Barik moves east (20') and shoots a frost arrow at the ogre mage. Hopefully that'll get around his tree cover. BAB +10, Damage +6 (+2 Str, +2 Mag, +2 Fav Enemy). (Scott already knows this, but I like typing it, in the hopes it'll apply: damage 1d6 + 1d6 (frost), critical x3).

I know this goes against the "scatter!" idea, but the other logical place to go is northwest, and Barik, as the only person still bearing the full brunt of the cold attack, doesn't want to be the only party member that the ogres have a clear shot at.
posted by Scholeologist at 5/08/2004 06:33:00 AM

Barik's got a while before it's his turn to act, and a lot might change by then. In the meantime, here's a window into his thoughts:

"These flying ruukwenders really p!$$ me off! Them and their bedamned magic blasts! I have come back from the dead to strike you down, you bastard son of a snake! If there were justice, you would feel my steel rend your black heart ere you could run away, coward! Though you are right to tremble, for justice or no, I will find you, I will kill you, and your stain will be wiped from these mountains by my hand!"
posted by Scholeologist at 5/07/2004 07:26:00 AM

Barik went south because, although we want to go west in general, going west now means going closer to the ogres that we just spotted (who are NW of us). Barik plans therefore to lead the way south, which isn't backwards (toward the east, where something nasty might be), but isn't forwards (where something nasty is), hopefully until we're out of sight of the ogres. Then we can bend westward.

But technically, this is a bump in the route -- the party isn't discussing what direction to go now that we've seen the ogres, we're changing direction now that we've seen them to avoid them. (Talking while in their earshot doesn't earn us stealth points.)

Back in pre-ogre conversation, Barik intended the cavalry to go "in front". The stealthies can see us and where we're going, but not the other way around. If the lead group spots something and has to change direction, the stealthies can continue to follow us; it doesn't work the other way. Except in the case of running away, I didn't think we'd be out of sight of them (they, of course, are practically already out of sight of us), so setting up a meeting point wouldn't be necessary.


posted by Scholeologist at 5/06/2004 08:25:00 PM

"Yes, by `cover us' I mean that if we have to fight, you should come in -- but by surprise, from a position of strength. If you are discovered first, then we shall charge to your aid, though that should be unlikely. We will not take flight if you are exposed -- our flight should serve to distract anyone from you, and hopefully you will follow after us undetected. If the battle is forced upon us, I think you will have no doubt -- you will see who sets upon us, whether we run or fight, and how best to blindside them."

Once we spot the ogres, I'll try to continue with the plan -- Barik leads the horsemen along, quietly quietly, further south and away from the ogres. Keep looking east, ogres, keep watching out for whatever it is you're watching out for...
posted by Scholeologist at 5/06/2004 09:27:00 AM

For lack of something better to do, Barik takes the horse from Linnam.

I've got a few questions.

What's the terrain like? Are Grell and Bishop still mounted, or are we having to walk the horses through dense trees and stuff? If they're still mounted, Barik gets on Linnam's horse too. Are we free to ride, or is the terrain too rough for any galloping (without Ride checks)?

Can we see much of the ogres? Are they behind cover (from the trees) relative to us? If we can see them, do they look injured? Armed? Are there convenient ogre-hand-sized rocks around them?

I'm all for letting the ogres get eaten. The issue is, how do we get out of the midst of the fight, when we're not all footpads? Slthm and Drusilla are both invisible, right?

Assuming that we can ride, here's Barik's plan: "Okay, it's not ideal, but let's try to do the same thing we did in the valley before the orc army. Linnam, Slthm, Drusilla -- you're much less likely to get spotted than the rest of us. Cover the rest of us from a bit away -- follow Linnam's lead. We three will try to continue on without being noticed -- but if the ogres catch sight of us, we'll try to gallop away. Follow us as quietly as you can -- we'll pull up when we're out of danger, and wait for you. If you somehow lose sight of us and our trail and get lost, stick together. If you haven't caught up when we expect, Spade and I can retrace our steps and find you."

[Bob's TB] Of course, whether we actually gallop away depends a little bit on circumstances.
posted by Scholeologist at 5/06/2004 06:52:00 AM

Good golly. Why'd we bother turning this guy invisible for? I can barely see him where he is.

Barik: Listen +6, Spot +5, Hide +2, Move Silently +2. (incl. armor, and with at least a point spent on each one.)

"As we go, if you see my hand go up, freeze. If I wave my hand, take cover as best you can. If someone else hears or spots something, give a whisper, and we'll freeze."

Barik's going to switch to his shortbow and a frost arrow [Bob's TB: and every time he switches weapons, I covet the Quick Draw feat], figuring he might be shooting at a big target. If there's anywhere we can pass and a big critter couldn't (under a thicket of tree branches, a rocky outcropping, whatever), Barik heads for it. After Linnam's comment, Barik tries to keep the group under the foliage. He tries to cut a very wide berth around whatever that was.

Barik keeps his eyes and ears peeled for anything (particularly anything blue), and talks in a whisper. "Dragon or not, anything strong enough to take out a group of hill giants, or whatever they were, is nothing to get tangled with. If Slthm's got more of those lightning bolts, throwing a couple of those might make it reconsider. But unless it's sleeping, or gets fried by those bolts, I think running might be the best choice. The mounted men could speed away, Drusilla could use her invisibility, and after the danger's passed, we walkers can catch up."
posted by Scholeologist at 5/05/2004 09:57:00 AM

"I say we waste no more time, and heed Strae's advice. I don't know what big blue horned thing he might have seen, and right now I've no wish to find out. Let's make our way around, off the path, right now."
posted by Scholeologist at 5/05/2004 04:27:00 AM

"Agar's message mentioned hill giants -- maybe that's what we're hearing. If we're near their settlement, that's a good sign, but all the more reason to avoid them. I am trained in fighting giants, if by `fighting' you mean `avoiding getting pulped.' But that's a tactic that only lasts so long, and is really meant to distract the giant while organizing a retreat. Better to avoid the confrontation in the first place.

"Elf-maid, if your owl is still well, let us proceed to make our way around, and you can tell us what he saw when he gets back. If he is in danger, then we must organize a rescue, but by stealth, rather than strength, if at all possible."
posted by Scholeologist at 5/04/2004 06:35:00 PM

"The danger is not over -- worgs often hunt in packs. There may be others; look to your flanks! These worgs are likely as not to be hunting for themselves, not for goblins or anyone else. The only way to be sure is to track the other worg, and other than Strae I don't think we can spare the time.

"For news of our presence to reach Taur'egk through this worg would require a somewhat unlikely path. The goblins and orcs do not seem to be working in concert, and it would be strange for worgs to ally with orcs directly. "

Assuming that we don't catch a sign of any other worgs..."Perhaps it was just a pair, or the others ran off too. We'd best move on -- our most effective weapon may be the speed we can muster."
posted by Scholeologist at 5/03/2004 06:08:00 AM