M2: The Search for Goblin HQ

[Erekose13]

Tenebrynn joins the others as they move together towards where they had been ambushed. He has his staff ready just in case and his new bow slung over his shoulder.

 

[Knight Otu]

Ashnar frowns, surprised that Charlarn found no magical auras.

Maybe the bell was a magical alarm sign for those ghouls, and now that they are destroyed, the spell has expired as well. They seemed quite hungry when they attacked, but still waited for the bell. But if it wasn't magical, there is a sentry, and...

"If there's a sentry, we have given him enough time to set up a new ambush. I don't think there'll be more ghouls, but it will be better to be prepared for that."

Ashnar joins the group as it crosses the landslide, trying to stay in the center.

 

[Steve Jung]

Charlarn of Phyrah: Male human cleric 2

"I guess I'll go, too." Charlarn slings his shield onto his back and loads his crossbow.

 

[Manzanita]

The group crosses the landslide slowly and carefully. There are a few slips and stumbles, but eventually, the entire party crosses safely, with no sign of sentries, bells or ghouls.

 

[Steve Jung]

Charlarn of Phyrah: Male human cleric 2

"Well that was interesting. Rinaldo, your idea might be right. Of course this means we'll have to be extra careful."

Charlarn starts looking at the ground for tracks (Survival +7; no Track feat; can only follow tracks if DC is 10 or less). He is still wielding his crossbow.

 

[Patlin]

Tor gazes around the landslide area. Looking up and down, there is a wall of bushes and trees on either side of the avalanch, going both up and down the hill. It would not be difficult for a stealthy, or a dug-in sentry on the other side to easily observe the point where the path intersects the rockslide, with little chance of being spotted in return.

He sees no sign of any such observence, howerver.

From the party's new position, Tor looks around warilly to see if he has any better luck finding a sentry or signs of a sentry post... say something large enough to conceal a small humanoid and a bell.

"Let's move on carefully. I still suspect an ambush, but there's no sense staying in one place till it finds us. My father has told me it's better to be active than reactive in combat situations."

 

[Knight Otu]

"I agree. Let's move on, with all eyes open."

 

[Manzanita]

The group wary continues along the path after the landslide. About 20 feet further along the trail they encounter what appears to be a game trail heading up the hill into the brush. Following it, they find a crudely dug cave, big enough to give shelter to a couple medium or small-sized creatures. It contains bedding, several clay jugs of water, a wooden chest containing various dried fruit, nuts, and biscuits. Above it a space has been cleared under a tree, giving a clear view of the landslide and the opposite path. On a branch hang two quivers of arrows, and bell.

 

[Patlin]

On a branch hang two quivers of arrows, and bell.

Tor looks around quickly for any sign of the aparently departed sentries.

"Rinaldo, you seem a clever fellow. Do you think that you could remove the clapper from that bell in such a way that it wouldn't be obvious to casual inspection? We can take the arrows, to deprive our enemies of supplies, but we can't prevent them from sending someone back up to man this cave, possibly cutting off our retreat. If the bell looks functional, though, they'll probably be relying on it. A lone sentry swinging a rope is unlikely to summon much help."

 

[Velmont]

"Removing the clapper will be obvious on the first inspection. But maybe I can work it a way that at the first attempt to ring it, it would simply fall apart. Just to sabotage some pieces on a near breaking state... Let see, I think I might have something from the kit my cousin gave me to do such work."

Rinaldo remove his backpack and open it. He takes out some stange instrument and start to look what would do the job.