IC XI

[Grognardsw]

Aquar, cleric

"Well I'll take some wine!" jokes Aquar jovially to the fat man, slapping him on the shoulder. "We'll see what we can do about these orc scum. Thank you for your help."

Later, in private with the adventurers: "Well fighting a big band of orcs will take more muscle - mayhap we hire such? Or take a more stealthy approach, though we're not a band of rangers you know. Maybe something clever, like a staged caravan full of sellswords. Or we leave out a few kegs of poisoned ale on the road and spy them back to their lair. Having invisibility enchantments would give us an edge."

[chap126]

Anohir, Priest

"What about using some sort of guerrilla, hit-and-run tactics to reduce their numbers? Draw them out into a ranged weapon ambush and retreat before they can pinpoint our locations. Do this once or three times and we should have sufficiently reduced their numbers to drive them out in a head on confrontation."

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan, dwarf

"I'm always happy to be fighting orcs, but if there are too many then we need to wear them down. Maybe hire some archers to help fight them before we clash with steel".

[thirdkingdom]

The adventurers ask around and find there are some mercenaries for hire in Threshold. They find the following:
1)Nine infantry men clad in leather armor and armed with swords and shields.
2)One swaggering man equipped with chain mail and bearing a sword and shield.
3)Six fellows in leather armor and armed with shortbows and
4)Two in leather with crossbows.

There are no mounted mercenaries in town at the moment.

Prices are, respectively: 6, 12, 9 and 18 gp per month, at a minimum. And they'd need food supplies as well.

[Alethan]

The adventurers ask around and find there are some mercenaries for hire in Threshold. They find the following:
1)Nine infantry men clad in leather armor and armed with swords and shields.
2)One swaggering man equipped with chain mail and bearing a sword and shield.
3)Six fellows in leather armor and armed with shortbows and
4)Two in leather with crossbows.

There are no mounted mercenaries in town at the moment.

Prices are, respectively: 6, 12, 9 and 18 gp per month, at a minimum. And they'd need food supplies as well.

Is that indicated cost a per person cost? So, for example, 6 gp/month for each of the infantry men, making it 54 gp/month for the lot?

[thirdkingdom]

That is the base cost per person.

[Wyzard]

We could easily afford to hire all of them and buy the rations. The real downside is that if they aren't mounted, they slow us down. More time in the wilderness = more wilderness encounter checks.

But I like rolling in deep. I say we hire all of them.

[MonsterMash]

Yes, hire the lot we've got plenty of cash to spend.

[Grognardsw]

Aquar, cleric

"Aye, let's move ahead with our wagon and soldier plans," says Aquar as the others discuss costs and positioning issues. "The empty crates could be flipped up to provide cover for archers. The archer wagon could have a bucket of oil and a nearby torch to quickly fashion flaming arrows."

[thirdkingdom]

Yarthmont 5, AC 1000

The adventurers leave Threshold in the early morning under overcast skies. The swordsman gives his name as Tathas, and wastes no time assuming captaincy of the other mercenaries, based largely on his booming voice and by dint of having once served as a bodyguard to some wealthy Ylari merchant. Tathas insists on driving one of the wagons, and will not take no for an answer.

The road takes the party past Myraal's Tower, past the logging camps and into territory that they have yet to explore. For the bulk of the day it winds through low, forested hills; just as the Road enters a more mountainous region the skies open and they proceed under a light drizzle that lasts for only a few hours, but manages to get everyone thoroughly wet . . . with the exception of the men-at-arms crouched in the back of the wagons who quickly through canvas tarps over their heads. Just after the rain stops -- but with another hour or so left of travel time -- the companions come across a trail that leads off to the west. Aquar and Rhys are able to identify it not as the path they seek, but as a trail that had been rumored to lead to a magical fountain, which granted a drinker mighty strength. Or so their former companions attested, as it had been a rumor heard by them in the early days of the Fellowship.

For those who don't read the Calendar thread, y'all make it to hex 56.15. I am assuming for the sake of the men-at-arms' morale that you did not make them hide in the wagons this whole time.

[Alethan]

Rhys catches Aquar's eye and shakes his head slowly from side to side to indicate they shouldn't discuss the fountain in front of so many ears. That would be a story better told after the orc issue is resolved and the party is looking for something else to do.

[Wyzard]

Severi, Elf

Severi prepares camp in the most defensible way practical. The party now has many warm bodies who mostly rode in wagons during the day, and so there should be no question of having men energetic enough to keep watch.

My thought is we find a copse of dense trees around a clearing or other good spot for our actual camp, since we can spare multiple persons to keep a proper watch at night. We can very easily have five watch periods of one PC and three men-at-arms each, and leave a few people with no watch spell at all. Severi will reserve the darkest part of the night for himself, due to his elf-sight.

Rather than spend a lot of time debating the details, I'm fine with Todd just randomly rolling to see which PC and which three men-at-arms are on watch if we have a nocturnal encounter. Or alternately someone else could propose a watch, it's too much detail work for me.

[thirdkingdom]

I've got no problem with that, Wyzard.

[Alethan]

Yeah, whatever expedites the process.

[Grognardsw]

Aquar, cleric

"Gather round men!" said Aquar after the wagons were loaded and ready to move out from Threshold. "Today we start a journey of justice! We will rid the world of orc scum, keep the Road safe for travellers, and" -- winking at the nearest man -- "make some coin while doing it!" The cleric knows his men's motivation.

Aquar raised his hands in a prayer for travellers: "O Almighty Procan, who hast commissioned Thy guardians to guide and protect us, command them to be our assiduous companions from our setting out until our return; to clothe us with their invisible protection; to keep from us all danger of banditry, of broken axle, of sickness, of fall and bruises, and finally, having preserved us from all evil, and especially from sin, to guide us one day to our watery home. So says Aquar, your humble servant. So say we all!"

During that day's travels, Aquar keeps an eye on forest and road. He circulates among the men, casually querying their godly faiths with friendly comments and jokes. Perhaps some may be susceptable to the wisdom of Procan.

The cleric of Procan settles in that night. He prays for better search results tomorrow.

[chap126]

Anohir, Priest

Anohir travels along with the party. Casting wary eyes and ears to the left and right, and also above.

[thirdkingdom]

Yarthmont 5, AC 1000

The adventurers soon find a campsite that must be often used for shelter by the caravans that have begun to use this road. It is a relatively flat glade, cleared of underbrush and saplings; a rough lean-to stands on one edge and has clearly been used as a makeshift stable. Another lean-to contains a cord or so of cut firewood, no doubt for the use of those passing through. The glade itself sits on a small rise some hundred yards or so from and a dozen or so feet above the Road. No doubt within a few years -- if trade continues unabated -- an inn will appear at this site as if sprouted from the ground, and not long after that a small village.

The night passes uneventfully.

Yarthmonth 6-7 AC 1000

The companions rise and set off along the road, which quickly becomes mountainous and the trees scares. The Road winds along a valley that cuts through the mountains. The air is noticeably cooler here; snow still caps many of the peaks. They emerge from the mountains in the mid-afternoon as the Road begins to descend slightly; while still mountainous there is more tree cover. The night is spent in another well-tended spot. The mercenaries, for one, are glad to have firewood already cut and split for them, although Tathas makes a point of insisting that they replace what they burn.

The following morning sees them descend further in elevtion; the forested mountains slumping into gently rolling hills. After several hours of travel the forest begins to thin. Just before the trees peter out Severi's sharp, elven eyes spots a dozen or more men, crouched behind various trees, shrubs and woodfalls, peering intently north and clutching a variety of bows, javelins and crossbows. They do not appear to notice the party as it approaches them from behind.

[Wyzard]

Severi, Elf

Severi moves to the front of the column, and raises a hand to halt the wagons while holding a finger over his lips. He then points directly at where the ambush is located. He peers into the woods, attempting to determine whether the men are wearing uniforms, or if they are attired as disordered bandits.

If they have no colors or insignia, Severi will presume they are up to no good and cast Sleep.

[thirdkingdom]

They are attired as disordered bandits.

[Grognardsw]

They are attired as disordered bandits.

I assume Severi shares this information, and his spell intention, before taking the action?