Intermission in Millhaven And Journey to Stomanell City

[Ithril]

Drego protests. "I'll not leave my wagon, nor my horses." As he watches you begin to scout the slope, before you get too far, he tells you he expects you to return right away if he signals that there is trouble "Please don't get too far ahead. Our adversary may come back behind you!"

You climb the slope on the Nordtern side of the road, and discover the hill has a small plateau before the slope continues higher. From this perspective, you still can't see too far. The ridgeline of the hill continues approximately parallel to the road. Following the road (either half-way up the hill, or after you scramble up the slope to reach a higher vantage point on the hill) you see that the hill, of course, falls back, sloping down to a low point where the rain collects between the two hills.

The underbrush and trees are thick, but after a few minutes, you find a place that gives you a reasonable view of the opposing hill, and the slope leading to the road up ahead. It appears someone has set up a deadfall that they can trigger to release several logs and rocks into the path ahead... but you still cannot see anyone to operate it, or the exact trigger. It seems abandoned!

[Rex]

Conweena

Conweena stops, allowing Igber to go scout the dead fall, she waits ready to rush to his aid.

[BackworldTraveller]

Igber
The sight of the deadfall reminds Igber that this could be dangerous. After all, it may look empty but not actually be. And so he keeps heading on up. Get behind the trap and observe - before entering. A series of un-manned items is much safer than a bunch of raiders manning them. At the ridge, Igber treats it like peering over a roof-top. Careful does it. You never know if there might be some occupied balcony bush right there.

[Ithril]

You crest the hill, and have a good view (though you hope you are mostly hidden by the brush) of the area where the trap is set. Between your place, and the hill where the deadfall is set, there is a wide cleft between the hills. The terrain is moderately well covered with trees and brush. As you stop to watch what's going on, you hear the rain falling heavy. Nothing else is stirring. No birds, no squirrels or any other kind of wildlife seems to be in the area. You're not sure if it's just too wet, and they are all hidden away from the damp weather, or if something else has scared them away.
You are about 120 yards from the trail where the deadfall will hit if it is released, though you have to go down a steep hill, then up another one to reach the point of the deadfall. From your vantage point, you can clearly see both the wagon in the valley, and much of the road between it and the deadfall, but shortly thereafter, the road turns around the far hill to your SountErizt.

After a few minutes of waiting there, you notice that what you first thought were shrubs about the deadfall are, in fact NOT! They're moving. You see this one turn, as if talking to another, another one moved from a point higher in the hill, down towards the road, as if to get a better look. It's difficult to know how many there are, but there are definitely several adversaries manning the trap that you first thought was vacant.

Sorry for the delay. I've been working a lot of hours to try to catch up to the workload that's been accumulating while I've been out 'sick'.

[Rex]

Conweena

Conweena hand signals to the others, pointing at each foe she spots.

[Ithril]

battlemap2.jpg (710.39 KiB) Viewed 290 times

Someone was hoping for an updated map.
You are positioned approximately at the red star. The deadfall trap is near the yellow arrow, somewhat obscured behind a copse of trees. There is a cleft between the hills, at the bottom of which is a meandering stream created by the rain. There are a lot of small shrubs and bushes everywhere; too many to illustrate, without making the map impossibly crowded with details. As it is there are at least three times as many trees as are illustrated. The adversaries are disguised to resemble the underbrush. Though you are certain there are several, an accurate count is impossible.
From the level of the road or the stream, the hills rise to a crest of about 40 ft.

[Rex]

Conweena

Conweena prepares herself to charge and attack once she gets the signal from their scout.

[BackworldTraveller]

Igber worms his way off the crest and then returns to the supporting group.

If we charge from here we will cross the open ground into the rocky brook-bed, scramble across that and then climb the steep hill under observation and fire from the far side. Once we get to the ambusher's position they will be above us, armed with rocks to drop. Finally, we will grapple with them from below in hand-to-hand combat. While I admire your enthusiasm Conweena, It might be prudent to pass further along the stream, cross near the dead tree further up (top-left) and work our way behind them when we can charge down hill from the thicker cover thus skipping the whole crossing-the-open, shooting and rock-dropping phases of the head-on approach.

[ravenn4544]

Pebble listens to the tactical assessment and nods in agreement, "yeah - let's do that". He, too, was thinking the same as Conweena and just charge at them and kill them. Now that he hears it laid out like that, kind of like his Uncle used to do when he did something stupid back home, he realizes it was a pretty foolish idea.

[redwarrior]

Dorath listens intently. That sounds reasonable. I agree. I’ll sling at any who are out of combat.

[Rex]

Conweena

"Good plan, we should try it. But be prepared to just charge as some of us are not very sneaky."

[gurusql]

Traesta

"While I agree this is the best plan, it does take us further from our ride, but like I said it is the best plan."

[BackworldTraveller]

Igber
Wincing at every "Clank", "Crack" and footfall from the crowd behind, Igber leads the team on the path described. At the ridge line he indicates the need for silence with a "Shhhh".

[Rex]

Conweena

Following along, Conweena just nods when Igber indicates the need for silence.

[gurusql]

Traesta

Traesta is wearing studded leather so is a quiet as she can be.

[BackworldTraveller]

Igber
Looking carefully before breaking cover, Igber heads down to the beck and crosses carefully - before getting quickly under the trees opposite.

And waits for the tail to catch up. All together.

[redwarrior]

Dorath follows along, relatively quietly, in his standard traveller's clothing. No armor.

[Ithril]

You are able to cross the water that has formed a stream from the runoff of the two hills, and carefully start ascending the opposite hill, aiming towards the peak, behind where you see the ambush set. The rain continues to fall in a steady drenching storm, more than a drizzle, but less than a torrent. Occasionally the sky releases a burst of wind, and the trees groan with the strain. It is as if the hills are growling in warning. Try as you might, there is still the occasional "SNAP!" as you tread on fallen twigs hidden in the leaf-litter that covers the forest floor.

As you reach a less steep area of the hill, and are ready to start on the final push to climb the last slope to reach the summit above where the ambush is set, the forest comes alive with movement! Several of the 'shrubs' shed their camouflage, to confront you.

Their clothing is dull and drab, so even without the leaves and branches they have incorporated into their attire, they are still difficult to see. They are shorter than you had anticipated. Their ears are sharp, like elves, and they swivel much like a cat, focusing on different sounds in the forest. Their eyes are a dull yellow, but they gleam with malevolence in the halflight of the rain. They have broad noses that are split nearly to the bridge by vertical nostrils that open and close as they breathe. The tone of their hide reminds you of something porkish, though it has a strong jaundiced yellow undertone that is wholly unhealthy. Their hide is busy with blemishes, warts, and moles. The fur above their short foreheads is bristly where it doesn't hang in long stinking mats. Their arms are long, hanging nearly to the ground, and their hands end in long clever taloned fingers. Each of them is holding a thick heavy cudgel of gnarled wood that iron spikes have been driven into to form a crude, but very effective mace. The proportion is disturbing though; you realize that though these creatures have a stature that would make them nonthreatening alone (the tallest is barely 4 ft), the weapons they brandish are nearly as tall as they are!

At least half a dozen stand before you, and you know several more are in the forest besides, but you are uncertain of the total. As you are evaluating the situation, one swings his cudgel into a nearby dead tree, knocking clear through it, felling it with one blow (though to be fair, it was obviously well rotted). Elsewhere one calls out in broken words "You pay Jekvut tollll. One horse for Jekvut. We lllet you passsss."

[Rex]

Conweena

Conweena waits, uncertain if she has been seen, ready to draw and fight.

[gurusql]

Traesta

Traesta will not attack first, but will defend herself if attacked.