Elfquest #14

[GM Mad]

Elfquest #14

Nymph Medallion:

Morning comes and Lia and Valena are off to seek the Water Spirit that lives in the nearby lake. Sherwood fears that this creature that is supposed to hold the Nymph Medallion is similar to a nymph and that she would attempt to charm any males who approach too close and thus disrupt your quest.

The pair reaches the lake easy enough, but it seems peaceful. They follow the shoreline in hopes of finding something of interest.

An hour later, something does happen! Lia and Valena hear noise up ahead. It sounds like the panic pleas of a man!

Rushing forward, the pair discovers a man on the shore up ahead wearing black armor. What appears to be a living snake of water is trying to drag him into the lake. The man is pleading for help and trying to find a handhold in the soft sand. He is slowly being dragged into the lake by the snake-like limb of water.


Now what?

[GM Mad]

Griffon Medallion:


Further to the south, the others are relaxing in the griffon stables high amongst the trees. It is decide to wait until morning to go to wherever the griffons want to take them to retrieve the medallion. The rest of the evening is spent relaxing and taking in the stables.

Both Nariya and Kylie examine the painted map of the Sylvan Realms. It shows the location of the various clan towns, the roads in between them and the waterways. The location of the griffon stable is noted as well. While the locations of the medallions is not shown, many of the landmarks mentioned by Robin are, so you can get a general idea of your destinations.

Lilia concentrations of divining the function of the magical gear she discovered. There are enough similar items that eventually she’ll be able to identify them all.

The armor is magical elfin chain +1, which is soft to the touch and very comfortable against the skin. One could even sleep in the armor with comfort. In addition, each suit has Feather Fall cast upon it. If the wearer falls more than five feet, the magic kicks in. A necessary precaution for those on winged mounts!

The helms are enchanted to extend the wearer’s visual range. They can simply see twice as far and would gain a bonus to any ranged attack due to the increased accuracy.

All the special arrows are of a base +1, but have extra enchantments on them. The Arrows of Ice have bluish-white arrows heads, while the Arrows of Fire are reddish. Both arrows do additional damage a target upon impact. The Arrows of Ice do extra cold damage and the Arrows of Fire flame damage.

The other three types of arrows can possibly cause magical affects to their targets. Arrows of Stunning may stun the target, making him easier to defeat or capture. Arrows of Dispelling may remove any active magical spells on the target, while Arrows of Silencing might make the target unable to utter a sound.

Morning comes and the elves prepare for their flight. Four of the griffons are fitted with the riding harnesses and saddles.


Ready to go? Any other preparations you want to make?

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Arrows of Fire & Ice do an extra 1d6 of damage to their targets of that particular type. The Arrows of Stunning, Dispelling, and Silencing may affect their target if the appropriate saving throw is missed. The duration of the Stunning and Silencing effects is 1-6 rnds. Here’s how many arrows there are, gathered between the five stables:

Arrows of Ice – 63
Arrows of Fire – 58
Arrows of Stunning – 17
Arrows of Dispelling – 8
Arrows of Silence – 9

Magical elfin chainmail is as soft and comfortable as regular clothing. In fact it can be worn underneath clothing and even slept in. It does not hinder spell casting or thieving abilities in any manner. (It rates as No Armor for thieving skills, but does not work in conjunction with Bracers of Defense.)

The magical helms double your range of vision and add a +3 bonus to any ranged attack.

There are also magical bows of all types here. None are more than +1 in enchantment. Nariya would be able to find a Composite Shortbow +1 should she search for one. You can take as many arrows as you can fit into your quivers. Let me know how you break these down. A normal quiver holds 24 arrows and a Quiver of Ehlonna will hold up to 60 arrows in its arrow section.

Now what?

[Lilia]

Lilia:

Lilia is happy that we’re all back together have a few hours apart. It’ll make things easier as we continue our search. The Elf Maiden relates what she’s discovered about the equipment left behind.

“It would take us time to learn how to use the lances properly.’ more so saying it as an after thought, “But it is good, We no longer have to solely rely up the barge.”

“While that is true,” Lilia counters, “the griffons have a much shorter range and can only fly for so long per day. The barge can fly non-stop if fully charged. But I do agree, this does seem like a better way to travel. I do not relish the notion of spending another week cooped up on the barge.”

“And I agree. There is no reason to take a lance if we don’t know how to use them properly. If the griffons can fly steady enough, then we should be able to use our bows and spells as needed.”

Hearing that there are enchanted arrows within the walls, raises Laucian’s curiosity. “What were the types of arrows? The Helms maybe of use as well.” He asked curiously. Upon hearing the types he will try and remember if any sound familiar.

“I’ve heard of some of these types of arrows,” Lilia answers. “But I’ve never encountered them before. Basically, they have additional affects beyond their impact damage. With the Fire and Ice Arrows, there’s a burst of cold or fire upon impact that does more damage to the target. The others seem to hold other properties that do not cause damage, but instead trigger spell-like effects. Arrows of Silence and Stunning are very useful against spell casters, while Arrows of Dispelling handy to remove magical affects. I recommend that you three divide these arrows up and make use of them. My Manabow does not use ammunition, so they are no benefit to me.”

Early next morning Lilia will attempt to divine just how this riding gear fits a griffon. After some trial and error she’ll be able to figure it out. Once we are ready to depart, she’ll say goodbye to Lady and will ask the cooshee to wait until here until she returns.

Lilia will not wear the griffon rider's armor nor one of the helms.

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

The search for the possessor of the Nymph Medallion begins. As Lia and I make our way along the beach, we hear noise up ahead. Rushing to investigate, we find a man in black armor being dragged into the lake by snake-like tentacle of water!

“I am not sure if we should interfere or not,” Valena states, placing her hand on Lia’s shoulder. “While I do not wish to see someone drown, he does wear the armor of the enemy. By attempting to help him, we might alienate the water spirit and she might not help us.”

It is clear that that this dilemma bothers Valena. She’ll look to Lia and ask, “What do you think?”

[Nariya]

Nariya:

There are also magical bows of all types here. None are more than +1 in enchantment. Nariya would be able to find a Composite Shortbow +1 should she search for one. You can take as many arrows as you can fit into your quivers. Let me know how you break these down. A normal quiver holds 24 arrows and a Quiver of Ehlonna will hold up to 60 arrows in its arrow section.

Nariya will indeed take a magical bow when she comes across one. She will pass on the magical elven chain, even though it seems like it would be quite comfortable. Nariya isn't sure about the magical helm, but ends up taking one anyway. It will definitely help despite her not really liking anything on her head.

Nariya will take the following magical arrows:

15 of Ice, 15 of Fire, 3 each of Stunning, Dispelling and Silence

Nariya will keep the remainder of her quiver as normal arrows so she can save the magical arrows for when we really need them.

Nariya will bid the cooshee farewell before leaving. Hopefully there will be the chance to return. She will also watch Lilia as she tries to figure out how the saddle works on the griffons. Nariya will get hers ready mimicing what Lilia figured out.

[Lia]

Lia

Walking along the waterfront Lia's eyes look about taking the scenery as well as keeping her guard up, her left hand resting casually upon her sword hilt. Within a moment creams of help and panic are heard within the air. Rushing forward beside Valena, Lia stops cold within the sand her eyes going wide in shock.

A firm but gentle grip is felt dimly upon her chainmail, as she hears Valena speak. Turning her eyes upon her companion, With a bit of a cold heartedness Lia speaks, "Tis was his mistake to anger the water nymph. If his death is to price of his mistake then so be it. I do not wish to share his fate nor anger the water nymph. Besides if he does escape we can hunt him down and kill him, Perhaps gaining her favor in doing so. And if he perishes his body will still contain his spirit, as well as some information, if we choose to seek it.

Close your eyes if you wish. I will tell you when it is over."

[Laucian]

Laucian“I’ve heard of some of these types of arrows,” Lilia answers. “But I’ve never encountered them before. Basically, they have additional affects beyond their impact damage. With the Fire and Ice Arrows, there’s a burst of cold or fire upon impact that does more damage to the target. The others seem to hold other properties that do not cause damage, but instead trigger spell-like effects. Arrows of Silence and Stunning are very useful against spell casters, while Arrows of Dispelling handy to remove magical affects. I recommend that you three divide these arrows up and make use of them. My Manabow does not use ammunition, so they are no benefit to me.”

"Does this mean the fire arrows maybe used to Ignite as well?" he asks curiously as he asks. Seeing if these arrows could be used in other ways.

As the Elvin Chainmail and helms secrets are unraveled Laucian listens closely as Lilia explains them. Moving forward, and Taking a helm from its resting place he will place it upon his head, as well as Taking a suit of Griffon/Elfin chainmail and dawning it in the morning, Securing his Ehlonna Armor within his pack.

Laucian raises a curious eyebrow as Nariya declines on the armor. Perhaps she has some way to save herself if she falls but then again, it is not wise to dwell on everything.

Laucian will take the following Arrows and place them in his Quiver.

15- Fire
15 -Ice
5- Stunning
3- Dispelling
3- Silence

Remaining regular arrows

Taking the Griffon riding gear in his hand He approaches one of the larger of the griffons, after some trial and error he realizes just how to do it. And equips the Griffon, stroking its neck he softly says Softly in Elfish as the nerves of his first flight take hold. "Watch over me and I will do the same for you."

Turning back Laucian looks to the cooshees, With a slight regret he walks over and scratches in back of the ears of the pair that had taken a liking to him. "Guard this place well, my friends. We will return shortly." with a slight smile he took his place upon the Griffons back,(Elfin FF Chainmail)

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Nymph Medallion:

While walking along the shore of the small lake, Lia and Valena have come across a man in black armor being dragged into the lake by a snake-like tendril of water. The armor is the same as that worn by Moorkroft’s forces. The elves decide not to intervene and the screaming man is dragged under the water where he drowns in a few moments. The lake is still after that.

Finally, there is some bubble thirty feet off shore from the elves. What appears to be a handsome male elf rises from the water. He regards the women with a smile. The elf wears a white and gold tunic.

“Welcome ladies to my lake. It’s been a long time since an elf kept me company. Would you join me?”

[GM Mad]

Griffon Medallion:


The groups’ preparations are complete. Four griffons are fitted with riding gear for the trip to come. You say your goodbyes to the cooshee’s and settle onto your new mounts. The griffons begin to run forward and then leap into the air, beating their wings. The trip through the narrow opening into the stable doesn’t startle Nariya and Lilia this time, but is unsettling to those going in for the first time. The griffons quickly rise up into the air and begin to fly in a southeasterly direction.

The saddles are much nicer than riding bareback and it’s much easier to hang on. At first you’re flying over the large clearing where you met the griffons yesterday. But then its over the dense elfin forest and you lose all details about the ground below. By early afternoon you’ve deduced that you’re heading towards the inactive volcano Robin mentioned earlier. (Location G on the Sylvan Realm map.)

But as you near the volcano, the griffons turn more to the south and continue on with their flight. Those looking back can see a giant statue that Robin spoke of earlier that reminded him of a warrior. The statue stands thirty feet tall and its feet rest on large stones. A small trial winds its way up the side of the volcano there and passes between the statutes legs.

As you look ahead and to the south, you’re startled to see that you’re approaching one of the enemy camps that surround the Sylvan Realm! You can see six riders on Wyverns in the skies over the camp. The camp itself is square in shape, with a guard tower in each corner. There are six buildings and two stables within its grounds. Best guess for the number of soldiers garrisoned there would be from 60-90 or so. This camp seems to be the griffons’ destination!

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Here’s what remains of the magical arrows.

Arrows of Ice – 33
Arrows of Fire – 28
Arrows of Stunning – 9
Arrows of Dispelling – 2
Arrows of Silence – 3

Now what?

[Kylie]

Kylie:

The map is quite interesting and has a useful amount of detail. If she can find the necessary materials, she will make a sketch of the map, including marking the towns, roads and waterways. She's not a great artist, but it may prove helpful nevertheless.

During the night, Kylie spends some time memorizing some different spells. She feels frustrated by the difficulties they've had communicating, so she chooses some spells that may help.

Lilia and Laucian discuss the lances, but Kylie has no training with such a weapon, so she ignores them.

The collection of magical gear in the stables leaves Kylie feeling a bit like a kid in a candy store. The armor is soft and comfortable, unlike any armor she has encountered before. From what Lilia says, the arrows are better than any she has, so she dumps all her old arrows - even the magical ones - and fills her quiver and arrow box from the available supplies.
________________________________________________________
It sounds like the armor won't interfere with Kylie's abilities in any way and actually improve her AC (to what, I'm not sure). Assuming this is correct, she will stash her Bracers in her backpack and put on one of the suits of magical elfin chainmail.

Not sure about the helmet. If it will interfere with her magic or thieving bonuses (including to AC), then she won't bother. Otherwise, she'll take one.

Kylie has a quiver, plus an arrow box that she keeps in her backpack. She will fill them as follows:

Quiver: 1 Dispelling, 1 Silence, 2 Stunning, 10 Ice and 10 Fire.
Box: 1 Dispelling, 2 Silence, 5 Stunning, 8 Ice and 8 Fire.

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

Valena is a bit surprised at the ruthlessness Lia seems to possess, but makes not comment in it. She does not know enough of the woman or the teachings of her goddess to make any such judgments.

“Close your eyes if you wish. I will tell you when it is over."

“I have seen death before and will see it again. I do not fear it. Indeed, his fate was decided long ago when he sided with Moorkroft.”

The man is dragged to his doom and the elves just watch. Valena certainly takes no pleasure from the act. All is once again quiet until…

Finally, there is some bubble thirty feet off shore from the elves. What appears to be a handsome male elf rises from the water. He regards the women with a smile. The elf wears a white and gold tunic.

“Welcome ladies to my lake. It’s been a long time since an elf kept me company. Would you join me?”

Much to Valena’s surprise, it is a very handsome male elf that rises from the water. Perhaps this water spirit can take on whatever form it chooses!

“While your offer is most kind and very tempting, it is not why we have come. We seek the medallion that the elves entrusted you with. My companions and I have come to save the Mother Tree and we need the medallions to do so. Will you please help us?”

[Lilia]

Lilia:

"Does this mean the fire arrows maybe used to Ignite as well?" he asks curiously as he asks. Seeing if these arrows could be used in other ways.

“I would presume so,” Lilia answers. “If a target will burn, then I would imagine it would keep on burning. Likewise, the Ice Arrows would probably be very harmful to those who like heat.”

The map is quite interesting and has a useful amount of detail. If she can find the necessary materials, she will make a sketch of the map, including marking the towns, roads and waterways. She's not a great artist, but it may prove helpful nevertheless.

Lilia always has ink and parchment with her, so she can help Kylie out there. “While I am skilled at scribing text, my drawing skills are rather poor. This should help you make your own map.”


Most of the arrows are grabbed up and some of the magic items. “We’ll have to try and return here later with the others so that they can benefit from this discovery.”


Next day, the griffons are fitted with riding gear and we’re off. This way is much more comfortable to Lilia and even better the gear is built specifically for elves, so it’s not oversized like human riding gear. The ride is pleasant enough at first, but then it goes on for hours.

Our destination seems to be an inactive volcano we were told of earlier. But then the griffons seem to use this as a landmark and change course!

As we fly away, a giant statue is seen. Perhaps this is the warrior that Robin spoke of before. We’ll have to look later on.

The griffons continue and soon becomes clear that we’re flying towards an enemy camp!

“WHOA!! We don’t want to go there! That’s an enemy camp! We’ve got to turn around!”

[Lia]

Lia

Lia makes not a sound her face impassive as the man is dragged into the water, the last of his thrashing and bubbles from his unheard screams are lost upon the current. Within a few moments a bubbling can be heard as a Handsome man emerges from the water, for a few moments Lia admires his appearance.

"It is good to be here," She says with a smile and slight bow in respect, "Another time perhaps," she says in quick susession not wishing to offend the water spirit. "Also, if you know of the whereabouts of any trees marked with a white X, We would be forever greatful. For time grows short soon enough Orcs and other creatures will pillage our homelands and destroy our homes."

[Laucian]

Laucian

“I would presume so,” Lilia answers. “If a target will burn, then I would imagine it would keep on burning. Likewise, the Ice Arrows would probably be very harmful to those who like heat.”

"A good thing to recall." he says as he absently picks up one of the arrows and looks upon the arrowhead.

"We shall return, Many would be hard pressed to find this place, from above or below." he promises.

Taking up his place upon his griffon, he and the others take to the skies. Looking about from his mount Laucian can see quite far and begins to take the sites within. A large statue comes into site, one which Laucian vaguely recalls as theone Robbin had mentioned.

The griffons continue and soon becomes clear that we’re flying towards an enemy camp!

“WHOA!! We don’t want to go there! That’s an enemy camp! We’ve got to turn around!”

"And if it Holds the Medallion? Have you have the spells in which you need to be affective?" he calls back as he draws forth his bow. Depending on the mages answer will make their decision for them.

[Kylie]

Kylie:

Morning comes and they prepare to depart. Kylie selects one of the smaller gryphons as she's still not entirely comfortable with the beasts. At least she knows how to properly saddle them from her experience living with Jallarzi, and is happy to assist Lilia with hers. Speaking in Elvish, she says good-bye to Dapple and tells him they will return here, though he's not sure how much he understands.

Kylie has to suppress a screech of her own as they seem almost to collide with the stable wall on exiting. Fortunately, the gryphons skillfully navigate the opening and they are out safely.

As the hours pass by, Kylie slowly becomes more accustomed to riding the gryphons. She feels a little sheepish regarding her earlier fear, though she still experiences some anxiety being this far above the ground.

Over time, they pass a number of notable landmarks, which Kylie attempts to commit to memory. Of course, this is really more Laucian and Nariya's area of expertise, but you never know when you're going to get separated. In particular, she notes the volcano and the statue, as they are likely to be returning here later, perhaps on their way back.

The gryphons shift their course more southward, and it soon becomes clear that they are heading toward one of the enemy wyvern camps!

“WHOA!! We don’t want to go there! That’s an enemy camp! We’ve got to turn around!”

"And if it Holds the Medallion? Have you have the spells in which you need to be affective?" he calls back as he draws forth his bow. Depending on the mages answer will make their decision for them.

"Laucian may be right. It's possible that they have already acquired the medallion - whether they know it or not."

Kylie's expression turns grim. "I have spells and weapons enough if the time to fight has come."
________________________________________________________
Whoa! Managed to overlook the whole flight over the forest section of the posts in my earlier attempt to catch up.

[Lilia]

Lilia:

"And if it holds the Medallion? Have you have the spells in which you need to be affective?" he calls back as he draws forth his bow. Depending on the mages answer will make their decision for them.

"Laucian may be right. It's possible that they have already acquired the medallion - whether they know it or not."

Kylie's expression turns grim. "I have spells and weapons enough if the time to fight has come."

Lilia is mildly surprise that the other seem to want to take the fight to the enemy. Not that it really bothers her that much. Battle is inevitable in this situation.

“Backed by the power of the Star Crown, I have twice as many magicks available to me then I normally would. My spells are potent and lethal.”

“However, that is not my primary concern. Our greatest weapon thus far is the enemy not even knowing that we are here. If we attack, we might lose that advantage. Therefore, if we do attack this outpost, we must slay all of the enemy we encounter. There must be no survivors to ensure or presence remains a secret. Are you prepared to deal with bloodshed on that level?”

“And even then, there is no guarantee what we seek is here. It is quite possible that the griffons believe this to be the last place the medallion was at. But it could have been passed on to Moorkroft already. This might be all for naught. I leave the choice to you. If we are to battle, then let us fight.”

“If we are to fight, then we must target the Wyvern riders first as they have the best chance of getting away. Attack the mounts first, as if they fall, the riders will go with them. Then we can concentrate on the enemy camp.”

[Nariya]

Nariya:

As you look ahead and to the south, you’re startled to see that you’re approaching one of the enemy camps that surround the Sylvan Realm! You can see six riders on Wyverns in the skies over the camp. The camp itself is square in shape, with a guard tower in each corner. There are six buildings and two stables within its grounds. Best guess for the number of soldiers garrisoned there would be from 60-90 or so. This camp seems to be the griffons’ destination!

Nariya's mood goes from exhiliration to concern within a moment upon seeing that we are descending on the enemy. Everyone starts speaking and preparing for combat. Nariya can't believe we will be taking on such numbers with so few, even with the griffons.

Leaning forward, Nariya will talk to the griffon she is riding. She knows the griffon can't answer very well, but can shake it's head yes or no from what she saw Lilia manage.

"You know you are heading straight into the heart of the enemy?" she asks the griffon. Depending on the head shake she hopefully gets, Nariya will continue, "Do we need to go here? Is this our destination?"

If the griffon responds in the affirmative, then Nariya will prepare her bow. Maybe though the griffons are doing a last moment course change like they did in the trees. If the griffon responds that we aren't going there, Nariya will call out, "Hold off on your spells and arrows a moment." It just depends on if and how the griffon answers.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Nymph Medallion:

“While your offer is most kind and very tempting, it is not why we have come. We seek the medallion that the elves entrusted you with. My companions and I have come to save the Mother Tree and we need the medallions to do so. Will you please help us?”

"It is good to be here," She says with a smile and slight bow in respect, "Another time perhaps," she says in quick secession not wishing to offend the water spirit. "Also, if you know of the whereabouts of any trees marked with a white X, We would be forever grateful. For time grows short soon enough Orcs and other creatures will pillage our homelands and destroy our homes."

“I know nothing of the forest,” the male elf states, “as I do not leave this lake. “As for what you seek, I no longer have the medallion the elves gave me. It was stolen by the narwhale. I do not understand why he would do this to me. We had been friends.”


Griffon Medallion:

After a long griffon ride, your destination seems to be one of the enemy camps that surround the Sylvan Realm! Discussion follows on whether to withdraw or continue on are held.

Nariya decides to ask the griffons themselves if this enemy camp is where you are going. The question is asked and the griffon shakes its head yes. Your destination is the enemy camp! That is where they want to take you!

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Going to continue to the enemy camp or fly off?

It sounds like the armor won't interfere with Kylie's abilities in any way and actually improve her AC (to what, I'm not sure). Assuming this is correct, she will stash her Bracers in her backpack and put on one of the suits of magical elfin chainmail.

The magical elfin chain rates as “No armor” as far as thieving abilities are concerned. The Elfin Chain column refers to the non-magical variety and it is a bit more restrictive. But the magical chain does count as Armor as far as those characters that took bonus points by not being allowed to wear armor, such as Lilia. (And that’s why she didn’t take any armor.) It also nullifies the +2 defense bonus as that only works while not wearing armor and magical bracers also do not work with it.

Kylie’s normal AC is 1. Switching to the armor would make it 0, which isn’t much of an improvement. (The magical chain is base AC 4. –3 Dex bonus and –1 for the Boots of Balance make it AC 0.)

Not sure about the helmet. If it will interfere with her magic or thieving bonuses (including to AC), then she won't bother. Otherwise, she'll take one.

Yes, the helmet would interfere with Kylie’s ability to cast spells and use her thieving skills. The helms were primarily used by the Griffon Riders to allow them to see further while in flight. It would be easy to swap around if need be and used in certain situations.

Now what?

[Kylie]

Kylie:

“However, that is not my primary concern. Our greatest weapon thus far is the enemy not even knowing that we are here. If we attack, we might lose that advantage. Therefore, if we do attack this outpost, we must slay all of the enemy we encounter. There must be no survivors to ensure or presence remains a secret. Are you prepared to deal with bloodshed on that level?”

Lilia brings up and excellent point, and Nariya confirms their destination with the gryphons. Considering their past experience, Kylie is less bothered by the issue of bloodshed than she may have been before joining the Guardians. However, their secrecy is a primary concern in her eyes.

"Perhaps now is a time for stealth, rather than battle," she suggests to the others. As a group, we may be just as effective sneaking in and attempting to steal what we seek as we would be fighting for it. If successful, Moorkroft might never know we were here."
____________________________________________________________
Thanks for the info, Ken! As long as the weight isn't limiting / doesn't affect her movement, Kylie will take the armor and helm. The helm will be stowed any time she anticipates using magic.

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

“I know nothing of the forest,” the male elf states, “as I do not leave this lake. “As for what you seek, I no longer have the medallion the elves gave me. It was stolen by the narwhale. I do not understand why he would do this to me. We had been friends.”

Valena listens to the Water Elf’s explanation with interest. “Those are much the same words the narwhale said to us when we spoke yesterday. That you took his medallion and that he couldn’t understand why as you had been friends. It seems to me that perhaps you’ve both been deceived by a third party in this matter. Someone wanted to break up your friendship and claim the medallions for themselves.”

[Lilia]

Lilia:

"Perhaps now is a time for stealth, rather than battle," she suggests to the others. As a group, we may be just as effective sneaking in and attempting to steal what we seek as we would be fighting for it. If successful, Moorkroft might never know we were here."

“I would tend to agree with Kylie. It is much more logical to scout out an unsuspecting enemy force instead of just charging into battle. You three and move about quietly enough to explore unnoticed while I can conceal myself with magic. Let us land and scout out this enemy camp before rushing into battle.”

If everyone agrees, Lilia will urge her mount to land a safe distance from the enemy camp.

“I would suggest waiting until nightfall to go exploring, as it will limit their sight. We should also further question the griffons about the location of this medallion. At least get some idea where to look for it inside the camp.”

[Laucian]

Laucian

His fingers loosely upon his bow he listens as Nariya tells them of this is indeed our target. Sliding an arrow out, Laucian is about to nock the arrow to his bow, though the others words catch his ear, How foolish he was to commit to battle without thinking clearly.

“Aye, let us find a place to land, and hide from view.”

Once they land, if they do so, Laucian will get into his Ehlonna armor while the griffons are questioned further and then begin securing their ‘camp’

[Lia]

Lia

Valena listens to the Water Elf’s explanation with interest. “Those are much the same words the narwhale said to us when we spoke yesterday. That you took his medallion and that he couldn’t understand why as you had been friends. It seems to me that perhaps you’ve both been deceived by a third party in this matter. Someone wanted to break up your friendship and claim the medallions for themselves.”

“It would appear so.” She says simply, “The man within Black armor, there were two of such upon an island slain by the Narwhale. This man who met his demise by the water’s embrace, Would it be possible to have his body?”

After some thought Lia looks to the Elf, “Was there anything different about the Narwhale from what you recall?”

[Nariya]

Nariya:

The griffon confirms what everyone is thinking. The camp is their destination! Nariya listens to the others and agrees that landing nearby and scouting would be better. Nariya will try to coax her griffon into landing a safe distance away and out of sight.

If everyone agrees, Lilia will urge her mount to land a safe distance from the enemy camp.

“I would suggest waiting until nightfall to go exploring, as it will limit their sight. We should also further question the griffons about the location of this medallion. At least get some idea where to look for it inside the camp.”

"That sounds good," Nariya replies and notices Laucian changing into his armor. She will walk up to him and lean in to his ear, "Need any help with that?" Nariya asks playfully.

Nariya will get a spear ready and prepare to explore after it gets dark. Hopefully Lilia learned something from the griffons. Nariya will plan on scouting the perimeter of the camp and see how many guards come and go.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Nymph Medallion:

Lia and Valena have met with the water spirit whom the elves entrusted the Nymph Medallion. The spirit explains that it no longer has the medallion and that the narwhale stole it.

Valena listens to the Water Elf’s explanation with interest. “Those are much the same words the narwhale said to us when we spoke yesterday. That you took his medallion and that he couldn’t understand why as you had been friends. It seems to me that perhaps you’ve both been deceived by a third party in this matter. Someone wanted to break up your friendship and claim the medallions for themselves.”

This revelation seems to surprise the male elf and he’s quiet for a moment. “The hydra…”, he mutters after a time.

“It would appear so.” She says simply, “The man within Black armor, there were two of such upon an island slain by the Narwhale. This man who met his demise by the water’s embrace, would it be possible to have his body?”

“He is evil, that is all you need to know,” the water spirit answers. “He has paid for his crimes.”

After some thought Lia looks to the Elf, “Was there anything different about the Narwhale from what you recall?”

“Not that I recall.” After another pause, the water elf adds, “Tell the Narwhale to meet me in the ocean. He’ll know where. It seems that we have matters to discuss.”

With that, the elf slowly slides back into the water and is gone.

[GM Mad]

Griffon Medallion:


Upon learning that the griffons are taking them to one of the enemy camps that ring the Sylvan Realm, the elves direct their mounts to break off and land close by. Thanks to the elves superior eyesight, you were able to spot the camp before anyone could see you. If anyone did notice, they probably just assumed that it was a flight of griffons, not an uncommon sight here.

The griffons veer off and swing back toward the inactive volcano. The immediate area around the volcano and the enemy camp is plains, so there is no cover to be found on the ground. Instead the griffon’s land near old griffon nests on the side of the volcano. These nests are shielded from direct sight from the enemy camp and offer some cover. You can also have a clear view of the camp from this position.

Lilia questions the griffons extensively using the yes/no system. It takes hours to learn the full story, but the griffons have had regular battles with the wyvern riders in the past. Once the wyvern riders raided these nests and slew many griffons. When other griffons returned, they discovered the battle site and found that the medallion the elves gave them was missing. It had been buried near the nests. They believe that its now in the enemy camp they were attempting to take you too.

This high elevation gives you a perfect view into the enemy camp. Coupled with the helm, Laucian can spot many details even though the camp is miles away.

The wyvern riders are all human and they wear black armor. The riders carry spears, longbows, and nets as weapons. There seem to be eight wyverns in all. Typically they travel in patrols of four. When one patrol returns, the other goes out. What is interesting is that not every patrol heads into the Sylvan Realm. Some patrol the surrounding mountains. They seem to patrol the entire area.

The bulk of the troops in the camps are orcs. But you are startled to discover that the one who seems to be giving the orcs orders is a lone Fire Giant! Accompanying the Fire Giant is a small pack of Hellhounds!

The camp itself is situated on a small hill at the base of the mountains. There is no real cover for a daytime ground approach. The camp is roughly square in shape, with a guard tower in each corner. There are two wyvern stables and six other buildings. Best guess would put the number of orcs in the 60-80 range.


Now what?

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

This revelation seems to surprise the male elf and he’s quiet for a moment. “The hydra…”, he mutters after a time.

“The hydra?” Valena mentally repeats in confusion. Maybe the water spirits suspects this creature as being behind this deception? Does it know that the hydra has been slain?

“Not that I recall.” After another pause, the water elf adds, “Tell the Narwhale to meet me in the ocean. He’ll know where. It seems that we have matters to discuss.”

While not the resolution she was hoping for, Valena does feel that at least progress has been made.

“We shall do so at once, water spirit. Thank you for your time.”

Valena will bow slightly and step away from the water’s edge.

“I guess we now return to the barge and go back to see the Narwhale,” Valena tells Lia. “We should get moving.”

[Lilia]

Lilia:

It is decide to back off and scout out the enemy camp instead of just attacking it. Lilia urges her mount to turn away. However, we’ve left the elfin forest and there really is no safe place to land on the plain. However, the griffons fly back to the inactive volcano where they used to nest.

After landing, Lilia begins the tedious task of questioning the griffons further about why the though the medallion was at this camp. But eventually the full story emerges.

“Some of the griffons preferred to live here in the wilds, building nests on the side of this volcano. When they were given the Griffon Medallion, they buried it among their nests. Since then, they’ve had numerous battles with the wyvern riders. It appears that the wyvern raiders raided the griffon nests, slaying many of them. When other griffons returned, they found many dead griffons and that the medallion was missing. Most of these attacks came from the camp they were taking us too, so they assume that the medallion is still there.”

“As I see it there are now two possibilities we face. One, the riders didn’t know what the Medallion they found really was. One of them kept it as a souvenir and still possesses it. The second is that they know that this is what Moorkroft seeks and have turned it over to him. Therefore, raiding this camp and finding the medallion might be necessary, or it might just be a waste of time.”

After a pause, Lilia turns to Laucian and says, “Clansman, you are Priest of the Lady of the Forests. Does your patron grant you divination magic? Can you divine if the medallion is still there or not?”

[Kylie]

Kylie:

The others respond positively to her idea of using stealth to investigate the enemy camp. A combination of words and gestures seem to be sufficient to redirect the griffons, which take them back toward the volcano. Soon, they are landing at some old nests nearby and the riders debark.

Between Nariya's questioning of the griffons and direct observation of the camp via the helmets, they are able to gather some basic information. Most of those in the camp are orcs, but they appear to be commanded by a fire giant! And the giant has a pack of hellhounds!

"Orcs, huh? That's going to make this difficult. As far as I recall, orcs can see in the dark. Thus, night won't provide much cover. Plus, those hellhounds are going to be very hard to sneak past as their senses are no doubt very keen. Magical invisibility or other spells would be our best hope to get past them, I think."

“As I see it there are now two possibilities we face. One, the riders didn’t know what the Medallion they found really was. One of them kept it as a souvenir and still possesses it. The second is that they know that this is what Moorkroft seeks and have turned it over to him. Therefore, raiding this camp and finding the medallion might be necessary, or it might just be a waste of time.”

After a pause, Lilia turns to Laucian and says, “Clansman, you are Priest of the Lady of the Forests. Does your patron grant you divination magic? Can you divine if the medallion is still there or not?”

Lilia poses a good question and Kylie turns to see Laucian's response.

[Laucian]

Laucian

"That sounds good," Nariya replies and notices Laucian changing into his armor. She will walk up to him and lean in to his ear, "Need any help with that?" Nariya asks playfully.

So engrossed with doning his armor, he hadn't heard Nariya approach feeling her breath on his ear. A faint smile came across his lips as he said, "Aye, this is somewhat troubling me."

After a time Laucian places his helm upon his head and moves in the direction of the enemy base, finding a fairly decent spot to spy from, he drops to a knee and watches for a time from behind some bushes.

Upon returning from the scouting Laucian meets upw ith the others, his bow resting comfortably in his hand. there is some talk of discerning if the medallion is still there, and a question soon turns

to Laucian.

After a pause, Lilia turns to Laucian and says, “Clansman, you are Priest of the Lady of the Forests. Does your patron grant you divination magic? Can you divine if the medallion is still there or not?”

"That is one blessing that Ehlonna does not grant." he says evenly. Kneeling down in the grass Laucian takes small sticks and begings to form a square, pointing to various places. "From what I saw, there are probably 60-80 orcs, The wyrven riders appear to be human. What vexes me greatly is the Fire Giant and his hellhounds..."

"Orcs, huh? That's going to make this difficult. As far as I recall, orcs can see in the dark. Thus, night won't provide much cover. Plus, those hellhounds are going to be very hard to sneak past as their senses are no doubt very keen. Magical invisibility or other spells would be our best hope to get past them, I think."

"There are some ways around that, though at the present I am ill prepared for such a feat. There is a spell that can cover both your tracks and your scent for a time(7 turns by my math) It could get you in, but getting you out it may faulter."

"It is a shame we could not remove the outbound Wyrvens from the field, then double back and bombard the rest while they recover, effectively removing the Wyrvens and their riders from the field."

[Lia]

Lia

"The Hydra?"she echoes softly picking up on the muttering of the water spirit. "But..." she trails off remembering the staff and footprints leading away froom the body.

"As you wish," she says with a bow, and also giving thanks for its time stepping away from the waterfront.

“I guess we now return to the barge and go back to see the Narwhale,” Valena tells Lia. “We should get moving.”

"Aye, Do you think we should tell the narwhale of the Hydra?" she asks curiously "It may prove important to both."

[Nariya]

Nariya:

So engrossed with doning his armor, he hadn't heard Nariya approach feeling her breath on his ear. A faint smile came across his lips as he said, "Aye, this is somewhat troubling me."

Nariya will return the smile and help Laucian in any way he needs.

"Orcs, huh? That's going to make this difficult. As far as I recall, orcs can see in the dark. Thus, night won't provide much cover. Plus, those hellhounds are going to be very hard to sneak past as their senses are no doubt very keen. Magical invisibility or other spells would be our best hope to get past them, I think."

"There are some ways around that, though at the present I am ill prepared for such a feat. There is a spell that can cover both your tracks and your scent for a time(7 turns by my math) It could get you in, but getting you out it may faulter."

Nariya chuckles as discussion about orcs is brought up, "Even the youngest of children in our tribe are skilled enough to avoid and outwit some orcs, regardless of how good they can see. Hellhounds though, that's where our challenge will lie."

Once more discussion is brought up about using spells, but against hellhounds there might not be another alternative. "With some planning, the spell should give more than enough time unless we need to move extremely slow under its effects," Nariya replies. "We would have to set up a very specific plan depending on how many you can cast it on Laucian, and each one of us going in would have to leave on time regardless of if we found anything or not. We could do this on multiple nights if we needed to just so we don't risk being caught."

Another thought enters Nariya's head. "Can you shapechange into one of them?" she asks Lilia, having seen her and Sherwood change their shapes many times during the trek. "You could always just stroll on in there, especially if we observe their mannerisms and guard changes, and look around without fear of being discovered."

[GM Mad]

Post Closed