The Greatest Evil, Chapter One: Flawless Bounty Hunter

[Rock_DS]

Gresh listened to the persuasive words of his team mates.

He was never one for talking. Prefering contests to decide a winner.

He decided that if things started to get out of hand, he would do what he did best.

 

[Anatarei Crimsonthrone]

"My dear hobgoblins... Gracklath and Gnash, wasn't it? I hope that you can appreciate our need to protect and reclaim what belongs to our people. We are willing and more than capable of waltzing in there in a wave of blood and death. But! We'd certainly rather not. Should you two, Gracklath and Gnash, be inclined to provide us with information about the location of your troop's leader and the hostages, we'd be more than willing to turn the other way as you travel off alive and well."

{Taking 10 on a rushed Diplomacy check, with the benefit of the +13 from my associates, my total is 43. Assuming they're hostile, I've just shifted them to Friendly, and if they're just Unfriendly, I've shifted them to Helpful.}  

[Disciple of Sakura]

Kimi nods down towards the village. "Time is of the essence. we'll need to make our move soon."  

[Slave Xaccheus]

((There's no way they could possibly roll better than that, even with a natural twenty. They were unfriendly, since Gnash didn't want to fight but didn't like them, while Gracklath was ready to fight but didn't.))

Gnash looked at Gracklath, who likewise looked back at him. They thought things over for a moment, before reaching their decision. After all, they were either deserting their army, or getting annihilated.

"Okay, well..." Gnash began, moving his hands to show effect, "There's a blacksmith's forge further down where there's a Bugbear who spent his whole life training with a ton of weapons. He's controlling the group here while Gorroth is supervising a raid of the Golden-rock mines."

"There's a butchery north of the town square, where you have three goblins armed with Great Crossbows." Gracklath continued, "And at the end of the northern, western, and southern thoroughfares, you have two Gnoll rangers with wolves as animal companions. The hostages are holed up at the Inn, with four orc guards watching them. They put up barrels of gunpowder, and they each have a bomb that they're ready to light and lob inside to blow the whole place to hell."

Gnash nods,

"All in all, it's a force of twenty not counting Gracklath and I. Most of these guys are low-level, but the Bugbear is pretty high-level and knows how to use basically every weapon in existence. The best route would be getting inside the inn, and pinning down the four orcs. They don't want to die, so they won't use the bombs unless they make an escape."

"The Inn is on the southern thoroughfare, right next to the two Gnolls stationed there. Getting past them quickly is an essential part, so we'd need to fake capturing you."  

[Arc Vembris]

((Shifting Aura to Aura of Presence: All allies within 30' gain +3 to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate, just so everyone can take advantage of this bonus of mine on all these checks they're making))

"Splendid! We'll just have to make sure the orcs don't escape." Sindri holds out his hands. "Take us to your inn, gentlemen!"  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"I don't think so, you guys can be taken in. But I am going to say out here." Saul said lower his gun, "Unlike the rest of you I am good at stealth so. I will just sneak around to see what I can find out on my own. I thank you, Gnesh and Gracelath"  

[Slave Xaccheus]

Gnash and Gracklath shrug as Saul makes his statement. The two Hobgoblins nudge everyone with their shields, trying to pass off as captors. Since their attitude was changed to helpful, they are considered allies for the time being.

They begin to walk down the thoroughfare, signaling to any curious onlookers from their garrison that everything was all right. Gracklath "confiscates" your weaponry and stows begins carrying it with him.

"Bet you thought you could sneak in and take us out, huh, tough guy?" Gnash says, "condescendingly" punching Sindri on his shoulder.

"Next time, try and make a better plan. Oh, wait! There won't be a next time!" Gracklath remarks with "sadistic" mischief. The Gnoll rangers buy it as soon as they hear it.

You are now in the bar, faced by the four orcs.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

(Am I with the group or seperate?)  

[Arc Vembris]

((we're in the bar area of the inn with the four orc guards? Are the hostages here? And importantly, has our weaponry been un"confiscated"?))  

[Drugged Lolli]

((Who exactly went as 'captives', as it certainly wouldn't be believable for the whole group to have been captured by the two guards. Elizabeth, as she looks like a child, would probably make a logical person to go, and maybe Sindri and/or Elohim. Could probably talk the orcs down, even get them to help out.))

 

[Rock_DS]

A grin spread across his lips, unseen behind the helment. Drawing his weapon. He passed it to the Hobgoblins, the Goliath Greathammer was huge.

Gresh was 12 ft tall. The hammer was a good few foot bigger than him, a solid 14 ft in length. Weighig at close to 60 ponds, he wondered how the small one would manage with it. He handed it to them had first. Where the bulk of most of the weight was.

He followed, he allowed himself to be corralled by his "captors" ducking as he came into the bar. Another smile came across his lips. His weapon was a spectical indeed. But he was always ready for a fight.

 

[Disciple of Sakura]

Kimi begrudgingly hands over her bow and naginata to the hobgoblins. "I expect you to treat those with care. They're very precious." As they approach the inn, she does her best to calculate the best route of attack for the group - without her weapons, she would be reliant upon her spells to deal with any possible violence. Fortunately, her armor provided her with gauntlets, which was something of a benefit. Protecting and securing the hostages was the first goal. But a bugbear trained in all possible weapons? Good for him - all you needed was one weapon to be dangerous. Knowing how to use them all was practically unnecessary. She'd like to teach him just how much he'd wasted his training.

Chizue passed her pathetic spear over to the hobgoblins as well. She really wasn't planning on using it anyway. Push came to shove, she could easily just provide additional support in the inn from the heavens themselves.  

[Slave Xaccheus]

((I guess I should have cleared this plan up; Gnash and Gracklath will un-confiscate your weaponry after some talking with the orcs and you're successfully inside. The hostages are on the upper level. Saul was the only one who said he didn't want to go in, so he is now off doing whatever he needs to do. As for the capture thing, let's just say these two hobgoblins aren't that bright. Neither were the Gnolls. For Role-playing convenience, let's just say everything up to here went off without a hitch due to the stupid tricking the stupider. And yes, The Dungeon Master is a known entity in this. Further information can be found in the April Fools section on the D&D Wiki.))

"Am I supposed to believe that you managed to capture this entire team of adventurers by yourselves?" The Orc asks, disbelieving.

"Would we be alive if we hadn't captured them?" Gracklath tries to pass off, "Seriously, it's like a bunch of first-level guys got tricked when the Dungeon Master was a total a*****e."  

[Anatarei Crimsonthrone]

{Haven't had a chance to post before the adventure's been zooming along into different territory, so I'm going to do an "interrupt" and reposition myself.}After hearing the plan, Elohim contemplates for a moment before replying, "If it pleases you, Gnash and Gracklath, I would rather not play a hostage's part. I am capable of flight, and will instead provide aerial support to help should you need assistance." Elohim's cloak of shadows unfurls into wings, and he takes to the air. "I'd wish you all good luck, but I don't think we'll need it."  

[Arc Vembris]

"Oh indeed, poor little nublets we be, all horribly unbalanced. I'm sure we'll all regret our feat choices in three levels. A kobold probably could've gotten the jump on us. Just one!

((Bluff @47))

Sindri uses this time to scan the room for the hostages, and to align himself that he might hit several orcs with a line attack