“That’s a lot of goblins,” Aelistae concluded after listening to Xaris and Linnix describe all that they had seen. “There are larger groups of goblins kept as slaves in the cities of the Drow, but it is only by repeated reminders of the power of the Spider Queen that they are kept subjugated. Here it seems that ‘Thrull’ – or whatever it is that leads them – has split them into small camps to keep them easy to manage.”

“That, I think,” Aelistae continued, “ is something we can exploit. If we can eliminate the goblin patrols and then the bugbear giving the orders, each camp will be cut off from each other. After that we can attack a camp, retreat, gather our strength, and attack another.”

The drow priestess paused for a moment, biting on her bottom lip as she did so. “Of course the plan doesn’t take into account what has happened to the other groups on the same quest. Have they been captured, or even eaten? Or are they still in the vicinity and are planning their next move? …But I suppose those are questions which we cannot answer standing here. Should we move to act on my suggestion, or do you have another plan?”

Bartholomew listened to the scouting reports of Xaris and Linnix, and the strategy that Aelistae suggested as a means of severing communication between the encampments, and slowly picking them off a camp at a time.

"We know we're not the first of the parties to arrive here, but the strength of the goblins, the organization and the lack of any other presense aside from corpses has me concerned..." he paused.

"Still we've come too far to just stand idly by. So let's run with it, and pray the God's favor us this night. Gather your things, hide your horses, take only what you can carry without slowing us down. We set off as soon as we're ready."

(I'd like to update tomorrow so please everyone get a post in if you can)

Xaris thought back on the battles with the forest goblins he had in his home woods. Killing what they called the leader certainly demoralized them and left them clueless, so this plan was sound to him. To him Goblins were goblins, all self soiling spineless heathens who deserve to be put down for the sake of every living thing.

" Your plan is sound, and I agree. With many battles against goblins in my past, killing the leaders and organizers will bring them down. The only thing is that goblins have numbers on their side, so we need to be quiet about killing the bugbear and wandering patrols. Then we can eliminate the goblin encampments, and then make our way to the keep. We do not want to leave any goblins behind us, who could flank."

Xaris pops the rest of the sweet tasting berries into his mouth, the red juices flowing down his pasty white chin in a fine line. He wipes it away and draws his sword, letting it rest on the ground as a sign of readyment.

‘Strange that someone so small and unassuming can be so fearsome in battle,’ Aelistae found herself thinking as Xaris shared his thoughts on her plan. She remembered the stories that had been told in her House of the cunning and ferocity of the svirfneblin that laired near Menzoberrenzen. But upon coming to the surface she had come to believe that such stories were lies woven to embitter the hearts of drow against them. Now, after witnessing Xaris’ own cunning and ferocity, she wondered if those stories didn’t hold some truth to them after all.

“I’m glad you agree, Xaris” she commented with a nod of appreciation. “I should be able to ensure that no sound escapes when we fight the bugbear and his pets. But even still, we’ll want to be quick.”

Linnix nods, "Alright, that sounds good."

"Umm, although, should we make a contingency plan, just in case the other groups interfere with our plan, or the goblins have another means of passing information?" Linnix asks.

"The main thing we have to worry about is that it's not just the goblins we're facing," Linnix elaborates, "We can't just plan against one faction, because the others need to be taken in thought as well."

"I guess the best way to deal with that is we have to make sure that when we move, we try not to let ourselves get into a situation where we could be flanked by another group, or at least watch our backs." Linnix suggests.

"I suppose, the only thing we can truly be prepared for, we have to be ready to run if the situation changes without warning and may seriously bode ill for us. I don't think it's likely we'll have to as the others, if they're still here, will probably act after all the goblins have been dealt with and not before. The only real threat right now is if the goblins have something unexpected they strike at us with." Linnix finishes.

Linnix looks over the maps once again, taking in their information. This would be tricky, but it was all they could really do at this point.

“Hmm… If we’re going to assault one of the camps, I think we should try hitting the south-eastern one of the four. It seems to be the most isolated and will give us the most time to prepare in case the other camps are alerted. I agree with both of you; we need to hit hard and fast and then retreat if we don’t immediately overwhelm them before they can mount a counter attack.”

As he spoke, Talus called upon his arcane talents to let his eyes see where there is no light and grant his hands and feet the ability to find purchase even on the smoothest surfaces.

“I am ready. Let us make these goblins wish they had moved on after their last battle!”

((Invoking See the Unseen and Spiderwalk))

"The main thing we have to worry about is that it's not just the goblins we're facing," Linnix elaborates, "We can't just plan against one faction, because the others need to be taken in thought as well."
"I'm afraid I have to disagree, Linnix." Dylan cast his gaze to the moon, full only a few nights ago but now missing a tiny sliver of light. "Well, not directly. Personally my greatest worry is the lighting conditions of this grand stage. I don't know if I'm the only one, now that you've taken the potion, but I can't see so well at night. I'm certain we don't want to be creating too much light, so I only ask that the others take my eyesight into account. That is to say, I might not be able to tell friend from foe by sight once the dance begins, so I would like if we could take care to identify ourselves if there is ever a situation when we are in doubt."

"Lastly, though I think it may be beyond mention for some, I would like to point out that relative quiet is very important, so that we don't attract the other camps' attention. We should refrain from casting particularly loud spells." Like several of mine are. "I agree with Talus' suggestion. The southeast camp should be our first target, in my opinion.

Plans were drawn, concerns voiced, and issues brought to light. The group had wanted to attack the south east encampment, but the map proved that reaching it would be nigh impossible without a steady means of flight or otherwise. So they would have to attempt the south western camp, with the bridge at their backs they would have a means to flee if need be, and be able to strike fast and hard repeatedly, fading into the shadows of the night.

Dylan voiced his concerns with both his eyesight, and the means to identify themselves from the enemy. Something, that despite the darkness, could easily identify themselves as friends. At the raised potential problem, one Bart similarly suffered from without enhanced vision, he reached into his bag of holding and pulled out a bundle of dried corn, the hardened dry husks surrounding the kernels like a protective shell. Tearing the corn husks from the ears he replaced the corn itself into his bag of holding, and removed a small ball of twine. The simple gesture of making the armlets of dried corn husks showed that Bartholomew was a man whose hands dipped into all manner of simple toil, for within a few minutes, each member of the expedition had a pair of corn husks sticking out attached to their right forearm. Even in the dim light of the moon, the shape of the twin oblong pointed husks were easily discernable.

One of many possible problems out of the way, the group decided to make their move. Like shadows in the night they moved as quickly and quietly as they could towards the goblin encampment. They crossed the bridge and entered the forested area, made some headway towards their destination, but were interrupted by a pair of goblin sentries further up the trail. Aelistae hushed the group and halted their advance, but Xaris and Linnix both had plans of their own. Slinking off on either side of the forest trail, Linnix blessed with her magic cloak of the night, confiscated from the werewolf, and Xaris, naturally at home in the wooded area both took to flanking the goblins, who were talking about an elk their camp had recently taken down. Apparently, food was a scarce commodity this far north, which is what spurned the more frequent raids south into the farmlands and smaller settlements of the kingdom. But as the goblin population grew, their need for sustenance grew as well, and so they had to keep pushing their forays further and further south into ‘civilized’ lands. Incredibly, Linnix and Xaris both moved without a sound, the goblins oblivious to the pair that slowly crept up upon them bringing with them swift death. As the rest of the party looked on from crouched positions and hidden behind trees, Linnx and Xaris struck. Linnix raised her newly acquired bow, took aim and fired, at the same time Xaris leapt from the side of the trail, greatsword flashing down in a deadly arc.

Linnix’s arrow pierced the goblin before her’s back, just as its eyes went wide as Xaris came into view, his sword arcing down in a mighty swath. Both arrow and blade ended goblin life instantly, such was the extent of their power. After a quick move of the bodies, deeper into the woods, the trail was cleared once more and the party was free to move on. Quietly and efficiently they knocked off two more patrols before the encampment came into view. Seven small tents, and a larger one filled the clearing, with a count of 16 goblins, a pair of hunting dogs and a pair of orcs carrying javelins and cruel looking axes milling about the clearing. On the firepit in the middle of the clearing was a spit, an elk roasting over the open fire, goblins salivating over the wonderful smells that wafted from the roasting meat, but the Orcs along with their mutts were gathered around the pit, keeping the lesser goblins from the juicy morsel.
(The party would have to decide how to strike the foe before them. They would need to move hard and fast if they hoped to eliminate this threat without raising an alarm.)

While the main group was making plans on how to strike the goblin encampment, three others as of yet unknown of were also nearby, picking their own movement and making plans. To the east of the trail leading away from the goblin encampment the expedition team was moving to surround, Intella Gentrix was quietly picking her way through the foliage, trying not to alarm the entire encampments around her. She was all for testing her mettle, and letting the wind at her back guide her feet through the unchartered path of life, but really, did the threads of fate have to lead her directly into the middle of goblin central?

Farther north, another pair were unknowingly being placed upon a bigger stage. Coming south through the path of the Starspires, Bronwyn Lynnebrook and Elendil Isilmaren had traversed the Wealdath; much to the credit of Elendil's skills as a forest ranger, and were now deep into Tethyrian territory. Bronwyn was a recent addition to the road-traveling wizards. Free from the tutlage of her late mentor, the young woman was eager to test her mettle as well against the trials and tribulations of the world.

Each of the three strangers had a reason to adventure, each had a need to grow stronger, and though those reasons were different; on some level they were also the same.

As Intella gazed out through the trees, she noticed the elk on the spit roasting over an open flame and her halfling tummy rumbled so loud in her own ears she swore it would give her away, yet none paid her mind.

For Bronwyn and Elendil, it was no such game, but a pair of goblins speaking of a captured human that crossed their path. The two women were quietly hidden behind a pair of semi-large boulders, and Elendil could make out the goblins speaking in their rough native tongue.

"Gots us a huume. Found 'im sneakin round the woods we did. Thrull's gonna reward our camp for this.. Raven's claw will eat tonight!"
"Right, I so hungry I eat shoe last night." To accentuate the point he wriggled his bare toes on his left foot and rubbed his belly. We just need keep huume till Bolikar arrives, then we get food and respect.!"

With a pair of hearty cries to Raven's Claw, the pair of goblins began moving south-west down the trail farther away from the women. In the distance to the south, nestled at the fork of the mighty river Suldaskoon sits the silouette of a stronghold under the moonlit sky. What would they do? Enter the goblin territory by following the pair? wait it out? try for the keep?

Bronwyn laid a hand on Elendil looking her in the eye and shaking her head as the Goblins leave to move down the trail, most likely to their camp. Only when they are well away from the place they were hiding does she dare whisper to Elendil. sharing her thoughts with the elven ranger.

“I don’t think we can do anything for that captive. There is only the two of us. Also, I am no fighter. Even following them is risky for just the two us because I am not good at sneaking around in the forest. I can see the keep but I wouldn’t hold out any luck of finding help there. They probably would;n''t help some unlucky traveler nobles are like that. But in truth, I don't think the goblins would be in this area so close to the keep, they are cowards at heart unless in overwhelming numbers."

Intella Gentrix, a Strongheart halfling of Luiren province, has recently left the city of Mosstone on the Coastal Trade Way, going south. She has traveled the Way through the Starspires and into Zazesspur. From there, she traveled west along the northern bank of the River Sulduskoon, with brief forays into the areas a bit farther north, but still keeping to the river for water.

Intella was certain that she should have come upon a bridge across the river before now. The information given her at the inn she last visited for a meal mentioned a bridge across the River Sulduskoon going south, and a keep to the north and east of the bridge where she could most likely find hospitality. She hadn't really planned on riding so far into the night, but she wanted to find the bridge, her landmark, so she could be sure that the directions given to her were correct, and therefore worthy of trust.

Mossan, her black-and-tan pony seemed to disappear and re-appear under her when she rode through the small forests and copses of trees on this late, quiet part of her journey. In the bright lunar glow her loose, bell-sleeved blouse and pantaloons, steel-gray satin with narrow white slashes, took on the appearance of quicksilver or liquid moonlight. The narrow black sashes binding the joints and the wide one at her waist were in contrast, but seemed to be merely chamoflaging shadows against the fabric.

Topping a low rise, she viewed the bridge. When she reached it, she turned north to follow the trail, riding in contemplative silence as she enjoyed the scenery surrounding her. Until she saw the goblin corpses. Quickly and cautiously, she glanced about searching for others who might still be present. Discerning no one, she dismounted and approached to determine whatever she could. One had an arrow protruding from it, an impressively precise shot. Another had been cloven nearly in twain, so great was the force of the blow that took it. And both wounds were fresh; the ichor that served the creatures for blood had hardly dried as she looked at them. Someone was ahead of her and killing quietly, for she had heard no scream of terror or deathly pain from anyone or anything. Such a cry would have been noticeable in the extreme on a night this quiet. Her innate hatred of goblins flared, also fanning her curiosity to find what others would kill the misshapen creatures as quietly and quickly as she herself would, And with seemingly as much remorse or hesitation as she herself would show -- meaning none.

Taking Mossan back to the bridge and tying him to a low bush nearby, she removed four sunrods from her saddlebags. She tucked a pair of nunchakus into the waist sash at her back, then she pulled the two siangham from their sheaths on the outside of her lower legs and placed two sunrods in each sheath to replace them. She checked her belt pouch for the sling and bullets she kept as a back up, then headed north on the trail from the bridge, moving fast, but not running. Not wise to approach a battle fatigued from that kind of effort. She kept a siangham in each hand as she moved, light, quick, and silent.

Intella had been following her whims, her feet, and the fates, and whether she was guided to the area by a coincidence of the three or by the foresight of Yondalla the Blessed One, who knows? After passing the two goblin corpses and continuing north, she encountered two more pairs of dead goblins, spaced at distances along the trail that indicated they might be sentries or communication relays. Whoever was killing them was doing it for a purpose, and Intella's innate caution flared. She did not want that killing power turned on her. The goblin presence here was proof that what she had heard in Zazesspur about the "goblin threat" in the area was truth. But if those ahead were betrayed and may need help, then help Intella would bring. After noting the last pair of silenced sentries and seeing the torches of a camp in the distance, she struck out to the northeast, curving her path to approach the camp from the east under the cover of a patch of trees she could also see.

[[ Spd 30 (base 20, light load, no armor, +10 Monk Fast Movement) ]]
[[ Hide @ +6, and Listen @ +5 ]]

[[ Regardless of whether or not she can catch up to a point where she can see the others ahead of her, she will turn northeast as soon as she notices the last deceased sentries. Moving quickly, she will then curve in to approach the party's obvious destination from the trees on the eastern side. She will try to time her arrival as close to that of the other characters as she can. Failing that, she will simply get there as soon as she can, still from the east, and through goblins, if she must. ]]

[[ She will initally use her two siangham, one in each hand. (Two-Weapon Fighting and/or Two-Weapon Defense) If either one is lost (or both are), she will immediately replace it (or them) with nunchaku tucked into the sash at her back. In keeping with her adaptation of the Way of the Hin Fist, when she first engages in combat, she will use the Harpie's Warble to strike fear into her opponents until her first kill or foe-fall, then she falls into calling her strikes by names in her native tongue, the Luiren Strongheart dialect ("Feel the Serpent's Thrusting Fangs!", or "Wyvernsting!", or "Slashing Claws of the Tiger!") ]]

She was here for many reasons, least of which was Bronwyn’s payment for acting as her guide and for another the Elven Council, where she had been working as a Ranger, had wanted some direct intelligence about what was happening in the south, and lastly, because she had the feeling that she had been recognized by those sent out by her family to find her and bring her home. So here she was, hunkered down by a rock, ready to trail her favored enemy.

Elendil moved keeping Bronwyn under her cloak to help her hide. One of the things she had done before they set out was to have the small human buy a gray set of clothes for travel. Then she made up some natural dyes from walnut and oak, and blueberries. She took the clothes and wet some areas and splattered water on other areas, then she poured and splashed the clothes with the different colors of dye. Where the cloth was wet, the colors were diluted and in other places, they blended, making other shades. Where it was not wet, the colors remained more intense. In the end, what Elendil made for Bronwyn, was a set of camouflage clothes, much like what she wore under her cloak.

“We will move their way,” she whispers, but away from the keep. I fear it is not in the hands of the human inhabitants of this land. We will go further west and then south. First things first, she stands and goes over to Bronwyn’s pony and takes up a strap that was hanging around its nose, having been threaded through the rings in the ponies bridle. She tightened the strap so that the pony could not open her mouth and give them away. She had done it before on their long trip over the Starspires, so the pony was used to it, though she did not like it. Next she got out four leather padded hoof covers, to soften the pony’s footfall. The first time the pony wore them she picked up her feet like a trick horse, now she wore them without a problem.

She walked to the back of the pony where she had built a perch for Talon, her Eagle Owl. (Looks like a Great Horned Owl, but bigger with massive talons) She put out her gauntleted left hand and took the great bird onto her forearm. Calmly she stroked his chest and then swung her right hand about her signaling the big bird to circle around them as they moved to keep an eye out for trouble. With a lift of her arm Talon took to the air flying silently through the trees.

“Follow me, and be careful to step where I do.”

She moves with extreme care, and when she has to, she will move a branch or deadfall to keep Bronwyn and the pony from stepping on it, though Bronwyn was learning to be as quiet as she could.

Bronwyn watched in silence while Elendil apparently disregarded everything she mentioned about how this was a very "bad" idea and the elven ranger went about preparing her pony;s feet and tying her jaw shut so buttercup could not whinny at the wrong time.

IN silence and in growing anger Bronwyn looked on, a mulish look came over her face and her stubborn jaw clenched tightly, as Elendil continued to do what she did without regarding Bronwyn's wishes in this matter. Her grandfather and grandmother knew that look well. Bronwyn didn't like being force to do something she did not want to, she got "mulish" as her grandfather put it.

When Elendil had finished with her preparations and told Bronwyn to follow her and step where she stepped. The look on her face grew even more mulish.

"No." Bronwyn whispers more forcefully.

THen d Bronwyn drops her voice for fear of being heard, "Didn't you hear anything I said? You can't expect me to go tearing off after goblins in strange forest we know nothing about in the dark when I can't see five feet in front of me and with a pony in tow. Bronwyn ignored the salient act of an almost full moon riding high in the night sky as that fact would not help her argument. If it would have she would have used it.

Slick, her familiar, sensed her mood and chittered nervously as she clung tightly to Bronwyn's long jerkin covering her traveling clothes a gray tunic splotchy tunic tunic over gray splotchy pants. Those gray clothes were not her choice either but she had gone along with it then because it made some sense then--but not this idiocy.

Slick, her familiar, nearly wrapped his slender weasel's body around her neck and clung hard to her shoulders, luckily her ankle knee-length jerkin covering her tunic and pants was of stout cloth of the Grandmothers weaving. That at least she did not let the Ranger dye with those strange splotches of color.

Bronwyn had places to go and things to accomplish. Chasing goblins back towards their camp,with who knows how many of the little buggers were there, was not one of them.

"No, I paid you to take me safely through this area and this could not be remotely considered a safe thing to do."

Strangely while she argued vehemently against Elendil's plans, one part of her well trained mind was going over spells that could be useful. Not that she would mention this to Elendil no use fueling the madness.

Artanis had remained quiet for a large majority of the time since the encounter with the lycans. During the trading frenzy with Sir Trades-A-Lot, she stayed back and simply looked on as the individual members of the party bartered for the best prices on the items they wanted. Then the group moved on.

As they journeyed ever closer to their destination, Artanis’ mind began to bring forth memories. They came in short spurts at first, but with the monotony of the road stretching endlessly on before her, Artanis began to grab hold of the memories and allowed herself to truly remember.

She had once been a young woman. Poor but happy with the simple things in life. She had the one luxury the rich and Noble could not have. She had the rare gift of marrying for love. And oh, how she had loved Darius. They had been neighbors all their lives, had played together as children, and had been best friends as the years passed.

Artanis remembered the day she first realized things had changed between her and Darius. They had snuck off to the river for a swim as was their custom. They spent a few moments in their usual play, splashing and dunking each other. Then Darius decided he wanted to see how big a splash he could produce by jumping back into the water. As he climbed onto the banks of the river, Artanis’ breath had caught in her chest as she watched the muscles working in his back and arms. When he turned ready to jump back in, he’d had such an incredibly sexy smile on his face that her body had reacted in ways that had confused her. He’d noticed the look on her face and she had blushed. She tried to cover it up by splashing the water and yelling encouragements for him to make the biggest splash ever.

It was not too long after that day that Darius and Artanis had been married. It was such a simple, yet beautiful wedding. It was the most cherished day of Artanis’ life. That is, until the day came that the most horrendous pain imaginable, brought forth the most precious gift life could have ever given her. They named their brand new son Darius Toren Thesias, JR.

Darius and Artanis worked hard from dawn ‘till dusk. They had had their disagreements and arguments no different than any other couple, but they were happy. They loved each other, and they loved their son who was growing ever so quickly and was just getting his legs ready to walk. They were such a happy family. But all good things come to an end.

The lord that had owned the land where their small village was located had died without warning one night. His son inherited all that had belonged to his father. While the deceased lord had been indifferent, leaving the village to their own devices, his son was very cruel and greedy.

He took what he wanted with no regard to anyone. Including the women on his land. One may not believe it to look upon her now, but there was a time when Artanis had been considered beautiful. And as such, the new young lord decided he would have his fun with her. It mattered not to him that she was married. She was a vassal on his property, and as such belonged to him, so he could do as he pleased. That was how it suited him to view it, and so it was. When his demand for Artanis was denied, he became enraged at the audacity of the “lesser than”. He took what he wanted despite the protests and feeble attempts to thwart his intentions.

That night, when he was done with her, Artanis returned to her home only to be met with a site that she would never be able to erase from her mind. As if of its own volition, her body bolted into action before her conscious mind could register what she was doing. She raced toward the inferno that had once been her home. It took several people to hold her down, and stop her from passing through the fiery arch that had been her doorway. Artanis fought and struggled against those that held her tight. She did not have to be told that her husband and son had been in the house when the fire was set.

Her screams for her husband and child could be heard clear up to the keep, where the wind had carried them straight to the young lord’s ears. A malicious smile spread across his lips, transforming his face into a mask of evil cruelty. “That should teach those parasites to appose me.” Was all the hate-filled young man had to say.

How her life had changed after that night. She had become like a walking dead. She grew pale and overly thin. She did not eat, and rarely entered the sunlight. Every day the hatred festering inside her heart grew.

After a couple months had passed, her brain finally clicked and she knew what she had to do. With her wits about her once more, Artanis’ appetite returned in full force. She began eating heartily, and exercising daily. As a result, her body grew strong, and she regained her shape quickly. Soon the young lord took notice of her again.

The night he decided she would be his companion again, Artanis did not fight him. She did not protest to his advances, but she was ready this time. When she had him exactly where she wanted him, she …..


Bart’s voice filtered in through Artanis’ memories, and she could hear him informing the group that they were merely a couple hours’ ride from their destination. Artanis’ eyes cleared and she focused again on the present. She loosened her grip on her sword, and shook off her memories. She was now alert and vigilant, as she and Xaris moved to the front of the group.

Soon thereafter, they came upon what appeared to have been a battle ground of sorts, a bridge which had been destroyed, and corpses lying about. Artanis sat quietly while they waited for night fall. Then she watched as Aelistae magically mended the bridge. Once that task was complete, Linnix and Xaris scouted out the area.

Artanis approached Aelistae, “That was amazing. Please, thank your goddess for me, for all the help she has given us throughout our travels.”
Once Linnix and Xaris returned with their reports, and Bart had produced the rough sketch of the surrounding areas, Artanis spoke up.

“These two,” she pointed at the two goblins near the north eastern trail, which appeared to be leading to another camp, “must be taken out immediately. We cannot risk them warning the next camp.” With a quick look in that direction, she looked back at the group, “I may be able to take them out myself, but should there be any unforeseen surprises up their sleeves, perhaps one other can come with me to make sure they are both dealt with quickly and silently, leaving no chance for escape.”
Her opinion voiced, she looked to the others for further possible tactics and strategies.

Elendil stops and turns glaring at the tiny human female, though she doubted the young woman could see her face she had a coif of the camo dyed cloth over her face with only a small opening for her eyes.

"First," She whispers with a slight hiss, "we have to skirt the Keep so we have to go south, but the gobs went southwest so we will go west until we pass their camp and then head south and find the road."

"I WILL be stopping and have Talon scout the camp, If there is any chance to save the human they speak of then I will."

"Think of being in his or her position, waiting to be eaten. If I can do anything to aid in their escape, I will do it, but I will see that you are safe before I do that."

Elendil sighed and turned back south west to parallel the direction of the Goblins at a safe distance, far enough away from them that should Bronwyn or the pony misstep then it would not be easily heard.