PM for Otis

Otis says quietly, "We're in a bog. Four huge frogs. Ready your missile weapons."

Ereth collected himself, dusting off his robes while silently cursing this unfortunate turn of events. Taking his cue from the big fella, he readied a handful of darts, preparing for the potential danger outside.

Trevion righted himself, already tense from the sudden halt. Doing his best to find steady footing, he nodded silently at his formidable looking companion’s instructions, loading his crossbow with a series of practiced, almost unconscious movements, his attention focused on the coach’s door.

Darts in hand, Ereth presses his gaunt frame to the side of the carriage, making room for the armed men to reach the exit door first.

Cassandra moves out of the way of the burly men readying their weapons. Since the silence has now been broken, Cassandra begins a quiet prayer to her deity, Eir, and asks for her blessing on her companions in the coach, as we are about to face deadly foes. She casts a "Bless" spell on the party. (+1 to hit, duration: 6 rnds)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:29, Mon 02 May 2022.

PM to Otis

Since Ereth had given way to the rest of the party to queue behind the big fella at the south-facing carriage door, he found himself pressed against the north-facing door, and took the opportunity to peer through the shutters on that side.

While eagerly awaiting his PM from the Host. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:21, Sat 30 Apr 2022.

Otis says quietly, "These southern four are fiftenn to twenty feet away. Nasty bog in between. Hence missiles."

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OOC:
@ Ereth - Nice one!

PM to Ereth

Ereth reports to the group, sotte voce, "Four more on this side." "More importantly," he added, "this is the direction we need to go to return to the road."

"I suggest we hurry, before more creatures are alerted to our presence. Perhaps we can fight our way through and make a push toward the high ground. The coachman is dead and the carriage is a lost cause, so make sure you have your belongings, then let us away."

With these last words, Ereth moved across the compartment so the others could reset the queue for a strategic exit through the north-facing door.

Otis turns on his heel and draws his sword, "North it is. No shouting."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:59, Sun 01 May 2022.

Trevion acknowledged the change in plan with a simple nod. His thoughts shifted to the roof of the carriage and his halberd, which was stored there. He needed to retrieve the weapon at the earliest opportunity if he were to be of significant help in any combat that unfolded.

"If we're ready, someone open the doors, missile people do that, then folks like me charge and hack, hopefully with surprise," suggests Otis, not thinking it necessary to explain the possible, but now less likely, link between their warning against noise and the frog ambush. He scans the group for who's going to open the door: ideally a non-hacker who's also a non-missiler*.


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OOC: if no-one else is better suited to open the doors away from the bog then maybe Trevion could combine it with a climb up to get his stuff on the roof?

"I will get the door," offers Ereth. "These little darts probably won't do much good against those giant swamp creatures any way."

Turning to the young man in chain armor, he added, "My staff is atop the carriage as well. If you want to engage the beasts with another weapon, perhaps I could exit the carriage last and retrieve both of our items? Does anyone else have anything in storage?"

Ereth was trying to be helpful, but privately he wondered if this was a good idea, or a very bad one...

His thoughts having shifted to the roof of the cabin, Trevion remembers that the carriage, in addition to the overhead storage compartments, is also outfitted with an overhead escape hatch, that is, a trapdoor set in the roof. A plaque set in the middle of the trapdoor reads:

"Should egress be otherwise unavailable,
Please avail yourself of this egress."

It's padlocked.

Almost shaken out of her seat, Lotti darts her eyes about her fellow travellers.  She was just about to start speaking when the other ugly halfbreed held his finger up for silence.  That actually made sense, until they knew what it was, no-one knew they were inside.

When the orc-man then quietly suggested missile weapons, stating what was outside she unwrapped the cloak she'd been holding close to her chest, for within she'd placed her well kept short bow.

One of the humans had darts, the other a crossbow.  She silently cursed she'd placed the quiver of arrows in the overhead compartments, well out of her reach.  (She's only a petite 4 foot 5 inches)

The halfbreed looked to the locked trap door in the coaches ceiling, his thoughts obvious.  She pulled the hand axe from her belt, holding it out to him, there was no way she would be able to reach it.  "Smash the wood around the lock, don't hit the lock, don't blunt my blade."

She swivels to the human with the darts.  "My quiver is in that overhead compartment," she says pointing to the exact compartment the quiver was in, "if someone gives me a hand to the ceiling trapdoor, I'll cover whoever goes out from the roof, I won't be much good in the mud."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:53, Mon 02 May 2022.

Having already positioned himself by the north-facing door, Ereth took a moment to quietly test the latch and peer outside once more to make sure the exit was not blocked by mud, or anything else.

If the girl was going to hop out on the roof, the fighting men needed to be ready to charge at the same time...

As soon as I get feedback from the Host, Ereth will respond to the girl and/or address the party as a whole.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:59, Mon 02 May 2022.

The tilt of the carriage has plunged the road-side door further into the muck than it's bog-side counterpart.

Minor test of strength to force the door open.

Trevion studied the trap door in the roof, considering Lotti’s suggestion. Using the butt of his crossbow, he struck the portal near the padlock.

12:24, Today: Trevion rolled 5 using 1d6.  Test of Strength.

The trapdoor didn’t budge. ”Perhaps more than one of us could try to force it? My halberd is above. If the frogs draw close, it would be my best chance to lend a useful hand in our defense.”

While Ereth was talking Otis was unfastening the overhead door. Stuff tumbls out, but no one seriously getting brained, hopefully. He swings his pack on his shoulders and re-readies himself for action.

Seeing Tegel not budge the trapdoor he points at the trapdoor lock, "Someone pick it!" then addsing "Someone open the north door!" and looks at Ereth questioningly.

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OOC: is there a ladder, rope or otherwise, for the trapdoor?
Does the window in the door open or unlatch such that we could get out through that?
This message was last edited by the player at 19:17, Mon 02 May 2022.

Cassandra finishes her quiet prayer and request for general blessings on her companions from her deity, Eir.  She decides, however, not to cast a Bless spell at the moment since the party is not yet ready to engage in combat.  She looks around the cabin trying to determine what everyone is planning to do.

She observes Ereth try unsuccessfully to turn the door knob and open the north door.  And she sees Trevion unsuccessfully try to break open the trap door in the ceiling with his crossbow hilt.  She hears Otis then ask if anyone can pick the padlock on the ceiling trap door.

Now that her belongings have dropped unceremoniously near her from Otis’s opening of the overhead storage rack, Cassandra kneels, gathers her pack and belongings, pulls out her lockpick set, and says, “If y’all want to move out of the way, I’ll be happy to try to pick that padlock.  I’m not very good at it, but I’m willing to try.”

In response to the half man's cry, Ereth explains, "The door won't budge for me, but I believe you might have better luck!"

He then joins the others in quickly gathering the rest of his belongings, and while on one knee, says softly to the young girl with elven ears. "I would be happy to help you through the trap door, when the time comes."

He follows this comment with a friendly, fatherly, wink.

After a blur of rushing and peering about, everybody hears it: the full-throated croaking of the knot cincturing the coach, the coachman already caught within its clutch. And everybody feels it: a slight lurch as the coach starts to sink inexorably into the sucking morass. And everybody knows it: it will be a matter of minutes, not hours, before the sucking's done.

OOC
Ornwin got to his feet, grabbed his pack and equipped his shield and battle axe. Everybody had time to do this as well except for Trevion.
The trapdoor remains padlocked. No ladder leads to it.
The road-side door must be forced.
The bog-side door can be opened.
The casement windows cannot be fully opened.
16:14, Today: The Host rolled 4,5 using d6,d6.  Init: Guests/Residents.

Ereth presses himself against the far side of the cabin, in an attempt to keep clear of the three exits, figuring he will be bringing up the rear, regardless of how the next few moments play out. He stands ready to follow the others' lead or to assist Lotti, if needed.