"Hold on," the Sister whispered to Marklin.  "This may be the barrier Teyani described.  She said there were ogres, too.

"I don't think their lookout has seen us, yet, but we aren't exactly hidden here with the horses if he wakes up or someone else comes along."

She looked around for better cover but their surroundings were much the same everywhere in this land beyond the Witchwood.  A few stunted trees here or there, but largely waist to neck high upland scrub.

"Taerix," she asked, hoping to choose the least conspicuous of her company, "do you think you might be able to get closer and see how many more there are on the other side?"

"All right," replied the halfling. Taerix edged along in the brush until he could see beyond the barrier, moving as stealthily as he could manage.

Watching the others for guidance, Valthur dismounts (clumsily), leads his horse to some scrub where it can be tied, then draws his crossbow and hunkers down for cover.

Taerix scrambles ahead, moving from bush to bush, his diminutive form difficult to pick out against the surrounding terrain. The halfling draws to within 30 feet of the road blockade and sees a pile of bodies off to the right of the palisade. The bodies appear to be merchants and pilgrims and are in various states of decay. None appear to be more than a few days old, unfortunately victims of the denizens of this newly erected roadside palisade.

Taerix spots two hobgoblins atop the twenty-foot tall watchtower. Both are conscious, but seem to not be taking the task of being on the lookout very seriously. They passively watch the road leading north and south and likely daydream of more exciting postings elsewhere, perhaps wishing they were marching along in the main horde sacking towns and villages.

The halfling can not peer inside the palisade from this distance, but it might be possible if he wishes to risk  short jaunt across open terrain.

OOC: Do you want to try to get any closer?

Taerix decides not to press his luck, and returns carefully to the others, giving the party a summary of what he saw.

"Did you see a way through or around it?" Eoni asked the halfling scout.  With what they had guarding Skull Gorge, she was worried about what reinforcements those two lookouts had behind them.  As well this barrier and it's guard had turned away a troop of Brindol Knights.

"We could go off trail," Valthur suggests. "Although I don't necessarily like the idea of slinking around like a pack of hyenas." He peers off to the east and west for the lay of the land.

Sarah also looks about.

Is there a route to the side of the palisade that appears to have more ground cover than the other?

Taerix answers questions to the best of his ability, noting the open ground he saw.

The land has been cleared around the palisade. There is some stubbly scrub here or there, but not mush else. Going around the roadside fortification is possible, its placement really more of a hindrance for wagons, carts and the like. The surrounding countryside is rough, but nothing a horse could not handle.

The bigger issue will be not being spotted while attempting to pass the bloackade.

"It's a long shot, but I could create a distraction, or perhaps cover for us..."

"They're going to spot us soon if we stay here," Eoni said, noting how their horses were taller than the cover they'd found.  "All they have to do is look.  So we need to move.

"Taerix, see if you can find out what they have behind that wall.  If we can, I don't want to leave this behind us for other travelers but they might have another dragon back there.  Ogres at the very least.  We'll try to move back down the trail and wait for you.

"If we're spotted, we'll try to draw them out, see their numbers.  Conserve our magic," she said with a nod to Aldara, "and run if we have to.  Meet up two miles back.

"Otherwise, we'll meet you a ways back from here where we can't be spotted from the tower.

"Good luck and stay safe."

She took the reins of his pony with her own and began to make her way back to the trail on foot.  They hadn't been spotted on their approach and with luck, the sentry would remain oblivious to their retreat.

The halfling retraces his steps through the brush, only this time, he risks getting a peek behind the wall, ready to run if spotted.

The party is some distance away from the road blockade; otherwise they would have already been spotted. Taerix had to scramble several hundred yards to scout out the fortification, but presumably he scrambled back to his companions' position to relate what he saw. His report complete, he makes the journey again, the most suited of any party member for this particular contribution.

The halfling disappears into brush and is soon back the clearing around the fortification. Taerix spends the next half hour or so scouting out the fortification, eventually assessing there to be 8 hobgoblins and 2 ogres within the palisade. Only two of the hobgoblins are on watch: the rest of the outpost is lazing about inside. Not quite awake and neither asleep.

Taerix makes his way back to the party with this newest report.

From their new position a little further away, she looked around at the others.  The details Taerix discovered matched those of Teyani, and still no sign of dragons.  This definitely wasn't going to be easy, but not impossible.

"What do you think?" she asked.  "I'd prefer not to leave them behind to pick off travelers but it would be the largest force we've faced so far."

"If we could get in the tower . . . " Sarah leaves her whispered thought unfinished.

"We stand a chance if we can pick them off one by one, but we'll need to take out those two in the tower before they can alert the others. Or maybe we can draw some of them out."

Marklin scratched his chin in thought." It all be made o' wood.And it be dry as dust, weatherwise. Burn the bloody thing down. Kill em as they come out."
"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:40, Tue 06 Feb 2018.

"My magic could, as always, turn the odds in our favour."

"I'm afraid we might light up this brush if we tried to burn the wall," Eoni said, "but we might be able to lure them out with some smoke of our own.

"Maybe if we all got into position near the wall, had someone start the smoke here, then wait for them to come out to investigate.  While they're out, we get into the tower, take care of them, then turn on those returning from the fire.

"We'll try and conserve our magic and prayer for the ogres," she added with a nod to Aldara.  "We know how to deal with hobgoblins, but I don't like the sound of ogres."

If it worked, it actually used a bit of everyone's plan.  Taerix seemed well suited to moving through the scrub so it might be best for him to start the fire.  He'd have to get back past any patrol they sent out.  The rest could hide in the scrub and wait for the patrol to get well away.  Then have some shoot at the lookouts while the others tried to get into the tower.

She still wasn't sure how the wall opened but they'd be able to see how the patrol emerged.  Hopefully.

Valthur nods. "Well what are we waiting for?"

Taerix moves out to get the fire going. Once he does, he rejoins the others.

Before they split up, Eoni intones a prayer to strengthen their resolve and guide their arms.  They then move back through the brush to find a hiding place nearer the wall while Taerix starts the fire.

OOC: Bless +1 to hit and damage for the next hour.

The dry brush erupts into a roaring flame in little time. Fortunately there is not much wind today, lessening the chance of a raging, out-of-control brush fire...but not completely eliminating the risk. It has been very dry and hot lately and this area is extremely prone to wildfires.

But the spark has been lit nonetheless.

Presumably the adventurers hunker down somwhere nearby and wait for something to happen. The fire definitely catches the attention of the two hobgoblin sentinels atop the watchtower. Their disposition has gone from inattentive to alert in little order. Both are now keenly scanning the area for any sign of what might have caused the fire.

Rather than leave the protection afforded by their fort, they are soon joined by six more hobgoblins whom appear either over the rampart or atop the watchtower, in addition to two ogres who join them a short time later. All peer off into the distance, but none seem to be too keen on going out and investigating the burning bush.

But they are definitely on high alert now!