The Karameikos PbP, The Mistery of the Mirror (IC thread)

[hihama]

Bofar looks at the others, If he is telling the truth, we should leave immediately.

[agathokles]

I think Taran's fate is now obvious. We should report back.

[Sturm]

Demara's ruins east of Krondsfield
Scene II - Hralen, Thaumont, Early Spring, 17th day, 993 AC

Bellithiel speaks. "He may be telling the truth, but I'm not leaving without at least trying to search for Taran in the next few rooms. I would suggest you start retreating and leave me to it. If I do not come back in a minute, just leave and ask for help in Krondsfield".
"Wait a minute - Kesh says, looking at the orc - tell us where the elf is kept or I will curse you with my magic", the gnome says, his hand glowing with purple light.
The orc is terrified by the display "Bonegnasher will kill me", he says.
"He is not here now, I am here now - Kesh says - speak and I will let you go, and Bonegnasher won't find you". The orc still looks uncertain but as Kesh gets near with his glowing hand, he blurts out.
"Right door in next room - he says - with one hobgoblin guard left!"
"I'm going", Bellithiel says, readying her bow to the eastern door.
Kesh keeps his word and leave the orc free to fo to the southern door, and he immediately leaves.
"Should we take the gnoll prisoner and go now?" He asks then to you.

[agathokles]

Past experience with goblinoids is that they don't exchange prisoners. No point in carrying extra weight

[hihama]

Bofar just follows Bellithiel.

[Sturm]

Demara's ruins east of Krondsfield
Scene II - Hralen, Thaumont, Early Spring, 17th day, 993 AC

"Right, I will just take a kobold to interrogate", Kesh replies to Lucius, taking an unconscious kobold, "please disarm the gnoll and then we will begin to leave". Leaving the wounded gnoll in the room with the kobold and the two blocked companions, Lucius and Kesh start retreating outside.

In the meantime Bofar and Bellithiel go to the next room to the east, which seems an empty chapel, where they see one door to the south and one to the east. Bellithiel readies her bow and ask Bofar to open the door. As soon as the dwarf does that, an armed hobgoblin becomes visible. He snarls and tries to run to Bellithiel, but an arrow from the elf and a blow from Bofar at the side of the door quickly take him down. Bellithiel enter the southern room immediately, asking Bofar to guard the eastern door.
The dwarf hears noises of a large group of people coming, and when he looks into the keyhole, he clearly see a kobold coming with some giant bats and a carrion crawler pursuing him. But more worrying, behind them he can see by some torchlights a big ogre with two pet wolves, followed by 2 more hobgoblins, orcs and goblins, a lizard man and a gnoll, for a total of 13 more warriors. It seems the ogre is tring to send the carrion crawler and the bats to attack first, to soon follow with his warriors. The door has no key, but Bofar can quickly find some pieces of wood and rocks which could stuck it for a while. The door will probably hold to the kobold, the carrion crawler and the bats, but Bofar realizes however the door is not going to hold for long against the blows of an ogre.

[hihama]

Bofar runs after Bellithiel. We have to leave now! There is an ogre coming with some wolves, not to speak about more than 13 other humanoids and a carrion crawler. We won't have a chance against them...

[Sturm]

Demara's ruins east of Krondsfield
Scene II - Hralen, Thaumont, Early Spring, 17th day, 993 AC

Bellithiel comes out of the room with Taran, a dark haired elf, who has clearly been tortured and seems very weak. Helping him walk, she follows Bofar's advice and goes toward the exit as soon as possible.
More noises come from beyond the door, and probably soon the ogre will start banging on it.

[agathokles]

Lucius continues retreating, looking back to see if Bofar comes out.

[Sturm]

Demara's ruins east of Krondsfield
Scene II - Hralen, Thaumont, Early Spring, 17th day, 993 AC

Lucius and Kesh are already out when Bellithiel and Bofar exit too, helping a sick looking dark haired elf walking.
"Let's hide in the woods", Kesh says.
While you try to put some distance between you and the ruins, Taran speaks urgently. "We cannot leave, please. They have taken the group of adventurers who was sent searching for me and they are forcing them to escavate the tomb of Demara. If Bonegnasher retrieves the Orb, he will be able to turn himself into a dragon. We do not have the time to return to Krondsfield to get help. If Bonegnasher becomes a dragon all the region will be in danger. We have to stop them now!"

[agathokles]

Lucius asks more details about what happened back there, then says:
It doesn't seem like we have any choice. We're not likely to survive a battle with an ogre and a carrion crawler, not to mention all the the rest of the colorful band... And we didn't even kill the gnolls, so once Kesh's spell is over, they'll join their comrades. Which means we the odds are three to four to one against us, without even counting the crawler. At least, if we get back to Krondsfield we can warn the authorities, and get reinforcements suitable to tackle a threat of this level.

[hihama]

I agree. Open attack would be a suicide. We need more troops.

[Sturm]

Demara's ruins east of Krondsfield
Scene II - Hralen, Thaumont, Early Spring, 17th day, 993 AC

"But we could prepare a trap in the forest if they come outside - Taran objects - if you can heal me a bit, I have a useful spell which could take several of them down at once. Bellithiel too knows a useful spell, and I bet your cleric does as well. - Taran adds, looking at Kesh - Please think about this. If Bonegnasher turns into a dragon he will be able to bully all the local humanoid tribes in following him, and will soon have an army of hundreds if not thousands. By the time we return here with reinforcements, he will be gone with the Orb and all Karameikos will be in danger, Highforge first as we are not far from your home".
"I agree with him - Bellithiel says - together we can cast a sleep and a web spell. The two combined should take down several of the ogre's minions. And Kesh could do much too with a hold spell".
"Such a plan could work - Kesh says - but the orc also mentioned a shaman. I need to identify him and stop him, or he could get all of us down with just one spell".
"There is also another, maybe safer possibility. - Bellithiel says - I bet Bonegnasher now will come out with all his minions to pursue us. Me and Taran are elves, we can hide in the forest well and make him pursue us for a while. In the meantime the rest of you will go back inside. I think he will leave only two or three guards inside. Take them down, free the other humans, then come back outside to attack Bonegnasher, making some noises. When he turns to attack you me and Taran will hit him with the spells from the back. This should be enough to defeat them!".
"Still risky, but could work", Kesh says, looking at you.
Then you see Boneghasher the ogree indeed coming out the ruins, with two pet wolves, a lizardman on his side, 2 hobgoblins, 4 orcs and 5 goblins keeping the carrion crawler at bay with sticks.
"Looks like he left inside the kobolds and the gnolls, but most of them were blocked or wounded, so Bellithiel's plan could work!" Kesh says.

[hihama]

Let's do it. We do not have time for more planning.

[agathokles]

Lucius nods, and follows Kesh and Bofar.

[Sturm]

Demara's ruins east of Krondsfield
Scene II - Hralen, Thaumont, Early Spring, 17th day, 993 AC

Bellithiel gives a healing potion to Taran and the elf immediately feels better, so they nod to you and hide in the woods. Very soon arrows fall on Bonegnasher and his group, hitting a goblin. The ogre roars and barks order, and the whole group run to the woods, leaving the entrance to the ruins clear.
Kesh leaves the unconscious kobold tied up and gagged, then you enter back inside. In the first room the gnolls are still there, two blocked and one wounded, tended by the fourth gnoll who escaped before, plus two kobolds on their feet, and three still down. The two awake gnolls and the two kobolds looks at you clearly uncertain.

[agathokles]

Lucius charges the nearest opponents -- if the kobolds, bashing away one with his shield, and attempting to strike the other with his sword, if the gnoll, attacking with a powerful sword attack before the gnoll can defend himself.

[hihama]

Bofar follows Lucius trying to silence any conscious enemy.

[Sturm]

Demara's ruins east of Krondsfield
Scene II - Hralen, Thaumont, Early Spring, 17th day, 993 AC

Bofar charges at the kobolds but misses them, and the two strike back at him, scratching his arms with their short swords.
Lucius hits the gnoll, wounding him in the leg. He tries to hit back but loses his sword instead. Kesh tries to hit the other wounded gnoll but misses him, yet he rises his arms in surrender. The other gnoll too surrenders. Seeing this, the two kobolds retreat too, clearly unwilling to keep fighting.
"Spare us and let us go - the gnoll wounded by Lucius says - and we will take you to the humans and the treasure".

[agathokles]

Lucius motions the Gnoll to tie down the kobolds. We spare you, but no tricks, and the others stay here until we have humans and treasure.

[hihama]

Gag them too.

[Sturm]

Demara's ruins east of Krondsfield
Scene II - Hralen, Thaumont, Early Spring, 17th day, 993 AC

The gnoll tie down the kobolds and the other gnoll as instructed. Kesh does the same with the two gnolls he blocked previously, just in case. Then the gnoll leads you to the other rooms. First there is a chapel, with a few religious items on a shelf and an altar, then you enter a wide cave which shows signs of escavation. "Here is the treasure - the gnoll says - but the humans have not finished digging it yet. Bonegnasher said he found map and treasure is beyond this wall", the gnoll says, indicating the western wall. "Humans are prisoners in a room over there", the gnoll says, indicating north. You enter another crude hall with a fireplace, then a corridor which leads to another one and a closed door. "Door locked - the gnoll says - Bonegnasher has keys, or he left them in his room", he adds, indicating another door in the next turn of the crude stone corridor.

[hihama]

Bofar uses his Sense Motive -skill to the gnoll.

[Sturm]

Demara's ruins east of Krondsfield
Scene II - Hralen, Thaumont, Early Spring, 17th day, 993 AC

Bofar thinks the gnoll is not lying, it simply seems he does not feel much loyalty toward the ogre chief and he is eager to get out now that it seems the ogre could be defeated.

[hihama]

Let's check the Bonegnasher's room for keys before we start breaking the door.