[D&D3.5] Quest for the Sunblade - Play Thread

[CattyNebulart]

Early the next morning our heroes set up with the precise and definite direction of somewhere to the north. It is fall and up here the winds are already becoming chilly as the brave adventurers head north, when Hjalmur, finally our of his drunken haze recalls that he did pass a tooth-shaped mountain on the way here.

As you travel, you pass through brooding pine forests and deep vales several days’ travel north of the mining town of Blasingdell without much happening. Finaly you crest the hill and look down into a valley. From where you stand now, you catch sight of a tall, steep hill that rises to a prominent bare knob of rock—the Stone Tooth.

((OOC: Everyone roll spot or survival.))

[Liara]

The good natured cat elf is up early in the morning, pestering the party into going already. And does the dwarf really need to put on his armour before starting on the journey? Can't he do that, you know, later? ... Also, his legs are so short. With a considering look at Hjalmur the blonde asks the dwarf if he can ride.

During their march she darts from here and fro, either busy looking at various interesting sights on the way. Say, a leaf moving in the wind... Or talking to whoever happens to be close to her about various important topics. For example, what colour Morjhan should paint his claws in to go with his golden scales. Energetically bouncing up and down and often given helpful corrections for their marching route ("Uhhh, we should head more... this way! I think!") she is a bit distracted from using her keen ears and eyes.

Rolled 1d20+4 : 20 + 4, total 24

[CattyNebulart]

Luckily a colourful butterfly flies in such a way that the kitties attention is drawn to the points of interest.

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(DC5) The butterfly is very pretty.
(DC15) A thin spire of smoke rises from some unseen point high on the hill’s slopes.
(DC20) You can make out a steep, narrow road or track that runs back and forth across the face of the mountainside.
(DC25) ???

[Nanshork]

Morjhan nods to himself at the sight of the Stone Tooth.  From what little they have to go on, this has to be their destination.  Trying to not be distracted by his distracting companions, he looks around to see if there is anything that might help him be sure that this is actually where they are supposed to be going.

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Spot 1d20+7 : 6 + 7, total 13

[Gazzien]

Hjalmur rolls his massive bearlike shoulders, and looks around. The cat-elf keeps looking at him weirdly... he's not really sure what to say to them.

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Rolled 1d20 : 2, total 2

[Anomander]

It took a moment but it explained the concepts and how when one uses the expressions being weighed down by something, the extra weight is the something.

The little cruise Northwards was okay.
Loot had little else to do than pay attention for possible business opportunities.

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Spot 1d20+8 : 9 + 8, total 17

It pointed a signpost towards the smoky trail far in the hills. The sign had an arrow shape.
-Clients! There are others in the distance.

[phaedrusxy]

Rolled 1d20+7 : 13 + 7, total 20

[CattyNebulart]

((Ooc: OK it looks like no one will make the DC 25 check (didn't expect you to), but several have noticed the smoke and the path. So time for the party to discuss what to do.))

[Liara]

The curious cat elf points out the path to her companions. "Look there! A handy path, right as if it was made for us. And up there is smoke, too. I bet that are bandits or nasty orkses. We are definitely on the right way! Beisdes, I remember that hill thingy. The entrance to the ruins should be up there."

"Soooo, how about we go up there, push the orks down the hill and then explore the ruins and rescue the prince?" She ponders the situation for a moment, then her face brightens up. "Ohhh, and we could, like, sent a scout ahead of us, all sneaky like and figure out what the situation is. Like in adventure stories and stuff, you know? If we are lucky, we might even find a dragon!" She looks at Morjhan. "Uhm, a dragon-dragon, I mean. Not a man-dragon. And uhhhh... hopefully none of your relatives? I wouldn't want to beat up your aunt or something..."

[Gazzien]

Hjalmur nods. "Dunno if we're gonna find any o' those bandits or orks, but... sure seems like a good path." So saying, he ignores the rest of the cat's blathering about dragons, shucks off his armor, stores the heavy metal in his pack, and begins to move up the path stealthily.

Hide

Rolled 1d20+8 : 15 + 8, total 23

Move Silently

Rolled 1d20+8 : 2 + 8, total 10

[CattyNebulart]

Hjalmur is actually surprisingly silent as he scouts ahead, and he does manage to find sections of the path that used to be fairly well hidden but time has taken it's toll and it's both somewhat overgrown and exposed, sections disapearing underneath forest growth or landslides, in other places the shielding berms that hide the path have worn away exposing it clearly.

The path climbs up one last steep switchback toward a bare shoulder of rock. The hillside climbs steeply on your right and drops away precipitously on your left. Debris and rubbish lie scattered over the last hundred yards or so of the path—discarded water skins, bits of charred bone, and splintered casks or kegs discarded carelessly from the path. Up ahead, the path opens up onto a wide ledge and then doubles back sharply into the mountainside. Hjalmur smells them before they are in sight, orks, though he can;t tell how many, but listening carefully he notices they seem to be talking. As Hjalmur doesn't speak orkish that doesn't tell him much though.

((OOC: Also could people note what languages they speak on their character sheets?))

[Gazzien]

Hjalmur stays still for a moment, roughly guessing at how many there are, trying to count them.
Hide: [roll]1d20+8[roll]
Move Silently:

Rolled 1d20+8 : 17 + 8, total 25

Assuming he's not discovered, Hjalmur then sneaks back to the group and shares his findings.
If he is discovered, he does the same thing - but at top speed.

[CattyNebulart]

There are at least two, though Hjalmurs keen nose detects faint traces of more, probably an orc camp close by and these are sentries.

There is some shouting in orckish as Hjalmur leaves but he doesn't think he has been detected.

[Gazzien]

Hjalmur returns to the group, quickly rearmoring himself. "At least two orks. Prob'ly more, bettin' the two I saw were just a guard outpost or scouts or summat. Ready to go make some money? Off their bodies, I mean."

[Nanshork]

"Does anyone speak their language?  Everything doesn't have to become violent, sometimes talking can resolve all kinds of tricky situations."

[phaedrusxy]

Nordar says "I can speak to them, but I don't expect to talk them out of violence. Might as well talk a fish out of swimming. Want me to slip down there and see what they're yapping about before we go blundering in?"

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assuming no on objects, Nordar sneaks down to listen to what the orcs are saying (yes, I put down orc as one of his languages. )

hide 1d20+12 : 9 + 12, total 21

MS 1d20+8 : 19 + 8, total 27

He's wearing his studded leather for the moment, but he can change armors quickly if needed.

[CattyNebulart]

While Hjalmir was scouting the party made it's way up the path after him, and so Nordar doesn't have far to sneak up the mountain.

He finds three orcs busy starting a fire. "I'm telling you, the bear is back."

"Yeah yeah mork, I believe you but the fire will keep it away,... Hey what's that?" The orc points at Nordar as he sneaks a bit closer to get a better look.

((Ooc: man those orcs are on a roll with their sense checks, so many nat20....))

[phaedrusxy]

Thinking on his toes, Nordar says back in orkish "It's me, Gundark*. I needed to take a crap and just wanted some privacy..."

bluff 1d20+7 : 15 + 7, total 22

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*Or whatever name is the equivalent of "John" in Orkish.

[CattyNebulart]

"Ah that makes sense." Answers the Orc, as he turns back to the foul smelling fire, giving Nordar an opportunity to pull back.

[phaedrusxy]

He just stays there for a minute or two, pretending to be taking a crap... and listening in on whatever else they are talking about, hoping it is more interesting and informative than bears crapping in the woods.