When the group had finished their hearty meals, paid for by Khalid, they separated into a frenzy of activity. Each gathering the supplies they would require for the impromptu journey. In a flurry of excitement, the intrepid adventurers met in front of the walled inn. Thankfully the Moon was high in the sky providing enough light for the party to safely find their path and torchlight assisted those that needed the extra illumination. Our heroes' progress is slow and as they approached the damaged campsite, there was an eery feeling of discomfort. Torchlight helped guide them but also made the shadows that much darker.

-

What remains of the camp did not look peaceful. The stench of rot and buzzing of flies assaults the group's senses long before the ruined campsite comes into view. Corpses of humanoids and hairy, grotesque creatures litter the ground. Few of the bodies remain in one piece, and most are half-eaten. Torn tents and broken gear are scattered amongst the dead and trampled into the earth. “I s-swear the Cloakwood wasn’t nearly so close t-to our camp before,” Khalid notes, pointing to the dense forest which looms nearby. An abyss of darkness only recognized in silhouette by the light of the moon. He slowly walks through the remains of the camp, picking up small pieces of gear, backpacks. "T-t-this is where it happened...", Khalid says quietly, involuntary tugging at the wedding band.

OOC: If you would like to investigate the campsite please roll a Survival or Tracking check.

This message was last updated by the GM at 20:08, Sun 29 Nov 2020.

Rak-Norag travels in silence, scanning for any signs of danger as they make their way to the campsite.

Once there, he pokes about the ransacked campsite, looking for tracks or other indications of what happened and, more importantly, where the nasty kidnapping creatures may have gone. Perhaps it is the dim light of night (or the ale and stout), but he cannot seem to find anything of import.

15:07, Today: Rak-Norag rolled 7 using 1d20+2.  Survival.

"A moment," Rhen says as he surveys the site with his eyes alone. "Let us not disturb the site too much..." Back in his element, the Wood Elf has little issue spotting disturbed ground, tracks, and other clues left behind by the gibberlings...

OOC:

12:33, Today: Rhen Daggerleaf rolled 25 using 1d20+5.  Survival-Investigate camp.

Brychan strolled through the campground, casually overturning bodies with the toe of his boot, as the outdoorsmen did they jobs. “Quite a few corpses, Khalid. You certainly weren’t defenseless. How many did you fend off, do you think?

---

OOC:
17:04, Today: Brychan Llywarch rolled 11 using 1d20+2.  Survival.

How big was the camp? Both geographically, and in the number of people encamped, more or less.

Khalid walks around the camp, picking up broken pieces of equipment and looking around the ripped to shreds tent, "T-t-t-there were quite a few..."

@Rak-Norag, you notice lots of what looks like footprints all over the camp. You fail to understand where they came from or where they went. The number of foot prints is simply overwhelming.


@Anyone with DC >10.

You notice what looks like a horde of small creatures appearing out of the western portion of the forest, attack the camp. It must have happened quick as you also notice additional set of prints belongings to two, larger humanoid creatures appear out of the tent, then proceed to fight back to back around the camp. At one point the smaller of the two looks like was overwhelmed and dragged away. A more thorough study of the camp reveals that gibberlins disappeared towards and across the Eastern border of the Cloakwood forest.

The remains of the camp do not produce any neither any more of clues or loot. The place is destroyed, smashed, obliterated into pieces.

"She was dragged this way," Rhen says, pointing toward the eastern edge of the Cloakwood. "Aside from the details of the fight, there are no other signs left to read." Rhen unslings his longbow from his shoulder as he speaks.

"If we go, we should be ready for trouble. There were many, and the gibberlings will know their home."

In reply to Rhen Daggerleaf (msg # 48):

Khalid looks at the sky, "It looks like the m-m-m-midnight is nearing, we should be extra careful during these hours".

Rak-Norag looks to the sky, watching the movement of clouds. His nostrils flare as he sniffs the air for signs of beasts or other creatures.

"Best not to camp in this place," he says. "Maybe we follow, find at least a better place, safer. that we can easily guard. Maybe we find these gibberlings and finish the job."

He looks along the general route indicated by the elf ranger. "Good tracking" he says to Rhen.

Brychan whistled a snatch of tune and recited under his breath:

    I met Murder on the way--
    He had a mask like Obould's grey--
    Very smooth he looked, yet grim;
    Seven blood-hounds followed him
    All were fat; and well they might
    Be in admirable plight,
    For one by one, and two by two,
    He tossed them elven hearts to chew.

"What an awful place this is. Let's be off, shall we. That way, was it, cousin?" he asked, gesturing to Rhen.

"Agreed," Rhen says as Khalid mentions the time. He reflexively squeezes the longbow in his hand.

The young Wood Elf cannot help but beam a bit at Rak-Norag's recognition. A wide grin stretches across his face, and he bows his head gratefully.

"Thank you."

When Brychan mentions the direction, Rhen's mind snaps back to the business at hand. He nods, and points in the direction the more worldly Wood Elf gestured.

"Aye," he says. "Into the woods. And if fortune favors us, perhaps not too far."

In reply to Rhen Daggerleaf (msg # 52):

As the group follows the tracks, they come across the mounds. A dozen mounds of freshly-turned dirt are piled along the forest’s edge. Each is roughly the size of a small goat, except for one very large one at the center. The arrangement of these strange mounds is chaotic and haphazard, with no apparent pattern to their construction.

Several of those mounds seem to be empty.

Rak-Norag scowls as he looks around at the fresh mounds. "We Uthgardt have our holy mounds," he says. "These do not look holy. Maybe they are for gibberlings?"

He pauses. "Maybe we fill the empty ones soon."

Brychan scratches his chin. “Hmmm. Next Khalid will tell us he and the survivors didn’t form these mounds, I suppose. Any feral faiths you know bury their dead like this, Sister?” he asked Temperance.

Temperance, who's been leading her donkey Brick along by the light she cast onto the end of her staff, thinks for a moment about Brychan's question, her tail twitching rhythmically.

"I can't think of anyone specific off the top of my head. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that gibberlings bury their dead like this - since they form large enough tribes they would have enough of a sense of community and care for those within their group to mourn the dead," she replies.

"The larger mound concerns me - it's big enough for a person, possibly several if you stacked them," she adds, pointing the glowing end of her staff at the mound in question.

In reply to Brychan Llywarch (msg # 55):

Khalid looks around the mounds, "Uh...I w-w-was made to b-b-believe that this is how they sleep. T-t-true or not...I don't know". Khalid's eyes dart from one side of the field to the next, then to the larger mound. "I am n-n-not a stealthy type!"

Brychan quietly repeated Khalid's words. "They way they... sleep."

He backed up slowly out of the cluster of mounds and unslung his whip.

In reply to Brychan Llywarch (msg # 58):

OOC:  *sweetly* How close are you to the mound? :)

OOC:
I have been dancing on top of the largest mound showing off my swol guns.

I have done nothing but teleport bread for the past three days.

I suppose I would have been near if not among them. Between 10-30' away?

At the word that gibberlings may sleep in these mounds, Rak-Norag pulls his axe out and shifts it into his left hand. He reaches over his shoulder and takes a javelin into his right, ready to throw. His eyes dart from mound to mound, looking for signs of movement.


13:10, Today: Rak-Norag rolled 5 using 1d20+2.  Perception.

You hear at first a shrill coming from within the ground, then one by one the mounds start bursting open with what looks like oily, black mass. The creatures one by one shakes off the dirt and dust, they look like pale skinned, hunchbacked humanoids with pointed ears, across the back and over the head are the black manes, the faces of the creatures are split in a wicked grin with, sharp, pointy teeth coming from within the grins. The eyes are filled with blackness, a shine of madness and something evil coming from within them.

The larger mound remains untouched.

You count 12 creatures.


Roll for initiative and state your intents with rolls for to hit/attack or whichever skill you are using.
Approximated map for orientation: https://docs.google.com/presen...EOb8/edit#slide=id.p
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:32, Wed 02 Dec 2020.

14:19, Today: Brychan Llywarch rolled 8 using 1d20+3.  Initiative .

B will try to get near either Khalid or Rak, whipping the first gibberling to come close (or, if they’re wearing metal — they’re naked, are they? —attacking with shocking grasp).

Presuming they’re nekked...
14:45, Today: Brychan Llywarch rolled 7 using 1d4+3.  Damage, whip.
14:45, Today: Brychan Llywarch rolled 18 using 1d20+5.  Attack roll, whip.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:46, Wed 02 Dec 2020.

Temperance lets out a startled squeak when she sees the gibberlings erupt from the mounds, and hurriedly backs away to behind the others. <Rose>"Brick, away!"</Orange> she orders as she retreats, glancing back to where the donkey was near the part of the clearing where they'd all come in.

07:13, Today: Temperance rolled 5 using 1d20+1. Initiative.

Temperance wants to get behind the others, switch from her staff to her crossbow, and order her donkey to get well away from combat so the gibberlings don't hurt him.

07:16, Today: Temperance rolled 11 using 1d20+2.  Animal Handling.

As the foul creatures emerge all around them, Rak-Norag is slightly stunned. He moves a little slow, letting the javelin fall to earth as the creatures are practically upon them. Then, he feels the spirits of dead tribesmen rising in his soul, their unearthly shrieks in his mind urging him to battle. He snarls, steps up to the closest creature and with a fierce two-handed swing slams the blade of his greataxe into the thing.

Initiative: 8
Bonus Action: Rage On! (Adv on Str checks and saves; resistance to slashing, piercing, bludgeoning damage; +2 damage)
Move/other: Drop javelin, move to closest enemy (if one isn't already on him when his turn comes up)
Greataxe Attack 22, Damage 8

17:16, Today: Rak-Norag rolled 8 using 1d12+5.  Damage.
17:15, Today: Rak-Norag rolled 22 using 1d20+5.  Greataxe Attack.
17:10, Today: Rak-Norag rolled 8 using 1d20+2.  Initiative.

Rhen is caught flat-footed by the gibberlings' appearance. He spits a curse at having missed the signs of their presence. The young elf brings his longbow to bear. When Temperance moves to protect her donkey, he tries to line up a shot on the gibberling nearest to the beast of burden...

OOC:

15:04, Today: Rhen Daggerleaf rolled 5 using 1d20+3.  Initiative.
15:07, Today: Rhen Daggerleaf rolled 10 using 1d20+5.  Atk w/ Longbow. (I'm guessing that's a miss)

Ellerie shakes her head as the Gibberlings emerged. Drawing her shord blade and securing her buckler, she moves forward prepared to strike at these things. "Be careful, there are a good number of these things. Do not let them surround you and do not let your guard down."


Slowly Maneuvers around the foes trying to avoid being surrounded.
22:02, Today: Ellerie, rolled 12 using 1d20+3.  Initiative.
22:05, Today:  Ellerie, rolled 6 using 1d20+5. Short Sword Attack