[Completed] - Herrin Buttonhook/Goblin Forest - 1 Mar, 1 VC

[Keehnelf]

This thread is for the expedition to the Goblin Forest, led by Herrin Buttonhook, intrepid halfling. It departed from Vaul on 1 March, 1 VC and included the following members:

Herrin Buttonhook - male halfling (merias)
Njord Svarld - male human (GTan_Baq)
Ulf Stronghammer - male dwarf (Zhym)
Elbreth - male elf (LtTibbles)

I will send a group PM with links to all character sheets to the group, so you can have them as reference for your journey.

Please use dialog tags for character speech, and ooc tags for mechanics-related commentary or questions directed to me. Please make sure you identify your character (preferably using bold) somewhere if there is any speech or character action in your post.

You can orient yourselves using the map available in the first post of the maps thread in this forum. Feel free to download and modify that as you wish, or to start from scratch with your own map if you feel the need to keep one. It is entirely up to you.

For orientation purposes, there are six main directions of travel from hex to hex (of course): East and West, and then NE, SE, NW, and SW. Please use those directions when indicating desired movement overland if you don't have a landmark within a hex that you are attempting to reach.

To start with, I'll need Herrin (or his proxy) to indicate the initial direction of travel out of Vaul.

[merias]

I think really any direction is OK, since we know nothing of the area. So northeast, unless anyone has any objection to heading towards the mountain.

Herrin does a final check of his gear even as the group heads out.

[Keehnelf]

2 March, 1 VC - On the Moor Near Vaul

The party heads out northeast from the town, in the general direction of the mountain that rises up out of Goblin Forest. The land is a grassy moor, with bits of rock jutting out from under the thin soil and a general covering of scrub and long, tough grass swaying in the gentle early-spring breeze.

The group passes one or two abandoned farms along the way, but when they make searches they find nothing of value. Either the former inhabitants brought everything worth carrying with them, or the houses have been thoroughly ransacked since being emptied. About an hour before sunset, the party spots a group of mounted goblins far off in the distance to the north, perhaps a mile or more away, four or five of them atop what appear to be large wolves. The leader of the column has a spear or lance from which a long, delicate pennant flaps in the gusts of wind. Soon after, they disappear among the folds of the land and are not seen again.

The group camps that night in the lee of a rocky outcrop, wrapped up tight against the cool air of the night, which passes uneventfully.

Random Wilderness Encounter [1d6] = 2

Each member of the group has consumed one day's rations. Please mark your character sheets accordingly. The party has moved one hex to the northeast.

[GTan_Baq]

Njord will keep his shortbow at the ready in case any animals come in range. Cursing himself for not packing enough rations.

[LtTibbles]

Elbreth keeps his longbow in hand and a weary eye out to the north, "We should take care not to get caught out in the open, those goblins would have the advantage and I have reservations about our ability to outrun them if we were to be spotted."

[merias]

"Agreed, Elbreth. I for one am much more at home in the forest. We should seek its protection as soon as possible. Let us continue in this direction for another day and see what comes of it," Herrin says. "Also, I have six days of rations left, we must take care to not venture too far, unless we want to hunt for our meals."

He will keep his sling ready and his eyes open for the edge of the forest.

[Zhym]

Ulf sharpens his axe. "Aye. Best to keep low," he says.

[Keehnelf]

2 March, 1 VC - At the a Edge of Goblin Forest (12:30pm)

The party breaks camp at the start of the second day, keeping a careful eye out for more goblin forces. Nothing of the sort is spotted and, in fact, Njord who is keeping a watch for game animals discovers that the moor is remarkably lean on targets, almost as though the area has been heavily hunted already. Seeking more information, he starts to scan the ground more closely for animal signs and finds large numbers of wolf tracks passing all across and along their current route. Some of the tracks are alarmingly large.

The party navigates by the mountain, which had lived up to its grim name the previous sunset with a ghoulish red cast. The southwestern face of the mountain is sheer and steep, almost blank looking in its uniformity. Despite its height (it probably reaches 10,000 feet) and the early spring chill, no snow clings to the peak.

Just after the mid-day meal, the party comes within sight of the forest. The land slopes downward from the moor toward the wood's edge, and near where the trees take over a rough undergrowth of ivy and small bushes develops. Scattered among the trees are some trunks of remarkable size, but variety of type and shape is the order of the day. There is no sign of a goblin presence here along the tree line, but Njord spots what appears to be a worn animal track some distance to west winding its way into the undergrowth.

[GTan_Baq]

Njord begins following the animal track and becons the others to follow him. "At least in this undergrowth we will have some cover. I only have 1 days rations left. I didnt plan very well, sorry."

[Keehnelf]

March 2, 1:10pm - In Goblin Forest

The party follows Njord into the undergrowth along the animal trail. He keeps a careful eye out once again for any quarry, but also on the trail which, after a time, appears to be almost exclusively the home of wolf tracks.

After a mile of so of travel through the sun-dappled undergrowth, the party catches the faint sound of running water, calm and quiet. Before any source of the sound can be located, however, an unusually broad-trunked tree appears in the distance. The trail the party is following seems to be gradually winding its way toward the tree's base.

After a few more minutes, the party spies up ahead a clearing around the base of the tree, which itself is above ground level, it's roots thrown upward by some ancient cataclysm or the ground around the roots eroded over centuries.

An especially wide gap in the roots reveals an opening the appears to lead underground, and a long black pennant hangs fluttering slightly from a lower branch of the tree nearby.

A thorough and well-constructed anti-cavalry barricade has been erected in the clearing surrounding the opening, and a single goblin in leather armor leans somewhat lazily on a spear in the entrance. It appears not to have spotted the party.

[merias]

Herrin moves off the path, into the cover of the woods, motioning for everyone else to do the same.

"If I can sneak a bit closer I can attempt to take out that guard with my sling, then have you all attack from cover if needed," he whispers.

OOC: About how far are we from the goblin?

[Keehnelf]

About 100 feet.

[Keehnelf]

March 2, 1:20pm

As Herrin moves closer to the goblin sentry, there is blur of movement from under the roots of the tree and a second goblin, similarly attired and also with a long spear, appears from the shadows rubbing his eyes. Those who can understand goblin (Elbreth and Ulf, I believe) overhear the following conversation from a safe distance:

"Zak, stop lazing about! The devil-sun might be blinding but that's no excuse to fall asleep on the job!"

Zak: (inaudible muttering)

"Hahahaha, that's a laugh. King-Knife-Eyes-in-the-Shadows has his hands full with other problems, as you well know."

Zak: "Just because there haven't been any attacks in a week doesn't mean we're in the clear. He's cunning as a beast can be."

(the first goblin cackles and surprisingly switches to a formal dwarven dialect - only Ulf understands - and utters a ritualistic sounding oath-proverb) "Halls of stone and a hammer of shining mithril alone never made a goblin a king!" (back to goblin) "He's still a beast. And the fiery lord will have plenty to say if he pushes too hard."

Zak shakes his head wearily. "I'm just sick of this sun: it feels like it's been ages since I spent more than a span underground."He trudges wearily off into the shadows of the tree where he disappears from view.

[merias]

Herrin moves back to the others, still staying off the path.

"What shall we do? - I saw two guards, one is in hiding."

[LtTibbles]

"I speak a bit of goblin and was able to pick up on what one of them was saying, if we can manage to get the jump on them and restrain them we could perhaps get some some information from one or the other." Elbreth knocked an arrow and shifted his gaze to the groups rear. "One of them spoke of something named King-Knife-Eyes-in-the-Shadows, the creature called it a beast. Apparently whatever Knife-Eyes is has made attacks against them recently, they seem to think that it might attack them again."

[GTan_Baq]

Njord puts his bow away and gets out his axe and shield. "If we are capturing one we may want to do so soon before more show up."

[Keehnelf]

I'll wait until a plan has been hatched before I do anymore narrating so nobody gets ahead of the group.

[merias]

"I can still distract that one with my sling, from a position of hiding, then we can rush in after and leave one alive to question," Herrin says, pointing at the visible goblin.

OOC: I think we are just waiting on Ulf?

[Keehnelf]

Ok is the plan to hit the goblin with the sling or to make a disturbance somewhere with it to draw him out?

[merias]

Ok is the plan to hit the goblin with the sling or to make a disturbance somewhere with it to draw him out?

Herrin wants to hit him with it...killing one of them is OK, he figures, as long as one is left to question. He'll need to sneak a bit closer to do that.