[PBP] Tholestia Chapter 1: Minotaur trouble and a failed ambush

[Ravellion]

You do not have the command word for the Iron bands. They are very tough and you'll need someone very strong to break them loose. Cutting the Hobgoblin out is not an option; not only would this ruin his armour and his cloak, the latter of which is magical, but the bands would just get tighter and tighter while doing so.

Magical Items:
- Leather Bracers, worn by Hobgoblin Archer
- Tough, high quality grey cloak, worn by Hobgoblin Archer.
- Steel Buckler, worn by Hobgoblin Archer (also unaccessable)
- Fine threaded Black cloak, worn by Human wizard
- Simple wooden Wand tipped with a ruby, carried by Human Wizard
- Simple brown Leather book, reasonably worn cover. Still in Backpack of Wizard.
- Beautful Black Leather book, cover protected with silver plates. Still in Backpack of Wizard.
- Simple but well balanced Light Flail, used by Goblin
- Fine soft leather brown boots, worn by Goblin.
- Tough, high quality grey cloak, worn by Goblin.
- Gold ring with small blue gemstone, worn by Goblin.
- Tough, high quality grey cloak, worn by Hobgoblin cleric. More powerful aura than the other grey cloaks.
- Large Wooden Shield, painted pitch black, carried by Hobgoblin Cleric
- Orcish Great Scimitar with wicked barbs
- Battered Full Plate, has been dented many times, worn by Bugbear
- Tough, high quality grey cloak, worn by Bugbear.
- Simple but well crafted Battle Axe

Potions:
- Cure Light Wounds (3x)
- Cure Modrate Wounds (1x)
- Invisibility (3x)
- Invisibility (empty vial) (1x)

Non Magical Items (and their GP worth):
- Masterwork Mighty Composite Longbow, +4 Strength bonus (1000 gp)
- Masterwork Chain Shirt (250 gp)
- Masterwork Small Chain Shirt (250 gp)
- Full Plate (1500 gp)
- Masterwork Longsword (315 gp)
- 4 Daggers (4 x 2 gp)
- Silver Holy Symbol (25 gp)
- Large Steel shield, Looks very battered (20 gp)
- 5 Throwing Axes (can't be botehred to look up )

Cold Hard Cash:
10 Platinum pieces, 455 gold pieces, 202 silver pieces.

 

[Deepwinter 7]

Using this psionic dorje, I can identify the powers of the magical items at no cost. It will take quite some time though, I suggest we do this after our next mission.

OOC: Can I use the identify power to identify the command word of the bands of Billaro?

 

[Ravellion]

Can I use the identify power to identify the command word of the bands of Billaro?

Yes, you could. I'd suggest you do it before the Hobgoblins starts rotting though.

Rav

 

[Bacter]

Indeed Diactum used the "detect magic" spell to check the magical capabilities as has been listed.

Diactum tries to find out more about the contents of the 2 books in the backpack of the enemy wizard, if necessary, casting a "read magic" spell. Moreover, Diactum casts an "identify" spell in the near future when he has the time on the wooden wand of the wizard.

Then as Diactum is one of the most pretty and charismatic boys of our party, he adresses the hobgoblin Cleric:

You faul creature! we will kill you instantly if you do not tell us right now why you and your fallen comrades attacked us!

 

[Deepwinter 7]

It is imperative that we bring the incapacitated hobgoblin to a safer and drieer location, so that I can find out how to remove these iron bands. It will cause delay, but I prefer to do this before its flesh starts rotting. Meanwhile Diactum and perhaps Wulf can identify another item

 

[Deepwinter 7]

It is imperative that we bring the incapacitated hobgoblin to a safer and drieer location, so that I can find out how to remove these iron bands. It will cause delay, but I prefer to do this before its flesh starts rotting. Meanwhile Diactum and perhaps Wulf can identify another item

 

[Ravellion]

Diactum: As you take out the brown spellbook from the Wizard's backpack, it reads "Gardi’s Collection of Arcane Spells, Volume I" in dark ink. The black book reads "Gardi’s Collection of Arcane Spells, Volume II" in silver enamel. You open the brown book and suddenly the first page explodes into fire! You take 10 fire damage. You are hurt and startled and drop the book. Strangely enough the book seems undamaged. You suspect the Wizard warded his spellbooks with a Firetrap spell. If that is the case, the book should be ssafe to handle now. Unless he has more pages enchanted with Firetrap.

Diactum is now at 12 hitpoints.

There are only two horses left: Ilan's and Diactum's. If you all walk you can take everything with you by using your horses as pack horses. Are you going to walk two days to the next village or five days back to Delarom.

I assume that the Cleric is bound and his holy symbol taken away from him before you start questioning him?

"Turok sent us. He doesn't want you breathing down his neck. Now, are you going to kill me now already, because that is all I am going to tell you anyway."

 

[Deepwinter 7]

No we will not kill you, for you are like us mercenaries who take on an assignment to gain wealth and power.

Your motives are wrong though; we would never act like mere assassins. It seems that your contractors did not inform you well either. Our skills have improved greatly the past few months and you and your party were no match for us, even when catching us unawared on the grounds that you chose.

We would like a word with Turok and his band for it is not them that we want to set up against us. We will let you go in the next village, stripped of your belongings. If you give him this message, you can return to us and we might return your magical items, maybe even this cloak you're using. I know Turok will know how to find us, and I hope that he doesn't shoot its messenger

The alternative is that we hand you over to the authorities of Amstrad

 

[Ravellion]

That second alternative doesn't sound so good. I'll take the first one, where I get my stuff and my life back. Don't know whether the contact will still be where I met him though."

 

[Ilan]

"Fellows, I will search for a safe place to rest tonight. For Wulf and Diactum can use some, I think. You can travel slow. When you reach the campsite, I will have that ready for you. In case of danger, I will fall back and try to reach you. Don't wait anywhere for me. I will find you."

"The village will be two maybe three days away, since we don't have enough horses and a Hobgoblin to take care of. When we reach the village we will take a day or two to rest. We are in no rush. In the meantime we can identify most of the items that we can use, like the cloaks and the bracers or the ring. The armours and weapons have a low priority."

"Travel safe and let my path guide you."

I turn away and begin to run.

I run for like four minutes and then pick up a slower pace. I move for about an hour and then go in search for a good campspot. I look for a place where I can make a dry tent or atleast so that we can ly in a dry location. Overhanging trees, something like that. I set up camp not far from the road. I make a mark in a tree by the road so that they can find me. Really obvious, so they don't have to search for it. Like a boulder (but not a very big one) on the road or a branch.