Expedition: Baxtaw - Seeking Scatha's Lair - 23 July 2021

[Dram]

Baxtaw- Packs his gear. I did memorize a sleep spell last night. If we decide to head back down.

[Rusty Tincanne]

That will be useful, but only one?

The back stairs will probably be faster. And it seems the horses and men have a relatively safe place to camp out here. Dram's call though.

[Zhym]

"Yeah, hit 'em with a bunch of sleeps!" agrees Lug. "Yeah!"

"But, uh, yeah. Front door or a taking 'em up the backdoor—hurr, hurr, hurr—are both okay with me."

[Dram]

Baxtaw- I say we leave the horses secured here. Where they are safe now. We blocked the exit we just came out of. Go in the front entrance. But that is up to Bremen to make that decision these are his men.



OCC- 1 Ration Deducted.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Bremen points out that the passage they tried yesterday isn't secure. It's just a long tunnel and stairs, blocked by a gate that the goblins control from the inside. "Secured" is making sure all those nasty buggers are dead. And then building a proper wall to block the passage from anything else that lives down there.

And keep in mind that the other entrance is a day's march around this mountain. What good are all these horses if the loot we haul out are a day's walk to them?

If you really want My/Bremen's opinion,

Memorize Sleep 2-3 times, then go back down the passage and cast sleep all the way to the dragon. Cast Silence (and invisibility if we have it) on the fighters and then kill the dragon. Load up some loot and haul it back out. Sleep and memorize a bunch of useful spells to head back down and bring out more treasure to load up the horses. Then ride back to Gaul and make some dragon hide armor.
To further organize spells (though it's hard to do so, not knowing the magic user's spell lists):
Magic Users: Sleep x3, Magic Missile, Mirror Image, Invisibility
Clerics: CLW x4-5, Light, Find Traps x2, Silence x2, Bless

But I digress. If you have any clever ideas, put them in character. Bremen will take care of his men within Baxtaw's plan. Just know that, if we go to the main entrance, he'll bring the horses with us and spend time finding finding a new place to hide. Operative phrase there is "spend time."

[Zhym]

Lug is okay heading back in here if we're properly prepared to sleep the heck out of those goblins/

[Jernau35]

Piers has one Cure Light Wounds spell left when they return to camp. He casts it on Baxtaw.
Cure Light Wounds [1d6+1] = 1+1 = 2

"The goblins will certainly fortify their position behind us. But they'll have even more time to do it by the time we get to the front gate. We should at least make another attempt here" says Piers. "I shall ask Baudh to grant me the same spells that he gave to me yesterday. I think they served well".

CLWx3, Light, Bless, Find Traps, Resist Fire

1 ration deducted

[Marullus]

Piers helps Baxtaw's wounds before they rest for the night. Each spellcaster decides his preparations as the sun rises on the rocky mountainside.

The group decides whether to attempt another foray against the goblins below, or to take the journey back around to the front entrance for an alternative route. Baxtaw defers to Bremen as the Lord Commander of the assembled soldiers. Bremen raises objection to moving his troops to a frontal assault and recommends going down this rear entrance one more time.

Stantz lights a torch and the party descends the stair once more. They proceed cautiously, wary of renewed goblin traps, but find the way unmolested. They reach the portcullis, which is again closed. Stantz lights a second torch and the party pauses to consider its options.

Date: 9:00am, 26 July 2021
Light: Stantz' Torch (until 10:00am)
Effects: None
Injuries: Bremen (minor wound), Stantz (minor wound), Clouson (minor wound), Baxtaw (minor wound), Lug (superficial wound)

[Zhym]

Lug has another go at lifting the portcullis. "This is getting to be my regular workout!" he says.

[Marullus]

[1d6] and describe how you do it, as normal.

[Zhym]

Sorry. I forgot to post the roll:
Open door: [1d6] = 3 (Str: +2)

[Rusty Tincanne]

Bremen slips under the portcullis, crossbow in hand. He suggests that someone else hold the torch so Stantz is free to use his bow, if needed.

So... hopefully Baxtaw is loaded up with sleep spells...

[Jernau35]

"Crowgar, why don't you hold it? suggests Piers. "I've got to keep my hands free to cast."

"Talking of which, should I cast Light to blind the goblin's vision? Or Darkness, so they can't see us coming down the hall?"

[Mister-Kent]

In response to Piers, Osuna says, "While I generally favor light over darkness, perhaps shadow would serve us better here..."

Removed a ration - also Osuna has 2 sleep spells to use.

When nearer to the portcullis, Osuna will hold her mirror to her face, concentrating on her reflection. She will ask that the sun's light illuminate the truth--how many goblins lie in wait beyond the barricade? When satisfied with an answer, she will share her findings with the others. (Performing Sun Augury ritual)

[Rusty Tincanne]

Ration removed from Stantz and Bremen. I want tracking Clausin, but he has the same amount, so it'll mirror S and B's rations.

[Marullus]

Lug's muscles ripple as he grabs the portcullis and heaves it upward. It again rolls up into the cleft in the ceiling, stopping within with a clang and a rattle of distant chains.

Piers gives direction - Crowgar nods, taking the torch from Stantz.

Bremen is the first to slip under the portcullis, slipping forward into the darkness beyond a few steps with his crossbow, not yet seeing anything around the next curve of the stair, knowing they have a short way down to the siege location seen earlier. "You want me with you, boss? Or you sneaking ahead?" asks Stantz.

Before the others pass under the portcullis, Osuna holds her mirror to her face, concentrating on her reflection. She will ask that the sun's light illuminate the truth--how many goblins lie in wait beyond the barricade?

Osana:

You see the barricade clearly in front of you. You are peering around the corner to count them - there's roughly a dozen archers at the ready and a dozen spearmen flanking them in the hallways.

Date: 9:10am, 26 July 2021
Light: Crowgar's Torch (until 10:00am)
Effects: None
Injuries: Bremen (minor wound), Stantz (minor wound), Clouson (minor wound), Baxtaw (minor wound), Lug (superficial wound)

[Dram]

Baxtaw- Slides under the portcullis. Begins preparing a sleep spell. He will wait for the others to say there ready before he cast the spell.



OCC- Did we rest 1 or 2 days before we rentered the mountain? If we rested 2 days Baxtaw will memorize a second sleep spell.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Hearing Osuna's vision, Bremen indicates there is no need for him to go ahead. We'll let Baxtaw head down to the barricade and put the goblins to sleep. He asks Baxtaw if he can target the goblins with bows, pointing out that they post the biggest threat.

He then mentions to Piers that, should he decide to cast light/darkness, darkness would send everyone into blindness, creating the environment of chaos. We might injure one another. Save the darkness for a time we're fleeing, perhaps?

Narratively, we only spent one night at the top.

[Marullus]

You rested overnight, not a whole day. You are free to pick spells as you wish.

There are several turns of the stair to get from the portcullis down to the barricade. (About two turns)

[Dram]

Baxtaw- When the others are he will move to the edge of the hall. If the distance is not to far his spell. He will pop out and cast it at the archers and move back around the corner.


Sleep Spell[2d8] = 11 hit Die of monsters