Prologue: All Players

[Computer +1]

Jareth looks shocked by Gwilit
Indeed there are not enough hours to go into caves looking for a fight either. I find your lack of caring for the dead less than appealing. We should at least investigate and see to the body of our brother. It is the right thing to do.

[dmw71]

The assembled group of relative strangers begin contemplating their options: A dead body or the newly found caves. A debate seems to be on the verge of breaking out over the relative value of time when Garth quickly hushes everyone and encourages them all to take complete cover behind the falls.

"There." he says, pointing to a spot across the canyon. Approximately five hundred feet from where you are, and advancing in your direction, is a small band of humanoids. "That's not far from where Shannigans and I entered from."

This group of humanoids is still too far away to make an identification. You suspect there are approximately ten of them in total, but even an accurate count of their numbers at this distance is difficult.

[Alethan]

Gwillt replies with, "You are far too trusting, sir..." he pauses, not knowing the man's name. He raises an eyebrow in surprise. "Indeed, I don't even know your name! Yet you expect me to skip off into the woods with you to fuss over some nameless corpse?"

"I don't just run off into possible traps with every elf, halfling, and knight I run across. It's why I'm still alive. If his answers," he points at Shannigans, "are good enough, then I'll not be opposed to looking into it. If they stink of deceit, then I'll do other..."

At this point, Garth interrupts with his sighting.

Gwillt scowls. "That's where you were going to lead us? Into another pack of goblins?" He can't see them, but assumes as much...

He quickly drops low to the ground and searches for cover back near the cliff edge - a rock outcropping, bushes, something - and readies his bow and an arrow.

[Computer +1]

From the cover of the falls Jareth answers Gwilit
My name is Jareth, sir. And I dont expect anything from ye. Indeed I am surprised ye even bothered firing arrows at the goblins with yer callus attitude. That body in the woods could be anyones father or brother or husband. I will see them even if ye will not.
He looks at the approaching group.
Fer the moment we have another decision to make. That group could be friendly or not. We should either withdraw or move out to parley. I dont want to enter a unknown cave with a unknown group at me back.

[Alethan]

"You were fighting goblins," hisses Gwillt, also from under cover. "Anyone who kills goblins is alright by me. I know nothing, however, about the halfling or the elf."

"You're right. This isn't the place to make a stand..."

He starts looking for another place to take cover - something away from the cave entrance.

[Stonjuz]

Getting low to the ground, the halfling brings the bow and arrow to prepped status. Going over the verbal command of Magic Missile in his head, while tugging at Garth's cloak to get him to lower himself down further, Shannigans once again whispers... "The real killers I bet."
Then realizes they may be looking for him specifically, 'Sure hope they are not halflings' and, without moving, looks for a possible flanking position, or escape route, off in the distance.

[dmw71]

He quickly drops low to the ground and searches for cover back near the cliff edge - a rock outcropping, bushes, something - and readies his bow and an arrow.

Unfortunately, your current position offers very little cover beyond the waterfall itself. Certain sections of the cliff jut out and appear to present some coverage, but you would need to leave your current position, risking being spotted, in order to reach these potential hiding spots. While the canyon being crossed is fairly level with very little growth, you suspect a low crouch or lying prone would allow you to spread out a bit while still keeping you hidden... at least for a short bit.

[Nuke66]

Dropping to the ground Garth takes some time to discuss the options. "I assume complete subterfuge is out of the question. However, your honor should allow the rest of us to hide in ambush as you two act as bait."

The druid prepares some mistletoe and continues.

"I'll go right up here and use the grasses to hold them in place if things get bad."

OOC: Sorry, busy. Between Football and farming stuff, prolly will be a little tight for the next week or so.

[saalaria]

Re spell selection. Don't worry I fully understand I just don't see the point of any other than CLW at this stage. In my experience at lower levels you can never have too many and by not selecting them you only have change spells you may half expect to need to use so I'm just cutting out the middle man and avoiding that dilemma. I thnik the fact I have used one already underlines this. Completely happy with my selection - nearly didn't take the Light either! That's not to say I won't change my mind next time!

Kaltar sticks near Jareth in whatever poor cover there is.

[Computer +1]

Dave could you update the map for me? Is the approaching group coming from the same direction that Jareth and Kaltar did? If they are did any of our group come from the other direction? I am just trying to visualize it.

[Stonjuz]

Is the approaching group coming from the same direction that Jareth and Kaltar did? If they are did any of our group come from the other direction?

"If anybody talks to them , see if they did anything with the body, cause that's the direction Garth and I came from. I'm going around this way."Shannigans reattaches the scarf and rolls off and crawls to the right of our group, twenty-five to thirty feet, hoping to flank the incoming group on it's left side.

[onlyme]

Ewell at this point agrees that going into the cave seems a bit odd. What when more adventure awaits with the closing of the 10 or so potential sparring partners. And no time to check out a body, either. Besides it may be an ambush in and of itself...
So...

He will tighten his grip of his trusty, increasingly reddish tinted lance and his shield, and start walking slowly, but deliberately toward the new group.
I'll talk with them. If a battle ensues, I can take five myself, so if each of you take one, I would appreciate it.

[Computer +1]

Jareth grabs Ewell's arm to stop him.
Don't be a fool and go looking fer a fight. We have no idea who they are and what they intend. There could be a thousand goblins in that cave and one blast of a horn from that group could bring them out. Let us withdraw and return in a more ready fashion.

[dmw71]

Dave could you update the map for me? Is the approaching group coming from the same direction that Jareth and Kaltar did? If they are did any of our group come from the other direction? I am just trying to visualize it.

Here's a map. I've indicated where each group entered from as well as from where the newly approaching group has emerged:

Code: Select all

                                   Waterfall
              
                                    |~ ~ ~|
                                    | ~ ~ |
                                    |~ ~ ~|
                                    | ~ ~ |
                        Cliff       |~ ~ ~|  Cliff
                                    | ~ ~ |
 (Gwillt)                           |~ ~ ~|
                                    | ~ ~ |  
   ---!---------------------------- |~ ~ ~| --------------------------
      !                  |          | ~ ~ |  \___  10'  (PC's are in this 10' gap)
      !                  |          | ~ ~ |  /    
      !                 Wolf        \ ~~~~ \_____
     Rope             Restraint      \ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~   Flows off to right...
                                      \ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                        ___________
        












                                                                               (Ewell)

                                    ^
   (Garth & Shan.)                  |
                               Approaching
                                  Group                      

                     (Jareth & Kaltar)

[Alethan]

"We could always consider the high ground..." Gwillt says, looking over at the rope. "Or maybe... one of us could. The height advantage would make for some fine archery."

But even Gwillt isn't comfortable with climbing up there and leaving the rest to deal with such a number of (perhaps) goblins without him.

OOC: will wait for a map update to decide where to go...

EDIT: Looks like the map is up.

"We could keep the river between us and them and hope they don't have ranged weapons... might be easier to keep discussions open, if they are even possible, with the physical barrier in place. And if they try to attack, at least they'll have to either cross the river or go under the waterfall, where we can bottleneck them to just two attackers."

[onlyme]

Dave could you update the map for me? Is the approaching group coming from the same direction that Jareth and Kaltar did? If they are did any of our group come from the other direction? I am just trying to visualize it.

Here's a map. I've indicated where each group entered from as well as from where the newly approaching group has emerged:

Code: Select all

                                   Waterfall
              
                                    |~ ~ ~|
                                    | ~ ~ |
                                    |~ ~ ~|
                                    | ~ ~ |
                        Cliff       |~ ~ ~|  Cliff
                                    | ~ ~ |
 (Gwillt)                           |~ ~ ~|
                                    | ~ ~ |  
   ---!---------------------------- |~ ~ ~| --------------------------
      !                  |          | ~ ~ |  \___  10'  (PC's are in this 10' gap)
      !                  |          | ~ ~ |  /    
      !                 Wolf        \ ~~~~ \_____
     Rope             Restraint      \ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~   Flows off to right...
                                      \ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                        ___________
        












                                                                               (Ewell)

                                    ^
   (Garth & Shan.)                  |
                               Approaching
                                  Group                      

                     (Jareth & Kaltar)

How did we cross the stream, by going behind the falls and popping up the other side?

[Alethan]

That's how I understood it to be. And I think it's more like a river than a stream, if the sound is loud enough to attract us all from such distances and the flow great enough to hide a cave entrance. Again, as long as they don't have ranged weapons (which, admittedly, is highly unlikely), it would be a good place to make a stand. With ranged... we'd be pincushions waiting to be stuck. Unless we hid in the cave.

Something tells me having a paladin and a cavalier in the group will result in very little use of the "hide-and-ambush" military tactic.

Oh, and is Ewell really walking towards them?? If so...

"Well," Gwillt mutters, "at least he'll be a useful distraction."

Gwillt, staying low to the ground and trying to avoid being seen, follows the halfling. He does this for several reasons.
a) because he still doesn't totally trust him,
b) to keep an eye on him to make sure he stays out of trouble,
c) because he actually has a good idea of flanking the approaching party and since the halfling is the only other one carrying a bow, it seems the two could work together to fire a few rounds into the opponents, should it be necessary, before any melee commences.

[dmw71]

How did we cross the stream, by going behind the falls and popping up the other side?

No one has crossed the stream yet (I still have everyone discussing strategy from behind the cover of the falls). I have updated the map below, adding a dotted-line path indicating how each of the groups coming from the forest crossed the canyon. The party can get on the "other side" of the stream by crossing behind the waterfall (as Gwillt proposed); from the left side (where the wolf was restrained) to the right through the ten foot 'corridor' between the cliff wall and where the water is falling from above to the right.

Code: Select all

More recent map available.

The group continues to advance.

[dmw71]

Oh, and is Ewell really walking towards them??

I have Jareth holding Ewell back... at least for a moment. Now that a "map" is up and the players can better visualize the situation, I'll allow everyone to still discuss strategy and announce formal actions.

Everyone, for now, is still behind the cover of the falls. From your current position behind the calls, you can safely see the group emerging from the forest, and they continue to advance.

[Computer +1]

As we are still frozen in our moment in time behind the waterfall I would like to ask, what can we see to the right on our side of the falls? Does the path lead to the forest? Any cover? Is there a clear path beyond? Are we trapped?