Yes, I'll do it regardless of an attack of opportunity.
posted by Scholeologist at 3/20/2004 02:24:00 PM

I've got a better idea for my move: first, I get up, of course. Second, if I can, and if the xorn haven't already eaten through the horse and gotten to the supplies, I get the plate armor out of the bags and toss it just over their, uh, "heads". If this is an impossible option, I go back to the other two ideas from previously.
posted by Scholeologist at 3/20/2004 01:32:00 PM

I like the little xorns too, especially now that they're a little further away from me.

While I get up and draw my waraxe (silly me, I should have drawn it way before now) I indulge in a little dialogue:

"Damnation, people! Why do you insist on walking into every ambush?! Are you trying to keep us from getting to Taur'egk?"

I'm low in the initiative order, so what I do depends on how things are going. (Really, my only choice is whether and how I move while I draw my waraxe). If the xorn are taking some punishment and haven't eaten most of the supplies on the horse, I move around the horse corpse (say that ten times fast) to engage one of them with my axe. If the horse and its supplies are a lost cause, and the new xorn don't seem hurt, I say "Northwest! Regroup to the northwest!" and start to get on Linnam's horse. (Hey, I need it more than him.)
posted by Scholeologist at 3/20/2004 10:18:00 AM

"Slthm, don't be silly. You've seen Drusilla's effectiveness in combat -- she's not a piece of meat.

"This is a bad idea. If it wants to eat us, I want no part of it. You called it a `twisted child of chaos and rock' -- if it's made out of stone, my axes and arrows won't do much good, and I don't like this `twisting mortal plans' stuff. On another day, I might be more sanguine, but we have miles to go, and much work ahead, and don't have time to play around with this weird thing."

Barik gets out of Drusilla's line of fire. He also tries to get people to back up and put some more distance between the party and the clay-pot-with-teeth.
posted by Scholeologist at 3/19/2004 01:59:00 PM

"Just to be clear, I don't mean to walk right next to it, but since we're not enclosed, there's nothing keeping us from giving it a wide berth."

Barik waits to see what else Slthm does.
posted by Scholeologist at 3/19/2004 11:25:00 AM

If Barik can effectively commandeer Dru's horse, that's peachy for me. She's pretty possessive about her stuff, though, it seems. :)

So, Barik (mounted) in front, Linnam and Slthm in the rear, Dru in the middle (on foot) -- if we can go three abreast, why not Grell and Bishop both in front too, and if we go two abreast, Grell in front and Bishop in the middle with Dru? That keeps Dru and Slthm separated and has that "melee in front, missiles and magic back" kinda feel.

[Barik's TB] I swear, if we run into a sleeping dragon it'll be all I can do to keep this lot from poking it with a stick.

As the head is flying through the air: "Everything smells wrong about this...do you really think finding out if it likes fresh skulls is such a good idea?"
posted by Scholeologist at 3/19/2004 09:29:00 AM

How about a marching order of
front rank: Grell and Bishop
middle: Barik + Dru (on Dru's horse), Slthm
rear: Linnam

Slthm could be in the rear, instead -- whichever he prefers.

"I don't like this. For one thing, I don't know what it is -- and there aren't a lot of critters in these mountains that I haven't at least heard of. For another thing, we can't afford any more delays: at the rate we're going, we won't even make it to the gate Agar saw until after Hextor's Flail rises. We don't want to find out what consequences that might have.

"So far, it hasn't been too aggressive, but that might change, and those teeth and claws look nasty. Can't we just try to ride past it and avoid it altogether? We've got to keep moving. Right here is where we run the most risk of being spotted by orc patrols, and the Dead Horse goblins are all around here also. We don't know what it wants, and it didn't directly attack us...let's just gallop around it."

Speaking of getting a move on, how fast does Slthm move? Is he (or someone else) holding us up?


posted by Scholeologist at 3/19/2004 05:48:00 AM

[Barik, I'll e-mail you regarding some geography notes soon.]
Thanks, 'cause I'm all confoozled. Did we go through the chasm (towards where the goblins came from), and out the other side, and are continuing westward?

Also, does Barik know anything about this funny creature?

[Bob's TB] If only Barik had a high IQ in addition to his rugged good looks, he could probably speak its language. :)

"Barik, I don't understand how the bird-messages work. Can you send the bird whither you will? Or only to Argunn Lode?"

[Bob's TB] This is my reading of the PH. If it actually works differently, please substitute the right thing.

"I can direct the bird to any place I am familiar with; for example, I could send it to Pelor's Temple in Two Towers. Or I could send it to an obvious place -- the peak of Mount Thunderhead, for example. But the bird just sits there and awaits someone taking the message. Kinvol and the Stone Brothers expect such messages, and I can direct the bird to his window or the table in the main hall. If I sent the bird to the entrance of Pelor's Temple, it might well be ignored.

"Kinvol is better equipped to send messages on to Kray, Kevlor, and Crimson Peak, so I intend to send my message to him to relay on."

[Bob's TB] I really wanted to turn this into a "killing two stones with one bird" joke, but it was just too tortuous.

posted by Scholeologist at 3/18/2004 07:20:00 AM

Bob does his happy Survival roll dance.

For setting up a campsite, I recommend setting up two tripwires across the chasm on the side of the camp that the goblins came from (the west side in the picture,) because I like them. One knee-high, and one neck-high. I can do this with my rope and pitons. I make sure everyone knows about the ropes and sees where they are. I don't have any other campsite ideas. As usual, I don't much care about a campfire, and don't suggest it on my own (us darkvision types don't need it for light, and I'm not hopeful that cooked goblin will taste any better than raw goblin.) But if the humans want a fire or torches or something, that's okay with me.

Where are we - we're back on the trail, but how far along? How long before we get to hill giant territory, and how long to the undead horrors?

"If anyone wants to send a message back, let me know tonight and I'll be able to get a messenger bird tomorrow. We should send the sad tidings of Alonzo, and perhaps also exhort them to view the Thundarkar as friends, rather than enemies."

I think I'm going to eat one of my rations for dinner, and not share in Slthm's feast. "I don't know about humans, but unfortunately dwarves can't digest goblin meat." [Barik's TB: at least, this dwarf can't.]

Barik doesn't care where he goes in watch order, but if Grell isn't able to heal us up to full, he, Bishop, and I should probably get a full 8 hours sleep. And Dru probably does too. Does Slthm have darkvision? Does he need 8 hours sleep?

How about watch order of:
Bishop & Linnam (while there's still some light)
Drusilla
Barik
Slthm
Grell & Linnam (as it's lightening up, and giving Grell time for sunrise rituals)

If Slthm doesn't need 8 hours and has darkvision, he could also stay up with Drusilla's shift. If he doesn't have darkvision, we probably should have torches or a fire.



posted by Scholeologist at 3/17/2004 09:10:00 AM

Barik's Tangle thingy didn't work huh?
Someone's Web worked even better, so I didn't bother with mine. :)

"Well fought, everyone! Truly, our two spellcasters were devastating! Bishop, I think Alonzo would be proud! And I hope to learn to draw a bow as fast as that sometime -- that was some trick! Linnam, a lot more fun doing the chasing down than the running away, eh? Strae and Spade, you are both courageous warriors! And yes, Spade, I saw you rend that goblin limb from limb -- I'll be sure to tell your badger buddies who's the baddest badger of them all.

"And Grell! This is the first time I've seen you in your brilliant armor -- I hope you feel as good as you look, because you look like an Avenging Angel of Pelor!"

"That Bokhat, he sure was hard to hit -- anyone care for that armor? Unfortunately, I can't be effective weighed down in something that bulky, even if it did fit me. Bishop, Traveller might do well with that fine barding -- perhaps we can save yours, in case we catch a military mount later on, without killing it. It's a shame Lightfoot's not here -- ah, poor Lightfoot...well, no time for that now. We can mourn our losses after we've proven they haven't been in vain.

"Just in case, we probably ought to split up the gold between us, in case we get separated and need to buy our way out of something. I don't have any coin on me -- does anyone? I'll hold onto whatever of the coins seems fair.

"Other than Bokhat's ill-gotten lucre, none of these goblins seem to have anything useful to our quest. Slthm, you're welcome to snack, but we should move on soon -- do you want to, uh, take a leg for the road or something?"

I take it the worg-riders didn't have any swag? Just checking.
posted by Scholeologist at 3/16/2004 07:06:00 AM

He was really just an enemy. Taur'egk is more of an arch-enemy. Grell had a nemesis...maybe if the campaign goes back to Athkatla we'll run into Linnam's bête noire...

[Bob TB] Merriam-Webster's thesaurus doesn't have nemesis, but it does have "momus" and "nonage". That just ain't right.
posted by Scholeologist at 3/15/2004 12:15:00 PM

Yeah, three cheers for the Wuwu!

Wuwu! Wuwu! Wuwu!
posted by Scholeologist at 3/15/2004 09:02:00 AM

"Victory! Well done, friends!"

DM, correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks to me like there's not much we can do about the fleeing worg rider. He's faster than us, he'll be out of sight before Barik can cast Entangle or Linnam can shoot, and Bishop and Grell would have to change weapons to get a shot at him, right? If Barik thinks there's a chance to get him, he says "Cavalry, after the rider! Don't let him get away! Don't worry about the grunts!" If he can cast Entangle into the area where the rider will be, he does, and also shouts "Stay right in the middle of the chasm! The shrubs on the walls will catch anyone on the sides!"

But if not, we'll worry about him later, if at all. In that case, Barik says "We'll have to get him later! Let's get those stragglers!" Barik runs down the chasm toward the retreating goblins, sheathing his axes and readying his bow.

[Bob's TB] What a spunky little guy. I expect the other goblins will be dropped by someone else long before he has a chance, but off he trots nonetheless. :)

"Bohkat, you were lucky to get away from us before, but not again. You were proud that your hands were black with evil -- I am glad your pride has brought you to your just end."

Shouldn't someone be doing some taunting? After all, this is Barik's arch-enemy we're facing here!
After the embarrassing scene with the ogres at the tower battle, when I wrote a couple of poems (which I was quite proud of) that Barik didn't manage to speak because some grunt whomped on him, I've been refraining from trash-talking until after the fight -- don't wanna jinx myself again. :)


posted by Scholeologist at 3/15/2004 07:27:00 AM

Assuming Bishop doesn't look torn to pieces from the hobgoblin, I help out Grell. Full attack on the worg. If I'm lucky enough to kill it I'll switch targets: to the worg-rider if he falls in range, to the hobgoblin if not. If I can: I take a 5' step to get to flanking the worg-rider if he's still mounted, or to get to within 5' of him if he's on the ground (so he can't use his lance on me), or to start to flank the hobgoblin if the worg rider's not in my immediate area.

How many goblins are there?

Oh yeah: Attack +8/+7/+3/+2 (waraxe/throwing axe/waraxe/throwing axe), damage +3.
posted by Scholeologist at 3/14/2004 11:28:00 AM

If Drusilla's invisible and stuff, is her horse invisible too? If she's not going to be on her horse, can I borrow it for the combat? And if so, wouldn't it make more sense for me to replace Grell alongside Bishop as the `bait', since (I think) I can shoot better than Grell? If Drusilla stays on her horse, ignore this post. :)
posted by Scholeologist at 3/14/2004 09:50:00 AM