As the first dim light of dawn strengthens to the mottled shadows of full daylight in the dense forest of the Oytwood, we find our brave little band of humanoid, reptilian and avian adventurers fleeing southward from the threat of the arrows of an uncounted hoard of angry elves. The only sounds to be heard are the noisy progress of this group as they crash through the undergrowth with as much stealth as the typical cavalry charge. It is as if all the wildlife of the forest holds its breath and hides out of sight as these noisy outsiders hurry southward.

Those among you who glance back do occasionally catch a brief glimpse of movement at the very limit of visibility in the forest. Vague shapes of greens and browns, even a tiny flash of light on polished metal once or twice. There is no doubt that the elves are right behind you! Yet they seem to be content just to pursue you, not coming close enough for either side to shoot at the other, not yet anyway.

After a full hour of this forced march Jurz and Rog are still leading the way although the rest of the group is only 20 to 30 feet behind them. But what is up ahead? Is it your imagination or is the daylight actually getting brighter ahead of you? Jurz and Rog suddenly break out of the edge of the forest into full daylight. It is uncomfortably bright after the shade of the forest but their eyes adjust fairly quickly anyway. However Rog skids to a halt ten feet from the edge of the tree line and they find themselves teetering on the edge of a steep descent. Moments later the rest of the group crowds up behind and beside them, spreading out along the ten-foot wide strip of clear ground beyond the edge of the trees. The ground plunges down 40 feet over the next 10 feet ahead of you, then levels out in what looks like a wide, marsh-filled valley. It stretches ahead of you for over a hundred feet before rising again as another steep, rocky slope with more forest at the top. This marshy valley stretches away to left and right for hundreds of feet in both directions. Detouring around it is probably possible although the valley curves away in both directions so that the ends of the valley are hidden behind the edge of the forest in the distance.

But what should you do now? Surely the elves will be upon you in seconds. Turn left towards the east or right and head west? Do you risk that slippery descent in the hopes the elves won't follow – there are certainly plenty of rocks down that slope to hide behind. Or is it time to stand and fight?

OOC: After an hour of forced march (following on from a full 8 hours marching through the night) everyone has to make a DC10 Constitution check to avoid becoming fatigued. Roll d20 + Con bonus, aiming for 10 or higher to avoid fatigue. Jurz is the only one who is riding and does not risk fatigue, but Rog automatically fails and is now fatigued.

Main Game Map updated.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:45, Thu 11 Sept 2014.

In reply to Wyrm of Wyrd (msg # 1):

OCC: A DM that gives self evident directions, I like this. There are 4 directions you guys can take this that I know of, do you pick A,B,C,D, or E.

Ooppes is running on straight fear and breaks the tree line before even realizing there is a opening let alone a slope.

Ooppses Rolled a 22 using 1d20+3.

In reply to Oopses (msg # 2):

So, does that mean Oopses doesn't stop at the top of the slope but plunges down out of sight? Does Arlein go with him?

Dregz is puffing and panting, but sheer terror of the horrible Elves close behind drive the little goblin on.  The forest is unnerving, the daylight moreso and in other circumstances the almost sheer drop would give him pause ... but those horrible, horrible Elves spur him forwards, without hesitation, over the edge of the cliff, his sack-wrapped Holy Book clutched tight as he mutters a prayer to Bargrivyek that is all but lost as his rapid descent begins ...

"GeronimoOOOOOOHHHHHGHH !"

Minmorc will stop at the edge of the cliff, breathing heavily and leaning on Vera. Through the gasps he will however start to laugh at the spectacle of Goblins falling down a cliff. He'll start beating his spear on the ground to the tune of an old orcish song.
"Goblins think deys tricksy, goblins think dey smart, but goblins good for one thing, and dats fallin apart. Throws dem at yer enemy, throws dem down your throat. When yours attack a humy house, throws them in der moat. Falls teeny goblins and if yours lucky yous might float." Minmorc will wait to see if the rest of the group follows the goblins and will make sure he has a good thick tree between himself and the elves.

In reply to Minmorc (msg # 5):

Depending on Dm ruling

sNotse our falltz, you bigguns runs too hast and seaz too farts. I runs and bush hits me in my mouth and knees at same himes.

OOC: Nobody has to fall or jump or scramble down the slope unless they choose to do so. The forest was too dense to allow anyone to run at full speed, as you had to push through the undergrowth all the time or follow in the footsteps of someone who was already slowed to walking pace. You suddenly broke out of the undergrowth into a 10-foot wide, relatively clear space with a steep slope down to a 100-foot wide, marshy valley ahead of you. Everyone can make their own decision which way they want to go and what they want to do.

So far Jurz and Rog have paused at the top of the slope, Oopses and Arlein have done the same, Dregz is scrambling down the slope and Minmorc has taken cover behind a tree while he waits to see if the others choose to follow Dregz.

Nurzhan is the last one out of the forest. Seeing everyone else milling about at the top of the slope he quickly looks around and sees Minmorc behind a tree with his enormous spear in his hands. He grins at his brother orc and steps back behind another tree. He readies his bow to shoot the first elves he sees.

Bulldust pauses at the top of the slope too but he seems more amused by Minmorc and Oopses than interested in the change in terrain.

He points at Oopses and laughs.

"Two Fartz! Good name! You good wiv making the names too, Two Fartz."

He looks down as Dregz starts down the slope.

"Which wayz we gonna goez, Moffa?" he asks Moffdust.

Riza wastes no time and hurries behind a tree about 10ft behind Minmorc and hides herself with her bow at the ready. She is determined to kill the very first elf she sees.


OOC: rolled 9 for the fatigue check, rolled 31 to hide
This message was last edited by the player at 07:42, Sat 13 Sept 2014.

Moffdust quickly looks all around and straight away makes a decision.

"Left pathz and right pathz not good. No coverz. We runz fast but arrowz faster! Dis not good placez to fightz elfsez. Demz getz around and flankz us and shootz us full of holesez. Followz the green priest. Him smart goblinz. We hidez behind rockz so elfsez can't shootz us. If dem comez down too den youz killz dem. If dey comez too close to edge we makez some of dem fallz down to us too, den youz killz demz too! Soon dem getz tired and runz away."

Moffdust carefully steps over the edge, slides down the slope and hurries behind the cover of a big rock.

Bulldust nods his head and smiles brightly.

"Moffa smart! Slidez and hidez!"

He looks down where Dregz went and tries to remember what the goblin priest had shouted as he jumped. He can't remember so he shrugs and jumps.

"What-he-said!" he shouts.

As soon as they break free from the woods and draw to a halt, Jurz realises that Rog is hurting.  Quickly he dismounts and starts to make a fuss of the animal, praising him in Goblin for carrying him this far with no complaints.  However, while he is caring for Rog, everyone else makes their own decisions about how to deal with the elves that may, or may not, be chasing them.

Shrugging his shoulders he goes with the flow, Dregz and Moffa  have made the decision to hide further down the slope, and it is as good as any other.  Especially when they are Orcs at the top to make a first line of defence.

Rather than the headlong slide of the others, Jurz takes his time making his own way down on foot and encouraging Rog to following him down the slope.

Once he reaches the others he will take up a defensive position, concealed if possible, and look around.   For all he knows there might be more elfses, or other enemies down here -  but he is also taking note of any areas that could be used to creep up on them or any places that he might be able to make more dangerous if the elfses attack.

”I wasn’t expecting dat! he says as he joins the other goblins down the slope.

---

08:20, Today: Jurz rolled 15 using 1d20+3. spot.
07:57, Today: Rog rolled 3 using 1d6. Hurtz.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:24, Sat 13 Sept 2014.