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Post by Daos on Dec 29, 2020 12:12:27 GMT -8
(OOC: Just for the sake of moving forward, I'm going to say a roll isn't really necessary. As I said, the trail the raiders left behind is super easy to follow anyway, so it will be easy to find it again if the party veers off for awhile.) The party veers off the path, bypassing the rearguard entirely, and eventually circle around to reach the path again some distance later. After another couple of hours of travel, they reach what must be the raider's camp. It seems the cultists have set up their camp in the hollow of a rocky plateau that's shaped roughly like a horseshoe. The lower portion of the plateau rises gently from the surrounding land, but it quickly steepens and ascends to a height of 150 feet above the landscape. Boulders form jumbled heaps at the bases of the cliffs. The level shelves and top of the plateau are covered in long grass, and brush and scrubby trees grow in patches. (OOC: Click to enlarge.) The cultists have built two guard towers at the camp, one at the entrance to the hollow and one atop the plateau. These towers are 20 feet high and made from rough timbers lashed together with rope. A long ladder is lashed to the cliff beneath the plateau tower for easy access. The camp is filled with various tents and circular huts of various sizes; some in diameter of 10 feet, and others up to 25 feet. Surprisingly, security seems rather lax. Nobody is stopping anyone from walking in, and indeed, stragglers and wounded are still slowly arriving and entering the camp as the party watches.
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Post by Igordragonian on Dec 29, 2020 12:19:30 GMT -8
'Should we pretend to be another mercenary group? If we walk with confidence and to the Takhisis salute... we might be fine. For once... the omens seems... good' Zakkoth say
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Post by HorizonsDream on Dec 29, 2020 13:11:11 GMT -8
"I'm thinking we might want to take out the watch towers," Eliana says softly.
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Post by GorgonHeap on Dec 30, 2020 7:06:27 GMT -8
Observing the size of the camp and numbers involved, Benyt has a great many reservations. She looks at the blonde woman - can't recall her name - and says, "Let's not act hastily. I hadn't expected to encounter this great a force. First thing is to prioritize your goals. For instance, do you mean to attack and kill the entire enemy force, or do you mean primarily to release captured Greenest folk? In either case, do you have another means of scouting? Magic or an animal friend?"
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Matt4
Paragon
Posts: 3,545
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Post by Matt4 on Dec 30, 2020 8:00:12 GMT -8
Chantilly SweettoothHP: 19/19 - AC: 16 - Perception: 15 - Insight: 11 - Inspiration: No Chantilly nods along as Benyt speaks, agreeing with her, not because she shares her concern but mostly as to avoid more killing than what would be necessary for their mission. " I think our main goal here is to save Zakkoth's friend. Do we know if there were other Greenest people who were taken in as prisoners?"
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Post by HorizonsDream on Dec 30, 2020 12:54:22 GMT -8
"Uh, no," Eliana says to Benyt. "We don't even know where the hostages are being held at this point."
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Post by Zero Prime on Dec 30, 2020 13:51:49 GMT -8
Caelin Valaerys, pariah of TarkhisisARMOR CLASS: 17 | HIT POINTS: 18 | CURRENT: 18 | HIT DIE: d8; d10 | CURRENT: d8; d10 PASSIVE PERCEPTION: 15 | PASSIVE INSIGHT: 17 | INSPIRATION: 0 ACTIVE EFFECTS: None. CONDITIONS: None. Caelin, much like Benyt, did not like the odds on discovery of the camp, this operation was much larger than any his cell had ever participated in. However, as the others spoke, rudimentary threads began to weave themselves into a semblance of action. "Zakkoth is right, we could likely walk right into camp, as long as we do it quickly." He paused, considering what information they had, "We ran into that outlying party of mixed men and kobolds, raiders returning to camp. So as long as stragglers are still returning, the camp guard likely won't be scrutinizing every new arrival." Another pause, those who knew him best could see some reluctance on his face, "But Eliana is right as well, we don't even know where they are holding the captives." A wince, "Unless we return with captives of our own," a look towards Eliana and Chantilly, "a mother and child. That way we can get directed straight to the captives, and have a reason to be there."He looked almost apologetically at Eliana and Chantilly, "I do not like it, but it does serve our goals. However, we will be forced into a situation where we need to act, and act quickly to secure the remaining captives, and smuggle them through an entire camp of their captors before we can cast aside our deception."
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Post by HorizonsDream on Dec 30, 2020 14:02:29 GMT -8
Eliana looked at Caelin with her mouth open in shock at the idea, even though it was a pretty good idea to learn where the prisoners were being held. "Uh, I don't much like the idea of being a prisoner, but we do learn where they are being held this way," she says. "But what do Chantilly and I do after we are taken to the holding area?" she asks. "And what exactly do they do to their prisoners?"
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Matt4
Paragon
Posts: 3,545
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Post by Matt4 on Dec 30, 2020 19:28:41 GMT -8
Chantilly SweettoothHP: 19/19 - AC: 16 - Perception: 15 - Insight: 11 - Inspiration: No Chantilly ponders carefully Caelin's plan, humming loudly as she did so. " Did you face those guy directly last night? Because if that's so, I think they would definitely recognize Zakkoth, and Lady Eliana... Well, she did make their dragon flee, it's not something I would forget easily." She thought about it for some more seconds before adding: " I could try to go around the camp and gather some informations passing as a cook helper, at least so we'd know where the prisoner are kept." - Chantilly started hopping in place, excited. - " I did it plenty of times, you get to see a lot of nice kitchens and get plenty of ingredients to try new recipes!" - the more she talked about her plan, the more she grew excited and kept on adding details on things she could do or previous shenanigans she orchestrated.
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Post by HorizonsDream on Dec 30, 2020 20:04:40 GMT -8
"The ones that we faced directly are dead," Eliana points out. "And I doubt they saw who fired the weapon. The only one that would recognize me is the dragon, and I haven't seen or felt the dragon near," she says. "And providing that the ones in charge don't see Caelin, it shouldn't be a problem. This is a very large group, larger than I thought it would be."
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Post by GorgonHeap on Dec 31, 2020 13:09:00 GMT -8
Benyt smiled under her scarf. She admired the audacity of Caelin's idea as well. But she would wait to see what the companions decided. She did wonder aloud, however, about simply casting secured ropes down the sides to help escapees with a quick descent. It could conceivably be done anywhere from the top - even from a tent nearest the edge and away from prying eyes.
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Post by Igordragonian on Dec 31, 2020 16:35:10 GMT -8
'We can switch between our clothes' Zakkoth suggest. 'I doubt they took a good look on us, so, if we won't stay in one place for too long, we should be fine.' He pause, look at Chantily. 'This might work, my only concern is how we find each other together... but in short, we always need to be in the move, or at least look busy.'
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Post by Bunny Commando on Jan 1, 2021 7:04:52 GMT -8
Henry - HP: 10\20 - Conditions: None - Active Effects: None
"I would strongly advise against pretending Eliana and Chantilly are prisoners. As fair Eliana said, we do not simply know what would happen to them." Henry put his open hands forward, as to stop someone "And about your question, Benyt - as I said more than once, my goal is to gather as much informations as possible and free whoever was taken captive." then the squire turns silent, watching the raider's camp; after a couple of seconds he clears his voice and addresses the others "I do agree with Zakkoth - we should always moving, so no one would have the chance to give us a good look. I would suggest we divide in pairs, try to find the prisoners and then reconvene near the entrance, where there's a cluster of tents. Chantilly could pass as a cook, I'm just another wounded. When we know where the prisoners are, how many guards there are and what their conditions are we could plan how to free them."
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Post by GorgonHeap on Jan 1, 2021 8:20:11 GMT -8
Benyt - Human Female Fighter 2
"Your goal, yes," she says to Henry, then points to Caelin. "But I believe he is out for vengeance. The Kender's mood changes by the hour. And while I applaud the overall intent of this expedition, I'm only participating because I'm being paid. But with the degree of the threat here, I only want to make certain we're acting ... with a unity of purpose. Distractions and mistakes will get people killed. Before we ascend, let's at least set a rendezvous point we can fall back to should we get separated." She suggests a specific out-of-the-way location you passed some hours ago and says anyone at the rally point should wait no longer for the rest no later than midnight before retreating to Greenest.
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Post by HorizonsDream on Jan 1, 2021 14:25:25 GMT -8
"We all have our reasons for doing this," Eliana says to Benyt. "But if we are divided into pairs, I'll volunteer to go with Caelin."
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