot. I will have to assume that you spread out to make sure that you don't miss him (otherwise you wouldn't have known that he was returning until it was too late). You can leave Donnell behind to watch the Steading (Cromby and Siersha will have arrived by this time, so he's not totally alone). Sound good?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

When the houndsmaster left the steading with a small pack of dire wolves, he was heading north. The group didn't know when, or if, he'd return, but they had observed him leaving the steading once before (when he left to round up the wolves, after they'd 'let them go' through the courtyard gate). They had every reason to think that he'd come back, so they moved northward, spreading out to watch for him, while keeping 'one eye' on the steading.

Midway through the afternoon, Kahru (who had ranged furthest ahead) reported seeing him working his way back through the hills, and the group reunited for an ambush, just out of sight of the steading. This is where they observed that he had been joined by a few hill giants - two thuggish-looking brutes and a middle-aged female. She had an air of authority, holding her fat frame in an upright, proud posture.

Two dire wolves loped ahead of the hill giants as they wound their way between smallish rises of rocky hills. Here, away from the steading, the hills were dotted with sparse tree growth. The group spread out on two points, using the trees for cover. The lead dire wolf stopped to sniff the air, and then looked directly at Kahru. It was a brief, tense moment, as it seemed likely that the wolf would howl a warning, but then it bent its nose to the ground once more and continued on its way as if it had seen nothing.

GM: Encounter: Ambush

Spoiler: Map

(General Features) Difficult Terrain: fallen trees, rocky outcroppings; Visibility: bright (daylight); Cover: trees.

Spoiler: Allies

Name * AC * HP * Hit Dice * PasPrc * Spells (Etc) * (Notes)
(PCs)
Colonel AC19* HP 66/66 THP 0/13 HD 9/9 PP19* SSdc18 4/4 3/3 3/3 3/3 1/1 CD 2/2 WotS 5/5 MyS 1/1
Doc AC14 HP 84/84 THP 0/13 HD 9/9 PP20* SSdc16 2/2 Wls 4/4 Crs 1/1 PL 4/4 Wsp 1/1
Gimlak AC18 HP 68/68 THP 7/13 HD 9/9 PP12* SSdc17 4/4 3/3 3/3 3/3 1/1 SP 6/12
Kahru AC15 HP 83/83 HD 9/9 THP 0/13 PP16 SSdc14 4/4 3/3 3/3 WS 2/2 Rg 3/3 Stf 7/7
-Kahru-Bear AC12 HP 42/42
Kaligan AC18* HP 76/76 THP 0/13 HD 9/9 PP14 PD 8/8 DT 1/1 TK 1/1 AS 1/1 2W 1/1 ID 1/1
(NPCs)
Donnell AC19* HP29/29 THP 0/13 HD 4/4 AS 1/1 2W 1/1

Spoiler: Enemies

Name * AC * HP * PP * (Notes)
(BGs)
Chieftess Solka AC15 HP 137/137 PP14
Houndsman Varrg AC15 HP 126/126 PP13
Hill Giants AC13 HP105ea PP12
-HG1 105/105; HG2 105/105;
Dire Wolves AC14 HP37ea PP13(18)*
-DW1 37/37; DW2 37/37;
-DW3 37/37; DW4 37/37;

GM: Begin Round One

OOC: Giants are passing their way diagonally up-and-left. I maybe should have turned the map, as North is to the right.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OOC: Crickets for the better part of a week, hey? C'mon gang, let's keep moving on. @Snarf Zagyg @Kobold Stew @Maxperson @Steve Gorak @Tonguez Is no one getting notifications?

 

[Tonguez]

Kahru in human form, squatted low behind the cover of trees when he saw the wolf raise its snout and look directly towards him. The barbarians blood boiled within him knowing that his gambit to release the dire wolves into the wild had been undone and the hated houndmaster now had them back in his command. Still the druids feral instinct told him the Dire wolves were not fully in the giants control.

Waythe was ready and Kahru too was ready to slaughter these roving giants, they were not in the steading and so the agreement with the steinjotenen would not be broken, and Kahru would have the houndmasters head!

OOC: I’m here, was waiting for someone else to take the lead as I’d already declared for the night raid notifications are fine

 

[Kobold Stew]

The Colonel hears the barking of the wolves and springs to action. Moving through the woods, he sees the giants before him. Closing his eyes, he imagines the power of lightning, and as he does so a cloud forms and lightning falls to the ground, landing among the two leading wolves.

OOC: Sorry. My bad. Move: to P11, through difficult terrain (or P10? move is 35'). Action: Cast Call Lightning (holding concentration), 4th level. 4d10 lighting damage or half on DC 18 Dex save. 60' radius covers F-AD, 6-30, centered on R18. First lightning bolt at Q22 will hit DW 1 and 2 (both need to save or take 4d10=20 or half on save). Spells left: 3,3,3,2,1.