Hoard of the Dragon Queen Episode 0: Journey to Greenest

[Zergrinch]

Round 3

Goblin D: Scimitar vs Erwin (Disadvantage) [1d20+4] = 18+4 = 22 [1d20+4] = 16+4 = 20. Crit: [1d6] = 2 HIT. 5 damage to Erwin.
Goblin A: Shortbow vs Erwin (Advantage) [1d20+4] = 17+4 = 21 [1d20+4] = 17+4 = 21. Crit: [1d6] = 3 HIT. 5 damage to Erwin.
Goblin B: Shortbow vs Arjan (Advantage) [1d20+4] = 20+4 = 24 [1d20+4] = 5+4 = 9. Crit: [1d6] = 6 CRITICAL HIT. 11 damage to Arjan.  Arjan is dying.
Goblin E: Shortbow vs Erwin (Disadvantage) [1d20+4] = 12+4 = 16 [1d20+4] = 13+4 = 17. Crit: [1d6] = 4 MISS

 

The frozen goblin throws Erwin a glare of hatred; it drops its shortbow and slashes at the fighter with its scimitar.  Amazingly, the goblin was able to hit!

 

Two arrows shot out from concealed locations, both finding their marks.  Erwin finds another arrow sticking into his torso, while Arjan doubles over in pain, and falls into a dead faint.

 

The severely-injured goblin shot at the fighter from its prone position, but the arrow bounced harmlessly off the fighter's shield.

 

Although the goblins have downed one of the most dangerous caravan guards, they can also count - there are four of them, and four of the enemy, and a fair fight would not favor them.  Every single goblin disengages from combat and attempt to flee.

 

From Erwin's vantage point, the frozen goblin is 30 feet in front of him.  The sniper goblins are 20 feet in front, but to his left.  The severely-injured goblin is 45 feet to this northeast.  What will the party do?

[Rilbur]

Perrin:

 

Perrin swears.  It's annoying!  No sooner does he get one ally back on his feet than another needs saving!

 

Still, a bards gotta do what a bards gotta do, and keeping allies on their feet was just as important as taking chunks out of the enemies hide.

 

{{ Action: Cast Healing Word on Arjan. }}

 

Arjan:

 

Ow.  Ow ow ow ow OW!  Arjan raised himself to his feet and hastily threw another sleep spell, targeting a pair of archers off to the left.  That should teach 'em to shoot him!

 

{{ Action: Cast Sleep }}

 

Erwin:

 

Erwin charged forward, catching the frosty-freeze goblin before it could move.  He struck out with his shield and sword, hoping to get and keep the beast off balance long enough to kill it.

[Jeikor]

Garanth fires another arrow at the most open target.

 

Morganor tired of missing with his cantrip casts Guiding Bolt instead then moves into melee distance close to Erwin.

[Zergrinch]

Party's Actions

Perrin: Healing Word: [1d4+3] = 2+3 = 5 HP restored to Arjan
Garanth: Longbow vs. Goblin D: [1d20+5] = 17+5 = 22. Damage: [1d8+3] = 2+3 = 5. Crit: [1d8] = 5.  HIT.  Goblin killed.
Arjan: Sleep: [5d8] = 27 HP worth

Garanth's arrow pierces the sniper goblin's lungs, and it falls to the ground - dead.

Arjan gets up, with red haze still on his eyes, and flings his sleep spell at the largest cluster of enemies he can see. The remaining three goblins - and Erwin among them - fall to the ground in a thud. Seconds later, everyone else hears four distinct snores coming from the sleepers.

Other than the snores, everything appears to be quiet, although Morganor's sharp ears hear a groan coming from somewhere close by.

 

The caravan master, who had thrown himself into a crouch, nervously pokes his head up.  "What's happening? Is it over?"

[Jeikor]

Morganor hefts his shield and pulls out his war hammer as he follows the sound of groaning from close by.

 

Garanth readies another arrow and looks for a target.

[Zergrinch]

Morganor traces the sound of the groan, and finds the source pretty quickly.  It wasn't hard at all, there were drag marks from the dead horse to the clearing where he now finds an unconscious half-elf lying on the ground.  He appears to be stable, but Morganor easily sees he's been severely injured by what appears to be arrows and scimitar slashes.

 

 

Garanth nocks another arrow into his longbow, but his keen elven senses detect no sign of any other hostile in the area, other than the three snoring goblins who would probably wake up once the magic dissipates.

[Rilbur]

Perrin:

 

Perrin laughs at Arjan's mistake, and walks over to shake Erwin awake.

 

Erwin:

 

Together with Perrin, Erwin quickly binds the three goblins and drags them together.

 

Arjan:

 

Arjan slumps by the side of a wagon, exhausted.  Seeing Erwin and Perrin working, he forces himself to his feet and tries to help them.

[Zergrinch]

One by one, the goblins awaken.  They struggle against their bonds, but fell quiet upon realizing it drew attention to them.  They seem to shrink as the human fighter glares in their direction.  Not surprising, really, since they've seen him cut down two goblins by himself.

[Rilbur]

Erwin:

Erwin looms over the goblins, then looks over at Morganor.  "Stabilize that half-elf, if you would be so kind," he requested.  Turning back to the goblins, he leans over and smiles a very cold, nasty smile.  "Tell me what I want to know, and I may let you live.  And before you wonder who the good cop is going to be in this little drama..."  Erwin jerked his thumb as Arjan.  "I am the good cop.  The bad cop is going to eat you alive if you don't tell me what I want to know."

 

{{ Interrogate each goblin in turn about where their layer is, who else they've ambushed, why are they laying these ambushes, etc etc. }}

[Zergrinch]

The two goblins look fearfully at the badly-injured goblin who, despite his wounds, seemed to be calmer than his situation would otherwise suggest.

 

He looks the fighter in the eye.  "So we tells you what you wants, and we goes free, yes?"

 

"Whats you wants to know?"

 

{{Let's role-play out this interrogation.}}

[Jeikor]

Morganor looks at Erwin, shrugs, then casts Healing Word on the half-elf keeping his shield ready just in case.

 

Garanth continues to keep watch with his longbow ready.

[Zergrinch]

The half-elf's eyes flutter open as a wave of healing washes over him.

 

"W-where am I?  W-who are you...?"

[Rilbur]

Erwin:

 

"Lets start with everything you think I might be interested in, and work our way out from there," Erwin tells them.

[Zergrinch]

"We called Cragmaw.  We steals to live.  Is way of life.  You rich, have trade goods."

[Rilbur]

Erwin:

 

Erwin frowns.  "Now boys, the deal was you tell me what I want to know," he explains congenially.  "Now, I'm sure these self-serving excuses are fascinating enough to your clan members, but me, well, I'm interested in what might be called 'actionable intelligence'.  Or, in other words, something I can actually do something with.  You haven't exactly provided that, now have you?"

[Zergrinch]

The goblin's eyes widen in surprise as he realizes what Erwin wants him to say.

While most goblins would be eager to say anything if it meant they would live, the badly injured goblin that filched Erwin's pouch seems rather reticent.

"Humans, I knows your ways. You promises to sets goblin free if they says where we lives. Then you comes to kills us all. Kills me if you wants, I am almost killed anyways."

[Rilbur]

Erwin:

 

Erwin shook his head sadly.  "It doesn't necessarily have to be your lair," he said softly.  "We can follow your trail back there ourselves if we want.  Maybe you know something about the traps and tricks ahead of us.  Maybe you can tell us how to avoid an ambush further ahead.  Maybe you captured someone interesting, someone your tribe would turn back over to us in exchange for your worthless hides."

 

"But," he shrugged, "if you really think you don't have anything interesting to tell me, well..."  he let the sentence trail off into menacing silence.

[Jeikor]

 

The half-elf's eyes flutter open as a wave of healing washes over him.

 

"W-where am I?  W-who are you...?"

 

"You are on the Uldoon Trail between Baldur's Gate and Greenest. You were attacked by goblins. I am Morganor, a cleric and a guard of this caravan. We also were attacked."

[Zergrinch]

"I... uh... yes.  Greenest.  Was going there to... infiltrate.  Then goblins... ambush... My horse... is she..."

 

The half-elf gets to his feet, but sways unsteadily as he fights to clear the fog from his mind.  By his raiment, you can tell that he is a monk of some sort.

 

----

 

Upon hearing the human's menacing words, the other goblins screech at the heavily wounded goblin in ever urgent tones.  Unbeknownst to them, Erwin has studied the Goblin tongue, and knows perfectly what they are saying.

 

(in Goblin)

 

"Nugmark, tell him what he wants to hear!  He means to kill us all! You must live!  The Chief has no other heir!"

 

"No, Abub." the heavily-wounded goblin says, "Look at him, he has taken enough arrows to kill four goblins, yet he still stands.  He will kill our tribe.  I will not betray my father.  I can be replaced, he cannot."

[Jeikor]

"I... uh... yes.  Greenest.  Was going there to... infiltrate.  Then goblins... ambush... My horse... is she..."

 

The half-elf gets to his feet, but sways unsteadily as he fights to clear the fog from his mind.  By his raiment, you can tell that he is a monk of some sort.

 

Morganor steadies the half-elf monk with a hand at his back. "I am sorry but your horse is dead. Let's get you to our wagons for some water and a seat before you fall." Morganor helps him to the back of a wagon, sits him down and gives him a drink.

 

Garanth keeps watch and strains to hear or see any of the missing goblins or any other beings that might be nearby.

[Zergrinch]

The half-elf shakes his head sadly at the news of the horse's death, but says nothing.  As Morganor helps him into the wagon, the caravan master lets out a shout of surprise.

 

"Why, that's Master Leosin Erlanthar!   What's he doing out here?"

 

Turning to the other curious guards, he adds, "He's a dragon scholar from the monastery in Berdusk.  I've met him several times in my travels." 

 

As Morganor hands Leosin a drink of water, he notices the symbol of Bahamut emblazoned on a pendant worn by the half-elf.

 

[Jeikor]

Morganor answers the caravan master, "He was on his way to Greenest. That's his horse blocking the trail." Quietly Morganor pulls out his own amulet and shows it to Leosin.

[Zergrinch]

The caravan master looks nervously all around you.  "The sun is setting, and I would feel a lot better if we were camped somewhere harder to ambush. We should get his horse off the trail quickly, and be on our way."

 

Leosin takes a long draught, and a smile fills his face upon seeing Morganor's amulet.  "My brother," he says, "It is good to see a fellow believer in the Lord of Dragons here. My name is Leosin Erlanthar.  I'm traveling from the library of Candlekeep to the town of Greenest to investigate the Cult of the Dragon.  And you are?"

[Jeikor]

Morganor hesitated a moment than realized that Leosin in his befuddled state after being revived didn't hear his earlier introduction.

"I am Morganor, cleric of Bahamut and a guard for this caravan. I would be careful getting close to the Cult while wearing that pendant. We were passed by some members of the Cult and I got a look of pure hatred when the leader saw Bahamut's symbol on my shield."

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable in the wagon while I help clear our path."

Morganor headed to the front to help move the horse.

 

Garanth also moved forward but did not put away his bow or get down from his vantage point and wouldn't until he got the command from Erwin who he accepted as his leader.

[Zergrinch]

"Cult members passed you by?  So they were traveling at a fast clip considering.  Interesting." Leosin strokes his beard. "Did they say where they were going? Were they headed to Greenest as well?"