CH. 5: Vying Factions

[BishGada]

Tulbas continues the conversation, "Can you describe the cave? Is there a narrowing so they can't attack us all together? That would be a good position to lure them to and blast them, so the first victims will block the next ones."

[Haahque]

"Yeah, the passageway leading into the cave is just 15 feet across. We'd have trouble fighting four abreast ourselves in such space, I'm going to take a guess and say it'd be a lot harder for someone five times my size."

[mgbevan]

Gregeddin asks, "was there anything else down there, like more of those big wolves? It seems odd that there would only be two in a pack." The bard concurs, "I too think luring them into a bottleneck and covering them in slippery fire sounds like a cracking idea. If only there was some way we could entice them out..."

[JadedDM]

Magnus chuckles. "Tossing a fireball into a fifteen foot wide corridor could cause a cave-in. That may well solve our problem, although it would cut us off from your precious prisoners and treasure."

[BishGada]

Tulbas considers Magnus remark and says, "I think if we wait for them to fall asleep," his eyes shifts to Jaymes for a moment, "it might be too late fore the prisoners." He turns to Haaque, "How big is the cave itself?" and then he looks at Magnus waiting to hear if the cave is big enough so that if he casts his fireball close to its opening, it will absorb the blast without collapsing and still be far enough from the prisoners.
"In any case I think we can use illusions both to lure them out without risking someone of the group, and to confuse them, such as believing the passageway is flooded with burning oil or the like."

[Haahque]

"The cave is enormous, huge, even giant! It's like over 150 ft square."

[JadedDM]

"Oh, I can create a distraction with illusions easy enough," Ismene adds.

"I feel we are relying too much on magic," Jaymes objects. "No good will come of it."

"The longer we stand here bickering about it, the more likely those people will be dead by the time we do act," Miriam interjects. She looks to Haahqae and Gregeddin. "You two are the leaders here, are you not? What are your orders?"

[Haahque]

"Well then, why don't I gnomish greasy meat the tunnel entrance to the room, then Ismene lures them onto it with an illusion. That way the big folk end will end up in a pile not quite in the 15ft tunnel. Then Mangus makes fried giant there. That shouldn't cause a cave collapse right?"

[mgbevan]

"I concur, we will use the gnomish greasy meat and fire combination. Once combat breaks out, Zoya, Mateo and myself will head in to finish off any of the three ogres. I will trust the rest of our fighters to engage the giant, there should be enough of us to occupy it so thay the prisoners can be saved afterwards. And that goes for treasure too, killing gets done first. Spellcasters, I leave it to your discretion where to use your abilities. It's important that we communicate as the fight develops to support each other. I'd rather all of us be able to walk back to Haven than be dragged there."
The bard looks around the faces of the group to gauge their reactions, "Understood and agreed comrades?"

[JadedDM]

"Okay!" Ismene agrees. "I'll make myself invisible and go in alone, then make an illusionary distraction to lead them to the chamber entrance. I'll leave the rest to you guys."

"Then I'll cast my spell as soon as they are in position," Magnus agrees.

"Hopefully there won't be anything left of the ogres after the spell," Mateo jokes, although he is unable to fully hide the fear in his voice.

"Then let us move out," Miriam says, drawing her blade.

[BishGada]

Tulbas, pleased the plans agree with his suggestion, just nods to the others. Before everyone starts to prepare for the fight he asks Haaque, "How many sling bullets do you have? I have only three and if we can split all of the ammunition among ourselves I might be more effective in the fight." Then to the others he says, "Haaque will grease the cave entrance and I can grease the location of the giant. Someone should throw a torch or a burning arrow on it to lit it up and burn the giant." He looks around to see who will do it.

[Haahque]

Haahqae digs around in his ammo pouch and produces a handful of its contents. "Looks like I have three bullets and a token to the city. Hmm, I probably shouldn't use that one if I can help it. So it looks like our ammo supply is already even, although I do also have arrows. Arrows are nice sometimes. Anyways, I should probably get going. You know, preparations with greasing things and getting a nice aimed shot on the back of the giants head and stuff like that to do." Haahqae returns the bullets to his pouch and slips the token into his backpack, then proceeds down the passage to grease the entrance to the tunnel.

Once at the other end of the tunnel Haahqae will attempt to remain quiet as he casts the grease spell with a little extra ritualistic chanting, juggling and dancing around to make it look like he's not casting a standard Grease spell*. He will cast grease so that there is 1 hex each between the grease and the north and west walls**.

If Haahqae has not been detected by the ogres or giant while casting the spell, he will then move silently down the west wall 50 ft and hide. If he was spotted he will simply retreat back up the tunnel to meet the rest of the party.

*from a previous exchange, he knows that both Tulbas and Magnus know what a standard grease spell look like
** I keep forgetting if 1 hex is 5ft by 5ft like 3.5e/4e or if it's a different scale. Do ogres and giants take up more then 1 hex each?
(Ooc: I probably should have specified that I planned to bring my bow + quiver today, I was expecting to fight (and therefore need it))

[mgbevan]

As the group prepares, Gregeddin dons his leather armour and produces a torch and tinder box from his backpack, "Anyone with a burning desire to put some hurt onto that giant?" he says with a coy smile to himself over the pun.

[JadedDM]

Ismene pulls the hood of her red robes up over her head, and promptly vanishes from sight. A little while later, she can be heard chanting, her voice echoing in the giant's chamber. The giant and the ogres start looking around, hearing a voice, but unable to figure out where it's coming from. They all grab their clubs.

Suddenly, a fourth ogre appears in the middle of the chamber. It's supposed to be a female, but it's not very convincing. Rather, it looks like one of the male ogres, but with prominent breasts, makeup, and a pink bow in her hair. "Hiiii there, big boys," she says flirtatiously in the Common tongue.

The ogres and giant don't seem particularly aroused, but it is distracting them. They all move around her, carefully, and as a result pay little attention when Haahqae begins casting his own spell. One of the ogres swings his club at the female ogre, and is surprised when his weapon passes through her and she starts to flicker and fade in response.

The giant is the first to realize something is amiss, and spots Haahqae and the others just as the gnome finishes the spell. He points at them and says something in a strange language, and all three ogres forget about the illusion and turn toward the party.

========

Ismene activates her Robes of Vanishing, moves an unknown distance and casts Spectral Force.
Gregeddin dons his leather armor and prepares a torch and tinderbox.
Haahqae casts Grease.
Ogre 02 attacks Illusionary Ogre.

(OOC: The ogres and giant will now approach. Actions for Round 1?)

[BishGada]

Tulbas assesses the situation quickly and decides to cast Grease in the middle of the path between the monsters and the group.
That way if Magnus will cast his fireball on the current location of the monsters and they will still be on their feet, the grease will be another defense "wall" between them, and if Magnus will cast his fireball when the monsters are in the middle of the path, they might suffer extra damage from the burning grease.
"Try not to burn the humans" he says quietly to Magnus and casts the grease, his chants are lost in the rattle of the chains as the warriors tense before action!

'Solid ground turns slippery,
Stable legs fumble,
Every step becomes treachery,
Will you care to gamble?'



============================================================
(OOC: I debated whether to make plans together with Magnus regarding where and when to cast the fireball, and then decided against it. No mage would like to be told when and where to cast his spells, especially not a more experienced black robed mage so Tulbas just decides to do the best he can under normal assumptions.

Tulbas casts Grease on the middle of the path between the monsters and the group.
Maybe on the next level Tulbas will adjust his chants.

JadedDM can you please roll initiative for me? Thanks.
)